We’ve had a few power outages in the Library recently, one due to the windstorm that came through ahead our first Nor’easter and the second outage, although unrelated, occurred during the the third Nor’easter.
Like most modern workplaces, the majority of Library staff rely on computers, the internet and therefore electricity, so a power outage brings work to halt. Except for me.
Most of my book repair work relies only on adequate light, which there is no lack of in the window-filled conservation lab, and, well, my able-bodied self. So while my colleagues jovially congregated in my light filled space, I was busy at my bench sewing a textblock, much the same way they did in the 17th century (also without electricity).
Sharon Fickeissen is the Library Conservation Technician at Hagley Museum and Library.