Conservation plays vital role in preserving collections | News | Notre Dame News | University of Notre Dame Skip To Content Skip To Navigation Skip To Search University of Notre Dame Notre Dame News Experts ND in the News Subscribe About Us Home Contact Search Menu Home › News › Conservation plays vital role in preserving collections Conservation plays vital role in preserving collections Published: May 25, 2016 Author: Carol Bradley Rare books conservator Sue Donovan holds a rare herbal book by 16th-century German physician and botanist Leonhart Fuchs, part of the Edward Lee Greene collection. In 2012, it was discovered that the book had spine linings of parchment manuscript waste used to bind the book, including an extremely rare medical text by Constantinus Africanus (Constantine the African), an 11th- century physician and Benedictine monk from North Africa who spent the last part of his life in Italy. Conservators discussed with the curators what to save and how to save it. The parchment pieces have been removed and photographed for documentation, and the book will then be reassembled. “It’s been a wonderful project — the fragments have value, so we photographed them, put them back and documented the process,” says Donovan. There are three different texts represented in the parchment found in the book. Says rare books curator David Gura, “It’s essential to have a top-notch conservation staff to preserve our collections for posterity, keeping them usable and accessible. We’re very fortunate to have the conservators here.” Donovan completed her undergraduate studies at the 
University of Chicago and holds a master’s in conservation from the Université de Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne. She joined the University as a Samuel H. Cress Fellow in 2015 and was recently extended as a rare book conservator through July 2017. Posted In: Faculty and Staff Home Experts ND in the News Subscribe About Us Related October 04, 2022 NIH awards $4 million grant to psychologists researching suicide prevention September 09, 2022 Karrie Koesel to testify before Congressional-Executive Commission on China August 18, 2022 Two faculty win NEH grants to research history of red hair, philosophy of revelation August 16, 2022 NSF names Center for Computer-Assisted Synthesis a Phase II Center for Chemical Innovation August 15, 2022 Notre Dame President Rev. John I. Jenkins, C.S.C., on Russian atrocities against clergy in Ukraine For the Media Contact Office of Public Affairs and Communications Notre Dame News 500 Grace Hall Notre Dame, IN 46556 USA Facebook Twitter Instagram YouTube Pinterest © 2022 University of Notre Dame Search Mobile App News Events Visit Accessibility Facebook Twitter Instagram YouTube LinkedIn