Book Conservation Department Bibliography
Book Explore a selection of publications by and about book conservation staff.
Sajic, Andrijana. More Than a Facsimile: On reproducing Toulouse-Lautrec’s sketchbook Album de Marine. February 18, 2026. https://www.metmuseum.org/perspectives/library-more-than-a-facsimile
Dubansky, Mindell. "Maker unknown, The Tragedy of the Eurydice. A Ship’s Relic in the Form of a Book, 1878." Points of View: 100 Connections to Art. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2026.
Dubansky, Mindell. "Master of Claude de France, Book of Flower Studies, ca. 1510–15." Points of View: 100 Connections to Art. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2026.
Dubansky, Mindell. "Julie Chen, Bon Bon Mots. A Fine Assortment of Books, 1998" Points of View: 100 Connections to Art. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2026.
Dubansky, Mindell. New “Blooks” in Watson. The Dr. Geringer Heckman and Dr. Bruce Heckman Gift of Book Objects. January 22, 2025.
https://www.metmuseum.org/perspectives/library-blooks-watson
Turn up the Volumes. Books with Audio Elements. March 19, 2025.
https://www.metmuseum.org/perspectives/library-turn-up-the-volumes
Young, Molly. Quick! Someone Get This Book a Doctor. Inside the Book Conservation Lab at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. New York TImes. April 18,2024.
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/04/18/books/book-conservation-met.html
Manias, Clare. The Preservation of Time. Conserving Tacita Dean’s The Book End of Time. September 18, 2024.
https://www.metmuseum.org/perspectives/watson-library-tacita-dean-salt-book
Conservation Stories series. Conserving Rusconi: Vitruvius’ Ten Books on Architecture. July 18, 2024. When Met fellow Yeo-Jin Katerina Bong came across a 17th century copy of Rusconi’s edition of Vitruvius’s Ten Books on Architecture in the Department of Drawings and Prints, she was elated by her discovery—but disheartened by the book’s physical condition. Go behind the scenes at The Met as curator Femke Speelberg and book conservator Clare Manias discuss the bok’s history and extensive illustrations as it is conserved for an upcoming exhibition. Watch the video.
Dubansky, Mindell. Pattern and Flow: A Golden Age of American Decorated Paper, 1960s to 2000s. New York: Thomas J. Watson Library, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2023.
Dubansky, Mindell. Reminiscences of a Bookbinder. March 18, 2020. https://www.metmuseum.org/perspectives/history-of-book-conservation
Aikenhead, Lydia. The Transforming Book. Conservation of a “Blow Book” August 16, 2023.
https://www.metmuseum.org/perspectives/library-blow-book
Dubansky, Mindell. A Dream Realized. The Paper Legacy Collection of American Decorated Paper, 1960s to 2000s. November 22, 2023.
https://www.metmuseum.org/perspectives/library-pattern-and-flow
Caring for the Met: 150 Years of Conservation
Read more about the history of conservation practice at the Museum in Caring for the Met: One Hundred Fifty Years of Conservation.
Watson’s The Care and Handling of Library Collections video. March 6, 2022.
The staff of the Sherman Fairchild Center for Book Conservation, Thomas J. Watson Library, has put together a video to assist our patrons in the care and proper handling of library materials. Watch the video.
Blueher, William. 150 Years of Met Librarians. July 22, 2020.
https://www.metmuseum.org/perspectives/150-of-librarians
Dubansky, Mindell. A Look at Artists’ Books: Developing Collections at the Met. January 9, 2019.
https://www.metmuseum.org/perspectives/artists-books-symposium
Sajic, Andrijana. Screening the Fiber: A Career in Hand Papermaking. April 19, 2019.
https://www.metmuseum.org/perspectives/handpapermaking
Sajic, Andrijana. Time Travel with the Montefiascone Conservation Project. November 13, 2019.
https://www.metmuseum.org/perspectives/montefiascone-conservation-project
Hayashida, Yukari. The Diversity of Paper. February 21, 2018.
https://www.metmuseum.org/perspectives/diversity-of-paper
Sajic, Andrijana. Diversity and Exquisiteness: Examples of Three Asian Textile Sample Books. June 27, 2018.
https://www.metmuseum.org/perspectives/asian-textile-sample-book
Kramer, Sophia. Variations of Vitruvius: Four Centuries of Bookbinding and Design. August 22, 2018.https://www.metmuseum.org/perspectives/vitruvius
Various contributors. The Way Things Wert. September 5, 2018.
