Textile designer Franklin Habit to serve as Preservation Week® Honorary Chair

For Immediate Release
Tue, 03/21/2017

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CHICAGO – Textile designer, teacher, author and illustrator Franklin Habit will join the Association for Library Collections & Technical Services (ALCTS), a division of the American Library Association, to pass on his knowledge of textile preservation during Preservation Week®, April 23 – 29, 2017, a time when librarians and library workers share expertise on how to preserve family heirlooms and treasures. 

Habit’s varied experience in the fiber world includes two popular books (It Itches and I Dream of Yarn) and contributions of writing and design to Vogue KnittingYarn Market News, Interweave KnitsInterweave CrochetPieceWork and Twist Collective, as well as regular columns and cartoons for Knitty.com, PLY Magazine, Lion Brand Yarns and his popular “Fridays with Franklin” feature for Skacel Collection. Many of his independently published designs are available via Ravelry.com.

Habit first became well known as the writer of The Panopticon, one of the most popular knitting blogs on the Internet, which attracted readers worldwide to his mix of essays, cartoons, and the adventures of Dolores the Sheep.

“I am thrilled to have this opportunity to contribute and gain additional knowledge of textile preservation,” said Habit. “There is no greater honor than to work alongside expert librarians and library workers who are transforming lives through education and lifelong learning. As an enthusiastic preservation-novice who is tasked with safeguarding multigenerational family treasures, I’m looking forward to sharing my experiences with the public as I work to preserve fabrics and patterns from the late 19th and early 20th centuries.”

As Preservation Week Honorary Chair Habit will appear in Preservation Week artwork and will chronicle preservation efforts through various social media channels.  You can follow Habit online with @franklinhabit on Twitter, @franklin.habit on Instagram, or through his Facebook page for tips and resources

This year’s Preservation Week® theme is textile preservation, and participating libraries will celebrate by offering special programs and services to connect library users with preservation tools, promote the importance of preservation and strive to enhance knowledge of preservation issues among the general public. Institutions around the world will be using the hashtag #preswk to talk about their preservation programs and services.   

For more information regarding Preservation Week® visit http://www.ala.org/preservationweek

The Association for Library Collections & Technical Services (ALCTS) is the national association for information providers who work in collections and technical services, such as acquisitions, cataloging, collection development, preservation and continuing resources in digital and print formats. ALCTS is a division of the American Library Association.