The Central Laboratory is expanding the range of educational institutions for training unique specialists

The profession of an archivist-restorer has its own specifics, since training in such a specialty is not carried out in any educational institution in the country and candidates become unique specialists in the workplace through the mentoring of experienced colleagues.

However, not every candidate is capable of highly professionally mastering the skills of an archivist-restorer and therefore has to look for areas of activity that are in some way related to the restoration of paper-based archival documents. One of these areas is librarianship in terms of ensuring the safety of library collections.

All this served as the reason for conducting on March 28, 2024 a tour of the Central Laboratory and a practical lesson «Ensuring the safety of archival documents» within the framework of the studied discipline «Fundamentals of Archival Science» for 3rd year students of BGUKI, studying in the specialty of library and information science.

During the meeting, the director of the laboratory, V.L. Klyuiko, introduced the guests to the activities of the laboratory and its significance in preserving historical heritage.

Also, together with Associate Professor of the Department of Historical and Cultural Heritage of the Faculty of Information and Documentary Communications of the BSUKI, Candidate of Historical Sciences Pavlova E.Ya., attention was paid to such an issue as the training of archivists-restorers.

Students were able to familiarize themselves with all stages of the technological process of microbiological research, disinfection, restoration, binding, microfilming and digitization of archival documents, as well as ask questions of interest to laboratory specialists.

The result of the meeting was mutual intentions to develop closer cooperation in terms of training and joint events within the framework of the republican action «Archives to School».

Photo 1. Laboratory director V.L. Klyuiko introduces guests to the peculiarities of the laboratory’s work

Photo 2. At the disinfection and hygienic cleaning of documents area

Photo 3. Head of the sector of digitization and microfilming of documents V.I. Kulak (left) introduces students to the principle of operation of microfilming equipment

Photo 4. Head of the Department of Restoration and Conservation of Documents I.V. Patekina (right) talks about the features of the restoration of archival documents

Photo 5. Leading archivist-restorer of the department of restoration and conservation of documents T.M. Kotova (right) demonstrates practical restoration techniques

Photo 6. Head of the Department of Biological Control and Document Binding E.N. Kokhanova (right) shows practical techniques for completing a block of archival documents