TSLAC Conservation has recently been working on a collection of 89 19th century Texas Supreme Court dockets. These volumes document state Supreme Court proceedings and are frequently accessed by staff and patrons. The large number of items requires a blend of collections conservation and single-item treatment strategies. Prioritizing collections issues has quickly improved access while freeing subsequent time for single-item treatment.
Texas Supreme Court dockets (foreground.) The yellow color in these photographs comes from ultraviolet filtering in collections storage.
First, a preliminary survey was conducted to characterize the oversize ledgers and classify them by severity of condition issues. Then, collections stabilization procedures were streamlined to take place primarily within collections storage. Once this is complete, severely damaged items will be targeted for full treatment in the conservation lab. This workflow has enabled efficient treatment of the greatest number of items and flexible accommodation of other ongoing lab projects.
The project has presented several challenges. The time-intensive demands of conservation documentation must be balanced with the pace of work required in a collections-level project. This highlights the tension between product and process in an archives setting. Further, efficiency-minded, single-item treatment techniques must be developed for oversize account books. TSLAC Conservation hopes to discuss the project’s challenges, techniques, and successes at the 2017 American Institute of Conservation annual meeting next year.