Details
Age group: Year 5 – 13
Available: Mondays and Tuesdays throughout the year
Length: 90 minutes. Please allow more time after your workshop to explore the galleries and public spaces.
Group size: 10 minimum
Workshop outline
Participants will look at the role the Centre for Conservation plays in caring for one of the largest library collections in the world. Groups will have the chance to learn about some of the processes for conserving and find out more about the techniques that are used. Using creative, hands-on activities, participants will be able to explore our exhibitions and handling collection to question why we conserve artefacts.
We will look at a variety of collection items on display in the Sir John Ritblat gallery, including books, handwritten diaries, letters, maps and music scores.
Primary groups will investigate what factors have affected the condition of the items in the gallery. They will also question why looking after the collection is an important part of understanding history.
Secondary groups will ask questions such as: What factors have affected the condition of these items? Who decides which items are conserved? They will explore the historical significance of caring for our collection as well as the ethics of this work. Students will question how digitisation will affect the future of conservation.
Pre-visit activities
Take a look at these videos and watch our experts tackle five projects, conserving priceless books and scrolls.
Ask students to make a list of the different factors they think have affected the condition of each item.
Post-visit activities
Primary groups: Ask students to look closely at some of the older books they have at home or in their library. Using the skills they learnt during the workshop, are they able to find out what factors have affected its condition?
Secondary groups: Discuss how digitisation is changing the ways in which we access knowledge. Do your group feel that access to digitised material available online will eventually replace the need to conserve the original?