2009, Master of Science in Information Studies (MSIS)
Certificate of Advanced Study in Conservation of Library and Archival Materials
2006, Bachelor of Arts, Cum Laude
Major in Anthropology, with a Minor in Biology
October 2009-Present
Conservator
September 2008-August 2009
Preservation Department Intern
- Performed conservation treatments on both circulating and special collection items.
Participated in weekly Preservation Evaluation meetings of circulating collection materials to determine the appropriate preservation measures for those items in need of in-house conservation treatment, library binding or selector review.
Managed the department's environmental monitoring program by collecting and analyzing data from PEM and Hobo monitors.
Special Preservation Department Projects
Africana Collection Digital Preservation SurveyDesigned a survey tool in order to assess the overall condition of materials within the Melville J. Herskovits Library of African Studies prior to being sent off-site for a large scale scanning project.
Built a Microsoft Access database to implement the survey tool, such that three people could work on it simultaneously to maximize efficiency.
Trained and supervised two Preservation Department assistants and three student assistants in locating books and use of the survey tool.
Emergency Preparedness and Disaster ResponseUpdated and redesigned an emergency response poster that was distributed and posted throughout the Northwestern Library system.
Responded to at least three water-related emergencies and supervised library employees during response procedures that included draping stacks with plastic sheeting, interleaving wet books and doing follow-up checks for mold growth in affected books.
Exhibit Design, Preparation and InstallationOversaw the physical layout and design of an exhibit titled, "HIV/AIDS Educational Materials from Nigeria". Special poster mounts were engineered so as to better use the exhibit space. The exhibit was installed in the main "street" of the Northwestern University Library on the Evanston, IL campus, and remained on display for three months.
Designed a promotional poster and related signage for the "HIV/AIDS Educational Materials from Nigeria".
Collaborated with the Circulation Desk team to create an exhibit promoting the proper care and handling of library materials. This included making mounts for book specimens, designing and printing informative posters and installing the exhibit.
July 2007-August 2007
Conservation Intern
Worked as part of a team to complete a condition survey of over 800 circus advertising posters printed by the Strobridge Lithograph Company. Performed minor treatments on about twenty posters, to stabilize them for easier handling by the curatorial staff. A selection of these posters are intended to go on exhibit around 2010 or 2011.
June 2006 to July 2006
Volunteer Archival Assistant
Accessioned artifacts using Past Perfect software, organizing and locating objects within the archives. Prepared wall plaques and signage for an exhibit that showcased famous Oklahoma women.
2007-2008
Lab Staff Teaching Assistant
- Provided IT assistance to students in the School of Information.
- Specialized in helping students with questions about Adobe Photoshop, Dreamweaver, Microsoft Word, Excel and web authoring (HTML and CSS).
- Edited and revised the "Photo-documentation for Conservators" tutorial, and created another tutorial "Google Bookbinding with Adobe Acrobat".
Taught instructional courses, both individually and as part of a teaching team:
- Web Portfolios for Conservators and Preservation Administrators
- Web Development Series: HTML and CSS
- Introduction to Photoshop
Public Relations Team Member
- Sent out notification emails to the School of Information listserv about upcoming courses and lab events.
- Created several posters advertising the various short courses provided by the lab.
June 2005 to July 2005
Assistant to Dr. George Odell, Chair of the Anthropology Department at the University of Tulsa
Helped to survey land near the Arkansas River for signs of significant archaeological sites near a proposed bridge construction site. Duties performed included digging test pits, assisting in soil classification and locating artifacts.
May 2005
Assistant to Ron Hall, District Conservationist for the USDA National Resources Conservation Service
Conducted walk-over surveys of farmland to determine if there were any sites of archaeological significance in need of further investigation or preservation.
May 24, 2009
Presented original research to the annual ANAGPIC conference:
"Chartex backing cloth: a preliminary investigation of its history and physical properties"
Abstract: Chartex is a dry-mount backing-cloth that was manufactured by Seal, Inc. and marketed to librarians and teachers as an easy, affordable and reversible way to mount photographs, maps and educational materials. Its presence in library, museum and archival collections poses several preservation issues that are in need of investigation, especially given the lack of conservation literature devoted to Chartex. The purpose of this paper is to raise awareness in the conservation and preservation field about this particular kind of backing cloth and to begin a preliminary inquiry of its physical properties, particularly in the context of conservation treatment. Samples of Chartex were examined and photographed under the microscope, tested for lignin using a phloroglucinol solution and also tested for pH using a pH pencil. It was found to be a cotton fabric permeated with a thermo-active wax and rubber adhesive mixture. The adhesive was tested for solubility in several solvents. Mechanical, heat-assisted and solvent-assisted removal methods were explored as possible treatment options, along with the potential effects and limitations of using those methods on heat-sensitive objects backed with Chartex.
September 2007-present
Maintained a research blog to collect and disseminate information relevant to research about Chartex backing cloth.
2007-2009
Creator and moderator of Kilgarlin Center Denizens, a blog for both current and past students in the Kilgarlin Center programs in library conservation and preservation
2007
Available through the iSchool IT Tutorial webpage, this tutorial guides conservation students through all steps of the photo-documentation process, with instruction on using Photoshop to modify digital images for display on webpages.
2008
This tutorial explains how to use Adobe Acrobat 8 to print out a PDF downloaded from Google Book Search in sections for bookbinding. At the end of the tutorial, you should have an analog copy of a digital copy of an analog book.