Submitted by IIC Webmaster on
The British Library has celebrated the completion of its new Centre for Conservation by launching an online "microsite" to inform the public about conservation issues. The Centre for Conservation opened to the public on 17 May 2007, after a £13.25 million building project that lasted 18 months. It provides facilities for all aspects of book conservation, education and training, and state-of-the art technical facilities for the nation's Sound Archive.
The library's book conservation staff were previously spread across several London sites, so the Conservation Centre brings them together in the same building for the first time. The centre also provides training in book conservation for students and professionals; the library will offer a two-year Book Conservation course in conjunction with Camberwell College of Arts. Members of the public will be encouraged to visit the centre to learn about conservation, too. Inside the building is a Learning and Visitor Centre, including an exhibition about how books can deteriorate, and the range of solutions available to preserve them for the future.
