Core Webinar - Best of Core Forum: Judging a Book by Its Cover; Investigating Arsenic and Other Heavy Metals in 19th Century Book Bindings

CHICAGO—Join Core for the webinar "Best of Core Forum: Judging a Book by Its Cover; Investigating Arsenic and Other Heavy Metals in 19th Century Book Bindings" on May 6, 2025, at 1 p.m. CT. Recent research in the cultural heritage conservation field has identified arsenic and other toxic heavy metals in pigments used in 19th century book bindings. How hazardous are these materials, and what should libraries do if they have 19th C. items in their collections? This presentation will provide background information on this growing field of interest, and a broad overview of some of the research to date. It will also lay out a case study of the ongoing research project at the [UNIVERSITY] Library, testing for the presence of arsenic, cadmium, chromium, mercury, and lead in pigments used to color bookcloth and paper. The presenters will describe their planning process, communication plans, the current state of their findings, what they've learned so far, and outstanding questions. Not every library has the staff or funding to undertake a large-scale research project, so they will also provide tips to identify potentially problematic pigments, as well as things to consider when handling or providing access to these materials.

This webinar was previously presented in-person as a session at the 2024 Core Forum. We are hosting this webinar, with the session adapted and presented live as a virtual event, to extend its reach.

Best of Core Forum: Judging a Book by Its Cover; Investigating Arsenic and Other Heavy Metals in 19th Century Book Bindings
Live Webinar: Tuesday, May 6, 2025, 1 - 2 p.m. CT

Presenters:

Arthur Hall, Collections Care Graduate Assistant, Preservation Department, University of Illinois Library, Champaign, IL
Shelby Strommer, Collections Care Coordinator, Preservation Department, University of Illinois Library, Champaign, IL

Registration Fees:

Core Member: $57.67
ALA Member: $71.10
Nonmember: $79.00

How Do I Purchase Group Registration?

You can register a group by specifying the number of people who will be accessing the webinar during checkout. We offer webinars discounts based on the number of registrations you specify at checkout. If you are a Core member, you can purchase seats for yourself and your colleagues at the Core discount rate; ALA's new e-Learning store allows you to extend Core member savings to colleagues at your institution.

Can't attend the live event? No problem! All registrants will receive a link to the recorded session for later viewing at their convenience.

Register online or by phone at 1-800-545-2433 (press 1 to reach our customer service representatives).

For questions or comments related to Core webinars, please contact Core staff at corece@ala.org.

About Core

Core: Leadership, Infrastructure, Futures is the national association that advances the profession of librarians and information providers in central roles of leadership and management, collections and technical services, and technology. Our mission is to cultivate and amplify the collective expertise of library workers in core functions through community building, advocacy, and learning. Core is a division of the American Library Association. Follow us on our Blog, Instagram and LinkedIn.