Additional information on the ICON internship in the Conservation of Books and Bound Materials. Ref EFP1205 PD.  Deadline for applications 5th June 2012.  For an application form go to http://www.icon.org.uk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=294&Itemid=38

Most museums, libraries and archives do not run their own conservation studios and have to rely on conservators working in the private sector. There are now only a small number of accredited, self employed book conservators in the UK, who support these organisations by providing advice on correct storage, display, handling and conservation treatment to books and bound archives of historic importance.

Penzance based community interest company, PZ Conservation C.I.C., is the recipient of a generous grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF), as part of their Skills for the Future programme*, to fund four professional development internships for book conservators using the ICON Skills in Practice framework. These internships are aimed at introducing interns to working in the private sector and to provide a good grounding in book conservation skills. A fifth of each of the interns’ time will be spent working with local heritage organisations in Cornwall who cannot access the services of a book conservator and to introducing book conservation and hand binding to a wider audience, particularly younger people.

THE TRAINING SUPERVISOR AND STUDIO

Elizabeth Neville MA ACR has worked in the independent sector as a book conservator for over 25 years and has taught and assessed book conservation on the MA course at the London University of the Arts and the post-graduate book conservation course and MA Conservation Studies course at West Dean. In a voluntary capacity, Ms Neville is chair of the PACR Management Board and a trustee of Icon.

Staff and placements from her studio have gone on to work in the British Library, Cambridge Colleges Conservation Consortium, Canterbury Cathedral Library, Leather Conservation Centre, Metropolitan Archive, North Yorkshire Record Office and Shepherds Bookbinders.

In 2009 the studio relocated from West London to Penzance, Cornwall and is now situated in the town centre above the Exchange Gallery which is the sister gallery of the publicly funded Newlyn Gallery http://www.newlynartgallery.co.uk/?Home

The intern would be working closely with the training supervisor and there are occasional short-term contract staff and placements for particular projects. In January 2012 we appointed Clare Goulbourn as the second intern on this programme and Clare will be with us until April 2013. This means there will be an overlap of 6 months between the two internships, so there will be plenty of opportunity for shadowing and exchanging skills.

TRAINING PROGRAMME

Based on recommendations from the Advisory Panel, Frederick Bearman ACR, James Cassells ACR and Sonja Schwoll ACR, the following list outlines the book conservation and general conservation skills a conservator working in the private sector should know about.

Specific book conservation skills

• Bookbinding history
• Materials – traditional and modern
• Tools and maintenance
• Aqueous treatments
• Paper repair
• Textile repair
• Parchment repair
• Leather repairs
• Structural repairs
• Alternative formatting
• Box-making
• Tooling (optional- only if time, dependent on level of experience in other areas)
• Housing and environment
• Preparing bound materials for digitisation

Professional skills specific for a conservator

• Documentation
• Different levels of intervention
• Identification of an object’s significance
• Working with clients
• Estimating
• Running a studio
• Sourcing materials and equipment
• Keeping up to date
• Sourcing professional advice
• Preparing for accreditation
• Disaster Planning
• Environmental monitoring

Each internship will build on the intern’s current level of knowledge, as assessed at the start of the internship. Existing skills will be enhanced and new skills developed, based on the Specific book conservation skills and the Professional skills specific for a conservator.  This will be achieved by the intern working on a range of practical conservation projects from different archives and libraries, in the premises of the training supervisor.  Occasional site work for surveys, condition reporting, estimating and delivery of training will also be required.

During the final six months of the internship, the emphasis would increase on enhancing professional skills and the intern would (under the supervision of the training provider) start to negotiate directly with local libraries, museums and archives to plan and implement book conservation projects.

OUTREACH AND ADVOCACY

A total of one fifth of the intern’s time is allocated to working on local conservation and advocacy projects. Museums, libraries and archives in Cornwall are heavily reliant on volunteers, sometimes with very little experience of conservation. The interns will participate in open studio days to introduce organizations to the services that a conservator can provide. In liaison with local museum and archive development officers’, the interns will run training days for heritage staff and volunteers and provide support in survey work and condition reporting to assist in funding submissions.

The interns will spend part of their time working with young people on projects, alongside local education and social inclusion officers to raise interest in conservation and heritage amongst different socio-economic groups (Cornwall is one of four UK areas that qualify for poverty related grants from the European Union) through practical demonstrations and workshops on conservation and bookmaking. See www.pzconservation.org.uk to find out more about what we do.

WHO WE ARE LOOKING FOR

If you enjoy the collegiate atmosphere of a large institution or you prefer to work on one collection at a time or you do not like talking about and demonstrating what you do, this is not the right internship for you.  If you enjoy lots of practical work, working on different collections and can communicate your enthusiasm about your work to encourage people to take an interest in conservation and bookbinding, then this could be the right opportunity for you. As this is a programme of four internships we are looking for someone whose skills compliment rather than replicate the knowledge base we already have in the studio.

Penzance is a lively, friendly town with galleries, festivals and music venues. It is in an area famous for its coastal scenery, beautiful sub tropical gardens and prehistoric monuments. Penzance has a direct train line to London and boasts one of the few remaining overnight sleeper trains.  Newquay airport is less than an hour drive away with connections to London. Edinburgh and Ireland.   Despite this Penzance is a long way from most places and applicants should consider this before applying.

INTERVIEWS

Interviews will last 45 - 50 minutes plus a visit to the training provider’s studio. Interviewees will be expected to show one or two practical examples of bookbinding and/or book conservation work and an example of documentation (there will not be time to look at a portfolio of documantation). Applicants will need to prepare a short presentation of around 5 minutes duration, that describes a conservation project or technique to a non-professional audience. This should not take the form of a powerpoint or slide presentation as we are interested in how you can demonstrate the practical aspects of conservation.

Notes:

Heritage Lottery Fund
Using money raised through the National Lottery, the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) sustains and transforms a wide range of heritage for present and future generations to take part in, learn from and enjoy. From museums, parks and historic places to archaeology, natural environment and cultural traditions, we invest in every part of our diverse heritage.  HLF has supported 33,900 projects, allocating £4.4billion across the UK.  Website: www.hlf.org.uk .  For more information please contact Katie Owen or Roland Smith, HLF press office, on tel: 020 7591 6036/6047  Mob: 07973 613820.

* Skills for the Future
The Heritage Lottery Fund's Skills for the Future programme is supporting heritage organisations across the UK to create new training places.  Grants range from £100,000 to £1million for a number of traineeships with an emphasis on high-quality work-based training.  The programme will help equip organisations to engage with the widest possible range of people and inspire them to get involved with heritage.