luciab: (Default)
Susan Arthur ([personal profile] luciab) wrote2006-09-26 04:50 pm
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sleepy day

I expect I'm only sleepy today because I have a headache and don't have to go to work. If I were shelving books or pulling holds or something equally fascinating, it might keep me awake more. Of course then I'd be queasy from the turning and getting up and down. Joy.

Miranda has enjoyed it, though... she was either on my chest or curled up next to me all afternoon while I was reading. The chest position is a new one for her. Of course she usually wiggles so much when she's in my lap it can hardly be called one position. I'd like to encourage her to adopt that one, though... sitting with her butt in my lap and her front paws and head up on my chest. Lovely.

I need to make a decision about how interested I am in preservation generally. Of course the (theoretically) perfect library job would be puttering around in a back room somewhere working on rare books. Or a museum. Hey-- I found out recently that the NC Museum of Art has a library... hrm. Unfortunately, I have realized that a whole lot of chemistry is involved in preservation work. Me, not so much with the whole chemistry thing. Anyway, I will likely wind up in some sort of practicum or independent study next semester and have been toying with the idea of trying to get something in the preservation field. An awfully lot of it seems to be doing the sorting part of archives, which.... well, I know I suck at organizing. Again, I'd like to learn something about book repair, but haven't had a chance yet to discuss it with people who do that kind of work. Honestly, general preservation work would entail working with ALL materials, not just books. Magnetic tapes, optical media, film and photos.... My theory is that having that little extra something might help me get a job. In all likelihood, I'll be doing book shelving and patron consultations when I really do get a job. And getting a Public Library practicum would probably be easier than designing an independent study on something specific. I'll see how it goes.

as someone who was headed in a similar direction...

[identity profile] intrepida.livejournal.com 2006-09-27 12:15 am (UTC)(link)
Getting into an MA program for art conservation does take a lot of chemistry (4 semesters) but coming at it from the library angle might let you bypass that. The University of Texas at Austin has a library-focused books and paper conservation certificate program that you may be interested in:

http://www.ischool.utexas.edu/programs/certificates/conservation.php