Book and paper conservation educational opportunities in the US are few and far between. My expectation of a book conservation program would include both conservation and a book focus which eliminated many options. Based on a survey I’ve conducted, there are three accredited programs that fit (Buffalo, NYU and Winterthur). The shortest of these from high school graduation to completion is 7 years. Meanwhile in the UK, programs tend to run 2-4 years without requiring a bachelors. Would a 2 year program work in the US? With keeping the student’s focused on books and documents instead of conservation as a whole or with general education classes, a 2 year program would be very effective. Students would still be required to take chemistry, work in a classroom studio, and do internships to get real world experience.
This does lead to the question of why are there so few options in the US? Most schools will cite the cost. With the hands-on nature of these courses, only a few students can be enrolled at a time, leading to low tuition and therefore, profit. That pared with the high cost of building a stocked studio, it’s understandable that schools are unwilling to invest for a relatively low profit program. At this point, my area of interest is looking at other options such as an apprenticeship or certificate program to fill the role of a 2 year book conservation program in the US.
