As I continue to intern and unearth fascinating and innovative conservation techniques, I have come to truly realize the significance of conservation.

While digitizing the collection, I have had the opportunity to utilize impressive equipment that ensures an accurate portrayal of various artwork and books. Although scanners and cameras do an excellent job at digitizing images in order to make them accessible and available to those in the present and future, I believe there may be something significant that is missing. The tangibility of said artwork and books are lost in this digital translation. As an artist, I am sensitive and aware of the materiality of objects. I am acutely aware of the way light glitters on the gold leafing of a manuscript page or the idiosyncratic way charcoal smudges on a political cartoon. I feel these seemingly mundane features are unable to be replicated via a computer monitor. Although we are moving into a digital age, the importance of an object’s physicality is why conservation efforts are invaluable. I feel that it is important that individuals in the future are able to view and experience objects in person.