UT Campus Conservation Initiative

Preserving rare book, paper, and photography collections.

Realizing a bold vision for the future. The University of Texas at Austin has long been one of the world's distinguished collecting universities. Since it was founded 141 years ago, millions of objects that tell the story of the human experience have been collected by cultural organizations across campus, including the Harry Ransom Center, the Briscoe Center for American History, and the UT Libraries.

In 2021, the Ransom Center has spearheaded a campus collaboration among conservators, curators, historians, artists, and scientists that promises to deepen scholarly and public insight into the cultural works housed at UT Austin. Through this initiative, we are realizing the bold vision of preserving objects that tell unique stories of personal journeys, creative triumphs and struggles, global innovation, and critical moments in human history.

• Our Vision

  One-of-kind objects are held by the University in repositories across the 40 Acres. Preserving these objects means they will be available to faculty, students, and researchers as the basis for groundbreaking international scholarship, as inspiration for curriculum and instruction, and to spark understanding and self-reflection through public programs and exhibitions.

  Undertaking a campus-wide initiative at full scale is complex. Building conservation capacity for the University is a long-term goal requiring mindful planning and a phased approach. As we commence the fourth year of the initiative, we seek to permanently fund the book and paper conservator position that the Office of the Executive Vice President and Provost has generously seeded. In the next phase, the goal is to add another conservator to address the preservation needs of the vast photography collections in the University’s special collections. Subsequent phases will add conservation specializations and make physical improvements to lab facilities.

  

• A Leader in Conservation

  The University began strategically investing in laboratories for the treatment of books, works on paper, and photographs at the Ransom Center in 1982. At that time, the conservation facilities were the largest operation in a U.S. library outside of the Library of Congress.

  The Center's 40+ years of experience and leadership in conservation, its robust team of conservators and technicians, and excellent facilities position us to lead a campus conservation initiative that addresses the needs of unique and rare objects across campus, positioning UT Austin to realize its role as the leading public university in conservation innovation and best practices.

  

• Strategic Partners

  Harry Ransom Center
  Stephen Enniss, Ph.D., Betty Brumbalow Director
  Ellen Cunningham-Kruppa, Ph.D., Associate Director for Preservation and Conservation

  Briscoe Center for American History
  Don Carleton, Ph.D., Executive Director and J.R. Parten Chair in the Archives of American History, Briscoe Center for American History

  University of Texas Libraries
  Lorraine J. Haricombe, Ph.D., Vice Provost and Director, University of Texas Libraries