Q & A with Laura Larkin, University Library

Interviewee: Laura Larkin, Special Collections Conservator, University Library (Library Admin)  

Please describe your job title and a description of your job related activities.

In my position as Special Collections Conservator, I am responsible for the repair and care of rare and unique materials held by special collections units within the University Library.   I work in the Conservation Lab at the Oak Street Library Facility.   In my job, I am not only responsible for physically repairing library materials (broken books, torn documents, etc), but I also consult with librarians and collection managers about preservation related issues such as mold or bug damage as well as environmental storage conditions.  A great deal of my time is also spent preparing materials for loan and exhibit as well as working on disaster recovery planning and response.  In short, I offer input about the physical needs of the books & documents in certain collections, as opposed to the curators and librarians who are the experts on the intellectual content of the collection items. 

What has been your educational path (What fields are your degrees in, What University/ies did you attend)?

In working towards my BA in studio art and architectural studies, I took a variety of art classes such as design, painting, drawing, and printmaking.  After completing my undergraduate degree, I worked for several years in a production bookbindery in Austin, TX.  This was my introduction to bookbinding as a craft and art, and I quickly feel in love with the field.  I left that job to enter graduate school at the University of Texas at Austin where I studied preservation and conservation for library and archives materials.  I received a MLIS and an advanced certificate in conservation studies from UT in 1999.

 How has your degree aided you in your current job?

My degree and education are a constant help to me in my current job.  The network of colleagues I met through graduate school is an invaluable source of advice and assistance to me when unusual issues arise.  The information I studied in the wide variety of courses we were required to take in grad school are in constant use for me in my current job.  I also often refer back to my undergraduate art education as it is important to understand how drawings and prints are created in order to determine how best to repair them.

Can you please explain your career path (Whether you have always been an AP or have made the transition from Civil Service to AP)?

I am the first person to fill this position for the library (I began work here in 2007) and it has always been an Academic Professional position. 

What do you enjoy most about working at the U of I?

The library collections are amazing, wonderfully diverse, and contain many truly beautiful pieces.  I am truly honored to work with these materials and I have a great deal of respect for the history they represent.  I also feel very lucky to work in a supportive environment and with a group of nice people.  The Conservation Lab in particular is a friendly, pleasant, and encouraging place to work. 

What is the most exciting part of your job?

The constant variety and ever-present need makes my job exciting, interesting, and inspiring.  In terms of variety, over the course of a year, I handled a wooden ox-yoke attributed to Abraham Lincoln as well as 24 prints from the Birds of America by John James Audubon.  I’m sometimes tired, but never bored. 

What is the most challenging part about your job? How do you deal with such challenges?

The constant variety and ever-present need are also the most challenging parts of my job!  I find myself constantly shifting my perspective from a broad collection-wide view to the needs of individual items.  I try to keep in mind that, even when there are so many items needing attention and repair, I can ultimately only address them one at a time. 

What do you enjoy the most about the work you do?

I love the variety of the work and the diverse issues that arise on a weekly basis.  I love the mixture of art and science that forms the basis of really well-crafted treatments.  I love the puzzle of determining the best course of action for any given object in regards to larger needs and pressures.  I also truly enjoy working with my hands to create and repair objects.  

What has been the most memorable/rewarding job experience so far (i.e. a breakthrough in an experiment, providing guidance to a grateful student, etc.)?

My most memorable job experience so far has been dealing with an extensive mold outbreak at the Rare Book & Manuscript Library.  In my third month on the job, we discovered mold growing on books and boxes in the storage areas for the RBML and we are still dealing with the repercussions of that problem.  The experience has taught me a great deal and is so fundamentally important to the collection that it is without a doubt my most memorable job experience to date. 

Why did you choose to work at U of I instead of other Universities?

This position appealed to me because of its focus on rare, non-circulating special collections materials.  Unfortunately, there are not many positions with this focus in areas outside of the Northeast.  For many reasons, my family and I have preferred to live and work in less dense metropolitan areas.  Urbana-Champaign is a good fit for us in terms of its size and community.  All we truly miss are good breakfast tacos. 

If you had to provide a one sentence factoid (that very few would know about) related to your field of expertise, what would that be?

On a daily basis in the Conservation Lab, we use a substance called methyl cellulose as an adhesive as well as a poultice to remove unwanted glues; this same material is something that most people eat on a daily basis (most popularly in soft serve ice cream and milkshakes).

Have you implemented a new project/program (i.e. peer coaching, new employee training) in your department that you are proud of and would like to tell us about?

I have been working with several colleagues to create a disaster plan for the high density storage facility for the library.  High density storage represents a new model of storing materials which is all about maximizing space.  At our facility, over 2 million volumes are densely stored based on size on 40-ft tall shelves, with more volumes added daily.  A disaster (fire, structural building damage, sprinkler head misfire) in a facility of this type would be massive given the sheer magnitude of materials we’re dealing with and the limitations of the structure.   We are constructing a plan to assist with recovering from a disaster in this type of facility and many of our colleagues are interested to see what we’ve learned and will propose.  As part of this project, we participated as an industry partner in the Senior Engineering Project of the Department of Industrial & Enterprise Systems Engineering.  We used the opportunity get assistance from engineering students to address some of the fundamental issues in this recovery plan.  We got a great deal of valuable information from this partnership. 

What do you like to do in your free time?

I spend most of my free time with my family – my husband and two daughters (ages 8 and 4).  We’re having fun exploring central Illinois and are enjoying living in a state where you can leave its borders in one day (as opposed to Texas where you can drive for days and never get out!).  I also tend to do a great deal of laundry. 

What are some of your hobbies, interests, volunteering activities?

My hobbies and interests revolve around similar issues that I enjoy in my daily work – making and creating objects with my hands (sewing, knitting), crafts of all kinds (usually involving my children somehow), along with gardening and cooking. 

Meet more of your fellow APs.