Kyle Clark
Where do you work, and what do you do in your current occupation?
I work in the University of Michigan (UM) in the Library’s conservation laboratory and my job responsibilities consist of performing conservation treatments on bound special collections materials ranging from medieval manuscripts to early twenty first century bound volumes. In addition to performing conservation treatments I also serve on a variety of committees and focus groups. Prior to beginning work here at UM I worked in the conservation laboratory at Emory University after completing a MFA in book arts at the University of Alabama’s School of Library and Information Studies
What do you enjoy about your current to occupation? Do you consider yourself successful? In what way?
Working in conservation allows me to work on the front lines of preserving the record of human knowledge. Knowing that I’ve made a positive intervention into the life of a damaged book, making sure that it doesn’t degrade any further, provides me with a feeling of satisfaction. Additionally, working in the conservation lab at the UM Library provides me with the opportunity to work with one of the most impressive manuscript collections in the country.
As a conservation professional with a bookbinding and book arts background, I have been able to explore my research interests. One such interest is the study of medieval and early modern Greek manuscripts. Currently, I’m working on a project with a fellow researcher in which I’m examining the binding/structural characteristics of one of our manuscripts through the creation and documentation of a facsimile binding. The process of examination and production will help inform future book research and better our understanding of the breadth and variation within late medieval to early modern Greek manuscripts.
