Amelia International Conservation Studies

Syllabus - Conservation and Preservation of Books

Summer Semester, 2025
Mon, July 28 - Fri, August 8, 2025 (second two weeks)
Amelia, Italy
Meets daily: Monday – Friday, 09:00 AM – 12:00 PM (4 weeks)
Afternoon Workshop: Monday - Friday, 2:00 PM - 6:00 PM (4 weeks)
Location: Biblioteca Comunale Largo Caduti dì Nassiriya e Kabul, 1 (classroom for both lectures and workshop)
Lead Instructor: Nikolas Sarris

No prerequisites required.

Course Description:
This course provides an insight into the main principles and practices of book conservation and preservation. Following the curriculum the students will be able to identify the main agents of deterioration of books and their bindings and they will be introduced to methodologies for the documentation and analysis of book features and their state of preservation, while building critical thinking on preservation and conservation approaches. Having developed an understanding of book structures and book components they will be taught basic book conservation and bookbinding repair techniques and will expand on theoretical and practical aspects of book preservation and preventive conservation.

Summary of Lectures

  • Principles of preservation, preventive conservation and conservation of books

  • Causes of deterioration of books

  • Terminology of deterioration agents

  • Documentation of books: methods and techniques

  • First Aid preventive conservation treatments

  • Terminology of book conservation

  • Preservation of historical bindings in conservation treatments

  • Conservation planning

  • Preservation strategies and treatments in historic libraries

Practical conservation treatments and techniques that will be learned

  • Dry cleaning      

  • Paper repairs on books

  • Minimal and first aid treatments

  • Adhesive tape removal

  • Consolidation of binding components

  • Repairs on covering materials

  • Handling and housing techniques for storage and display

Additional Information:
This course is aimed at students who have an interest in the care and preservation of books, as individual objects and as collections in libraries and archives. It provides an introduction into the practice and principals of book conservation and preservation and an understanding of the processes of deterioration of books.

The practical sessions on hand-on conservation work that will be carried out during the workshop will be based on demonstrations and practice work making use of trial objects for training purposes and will also include original material from the Amelia Historic Archives (13th -19th c.).

The course will include study visits to local libraries and archives, providing the students with a rare opportunity to experience real case studies and examine rare book library collections.

Student Learning Outcomes:
 Students who successfully complete this course will be able to:

  • Describe the physical properties of book components and identify the main agents of deterioration.

  • Perform analytical condition assessments and complete conservation treatment reports.

  • Make basic conservation and preservation assessments to provide treatment proposals

  • Understand and evaluate the conservation needs of books and make critical choices on conservation treatments and preservation measures.

  • Apply basic conservation treatments, such as surface cleaning, paper repairs, consolidation of binding components and cover repairs.

  • Create housing enclosures and display cradles for books.


     Recommended Reading
    ●       Bainbridge, A. (ed). (2023). Conservation of Books, Routledge.

    DOI: https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003162674

    ●       Bausi, A., Witakowski, W., Sokolinski, E., Borbone, P. G., Briquel-Chatonnet, F., Buzi, P., Gippert, J., Macé, C., Maniaci, M., Melissakis, Z., Parodi, L. E., & Studies, C. O. M. 2015. Comparative Oriental Manuscript Studies: An Introduction., Chapter 5 (Sarris, N et al): pp.539-581
    DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.46784

    ●       Clarkson, C. 1978. The conservation of early books in codex form: A personal approach: Part I. The Paper Conservator, 3(1), pp. 33–50.

Must be taken with the following co-requisite:
History and the making of early bookbinding structures