https://www.metmuseum.org/perspectives/wert-visit
Sajic, Andrijana. Protecting Your Traveling Books. February 8, 2017.
https://www.metmuseum.org/perspectives/traveling-books
Dubansky, Mindell. “A Well-Bound Book Mocks at Time”: The Legacy of Alfred William Launder. March 8, 2017.
https://www.metmuseum.org/perspectives/alfred-launder
Kramer, Sophia. Plant Bible Revival: The COnservation of a 15th Century Herbal, Then and Now. June 28, 2017.
https://www.metmuseum.org/perspectives/herbal-conservation
Dubansky, Mindell. A Book Arts Door by Samuel Yellin. August 9, 2017.
https://www.metmuseum.org/perspectives/samuel-yellin
American Publishers' Bindings, Artists of the Book, and the Decorative Arts Symposium, Part One (Morning Session) May 24, 2016.
Watch the morning session.
Read about the symposium.
This one-day symposium sponsored by the Thomas J. Watson Library, celelebrated the Library's acquisition of late-nineteenth to early twentieth-century American decorated publishers' bindings. Seven speakers presented on the history, design, manufacture, and conservation of American commercial book covers within the larger fields of the decorative and fine arts.
Dubansky, Mindell. It Seemed Like a Good Idea at the Time: Crazy Book Repairs, Part Two. January 20, 2016.
https://www.metmuseum.org/perspectives/crazy-repairs-2
Sajic, Andrijana. A Book’s Best Frenemy. February 24, 2016.
https://www.metmuseum.org/perspectives/book-lovers
Hayashida, Yukari. Wrinkles in Time: Crepe-Paper Books in Watson Library. March 16, 2016.
https://www.metmuseum.org/perspectives/crepe-paper
Olmon, Kyle. Enclosed Within: A Big Innovation for Small Books. June 8, 2016.
https://www.metmuseum.org/perspectives/inserts
Dubansky, Mindell. Artists of the Book: Late 19th- to Early 20th-Century Publishers’ Bindings. June 22, 2016.
https://www.metmuseum.org/perspectives/publishers-bindings
Dubansky, Mindell. Book-like Curiosities (Blooks) in The Met Collection. August 24, 2016.
Sajic, Andrijana and Sophia Kramer. The Fragility of Headcaps and the Safe Handling of Books. May 27, 2015.
https://www.metmuseum.org/perspectives/fragility-of-headcaps
Sajic, Andrijana and Sophia Kramer. The Fragility of Joints and Hinges. August 12, 2015.
https://www.metmuseum.org/perspectives/joints-and-hinges
Dubansky, Mindell. It Seemed Like a Good Idea at the Time: Crazy Book Repairs, Part One. December 16, 2015.
https://www.metmuseum.org/perspectives/crazy-repairs-1
The Art of Japanese Books: Uses, Materials, and Block-Printing Techniques Symposium, Part 1. October 2, 2014. This one-day symposium sponsored by the Thomas J. Watson Library celebrated the acquisition of the Arthur and Charlotte Vershbow collection of Japanese illustrated Japanese books by the Department of Asian Art.
Watch part 1 of the symposium
Watson part 2 of the symposium.
Read more about the symposium.
Dubansky, Mindell. “Pre-Coated Repair Materials”: A Book-Conservation Workshop. October 1, 2014.
https://www.metmuseum.org/perspectives/pre-coated-repair
Kramer, Sophia and Andrijana Sajic. Conservation Treatment of a Seventeenth-Century Topographic Book. July 23, 2014.
https://www.metmuseum.org/perspectives/topographic-book
Carey, Jae. Playing with Paper: Suminagashi and Orizome. Conservator Yukari Hayashida demonstrates two Japanese decorative paper techniques. August 27, 2014.
https://www.metmuseum.org/perspectives/playing-with-paper
Dubansky, Mindell. The Art of Japanese Books. October 22, 2014
https://www.metmuseum.org/perspectives/japanese-books-symposium
Davis, Jenny. Decorated Paper Techniques: A Selection from Watson Library’s Special Collections. November 26, 2014.
https://www.metmuseum.org/perspectives/decorated-paper
Dubansky, Mindell. Timeline of Art History. Alice Cordelia Morse (1863-1961). May 1, 2009.
https://www.metmuseum.org/essays/alice-cordelia-morse-1863-1961