Museum and Library terms
Abraded:
To wear away by scraping or rubbing.
Artifact: an object made by a human being, typically an item of cultural or historical interest
B
Bookworm:
The larvae of a wood-boring beetle that eats the paper and glue in books.
C
Cockled:
A surface which contracts into wrinkles or ridges.
Conservation:
The preservation of cultural artifacts for future generations.
Curator:
A curator is someone employed by a museum, gallery, or library to study artifacts in the collection and arrange exhibitions.
O
Oxidation:
A chemical reaction resulting from exposure to oxygen. This can cause certain metal-based pigments to fade and/or turn a silver-black and to bleed. The conditions in which a manuscript is stored and the length of exposure to adverse atmospheric conditions determine the extent of oxidation.
P
Patron:
The person responsible for commissioning a work. Portraits of patrons grew in popularity beginning in the fourteenth century.
Provenance:
Provenance is the history of a book's ownership. Provenance information can be found from evidence relating to the original commission, from additions and annotations including inscriptions and library labels, or from references in catalogs, correspondence, and other records.
S
Special Collection:
A group of items with a common provenance or theme that hold monetary and or cultural/historical significance.
Bibliography:
“Conservation Terminology.” American Institute for Conservation, 2022, https://www.culturalheritage.org/about-conservation/what-is-conservation/definitions.
“Museum Kids: What Is Art Conservation?” Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2001, https://www.metmuseum.org/-/media/files/learn/family-map-and-guides/museumkids/what-is-art-conservation.pdf.