Jeffrey M. Rigby Library & Archive Conservation

My career began with a four-year apprenticeship at the Newberry Library in Chicago, known for its long-standing commitment to conservation. It was a tremendous opportunity for me, as I worked and learned under the guidance of Gary Frost and the late Paul Banks, two preeminent names in book and paper conservation. After leaving the Newberry, and just before striking out on my own, I worked for a brief time for Carolyn Horton in New York City.

In 1979, I opened my own bindery, and was fortunate to work with clients such as New York University and the University Club, both with important collections. My client base grew, and as it did, I outgrew my space in the city. I relocated to a custom designed bindery in Hudson, NY, where the increased size and efficient layout has enabled me to expand the services I offer my clients.

With 30 years in the library and archive preservation field, I have drawn on my experience to continue to improve my techniques and to find practical solutions to the most vexing conservation problems. My clients have presented me with a broad array of situations, and I welcome the opportunity to share my expertise with new clients and the conservation community. I have also moved into the arena of grant application and procurement, where I have been very successful, and in other areas, such as disaster planning and recovery, devising collection maintenance strategies.

I am a conservation bookbinder, dedicated to preservation techniques which promote the longevity of the objects I am called to work on. I do not believe in attempts to imitate old period bindings without first preserving the intellectual content of the books. My treatments deal with permanence and durability, and in all my work, I strive to protect the integrity of archival objects.