Student Blog: Library of Congress

​With over 170 million items in their collection, I knew my third-year internship at the Library of Congress in Washington, DC would be extraordinary and packed full of learning opportunities. Over the past seven months, I have rebound a 15th-century Venetian publication of Plato’s Dialogues, mended 19th-century maps still in their paper covers (a rare sight to be sure!), made a new case binding for Henry S. Tanner’s A New American Atlas which was published in 1825, and have built cloth-covered clamshell boxes for items in the Library’s rare book collection.

​Although the number of staff onsite has been reduced in accordance with Covid-19 protocols, the conservation labs are still continuously buzzing with activity which have led to spontaneous opportunities to learn new skills. A small leak in storage provided the opportunity to learn about how the Library responds to such incidents and how the conservators work to ensure every affected item is properly handled and dried. On a happier note, I was also able to participate in one of the finals steps of the years-long treatment of an 18th-century music manuscript written by Francis Hopkinson which is believed to be the first piece of secular music composed in the American colonies. In the early part of the 20th century, each page was laminated between thin tissue and cellulose acetate. Many conservators and interns have participated in the effort to delaminate the 206 manuscript pages. Before being mended and rebound, some of the pages were resized with gelatin. In my studies I had read and learned about gelatin sizing of paper but had never had the opportunity to actually do it. But, recently, I was able to assist the conservators in the final push to gelatin-size the remaining 17 unsized pages. It was a fantastic learning opportunity and connected what I had learned during my graduate studies to real-life practice. 

​Soon I’ll begin the examination and treatment of a 16th century Hebraic text published in Constantinople in a printing house owned by a woman named Reyna Nasi. I’m excited to not only delve into this complicated treatment but into the historical, societal, and religious circumstances surrounding the publication of this text. My internship has been so enriching and rewarding, and I am grateful to the conservators who have tirelessly shared their knowledge and skills. 

— Laura McNulty, WUDPAC Class of 2021