The National Library and Information System Authority’s (NALIS) Preservation and Conservation (PAC) Laboratory will commemorate its tenth anniversary with the hosting of workshops, webinars and preservation clinics and other events from June 24 to July 28, 2023.

These activities are intended to provide the public with information and techniques needed to protect and prolong the existence of their own precious family heirlooms, while celebrating the PAC Lab’s success in preserving countless library materials and historical collections.

The popular Family Heirloom Preservation Clinic will provide free one-on-one, expert advice to members of the public on techniques to preserve items such as postcards, diaries, family Bibles, certificates and photographs. These clinics will be held at 10 Public Libraries throughout the NALIS system: the National Library Port of Spain on Saturday June 24; San Fernando North Community Library on Tuesday June 27; Mt Hope/Mt Lambert Community Library on Friday June 30; Sangre Grande Public Library on Tuesday July 04; St Helena Public Library on Saturday July 08; Princes Town Public Library on Tuesday July 11; Barataria Community Library on Friday July 14; Point Fortin Public Library on Tuesday July 18; Maloney Public Library on Friday July 21; and Couva Public Library on Tuesday July 25. All sessions will run from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Three Preservation workshops, which are a welcomed return to in-person training opportunities, will be held on June 29, July 06 and 13, at the 1st Floor Seminar Room, National Library. Methods for salvaging water-soaked, paper-based records and materials will be the highlight of the workshop titled “When Disaster Strikes: Emergency Salvage of Water Damaged Family Heirlooms” on June 29 from 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. The workshop “Paste Paper & Japanese Style Bookbinding” on July 06 from 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. introduces participants to a technique of making decorative papers using paste and acrylic paints. Participants will also use their newly created paste paper to make a beautiful Japanese-style book. At the third workshop “S.O.S. Save Our Stuff!: Introduction to the Care and Repair of Books and Documents” on July 13 from 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. participants will learn the basics of book and document repair, so they can save their precious items from further damage.

Season Three of the Preservation Webinar Series will feature three new virtual offerings for the anniversary celebration. On Wednesday July 05, in “Building & Organising Your Family Archives”, participants will learn the key steps of gathering and organising your family records so they can be accessible from generation to generation. On Wednesday July 19, in “Protecting Textiles: Disaster Preparedness for Heritage Collections”, two Conservation experts from the The British Library will highlight methods of protecting textile collections from disasters. On Wednesday July 26, in “Top Ten Tips for Water Disasters”, PAC Laboratory Staff provide 10 pivotal tips for disaster preparedness, salvage and recovery of collections.

For further details or to pre-register for any of the activities, visit www.nalis.gov.tt or contact 624-4466 ext. 2038 or email Danielle.Fraser@nalis.gov.tt OR PublicRelationsandMarketing@nalis.gov.tt.

The PAC Lab, which was officially commissioned on July 8, 2013, helps NALIS fulfil its role as the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions’ Preservation and Conservation Regional Centre for the English-speaking Caribbean. The Lab’s core duty is to work with the Heritage Library Division in achieving their mandate to acquire, promote and preserve national heritage material. Additionally, they advise public and private organisations on the care of their collections and artefacts.