Workshop: Stabilization at the Estense University Library of Modena in Support of the Conservation Activities of the Library of the Custody of the Holy Land in Jerusalem

The workshop dedicated to the stabilization of volumes housed in the Monumental Rooms of the Estense University Library in Modena, organized as part of the JERUS project, provided practical application of preventive conservation and minimal intervention methods for book heritage, combining training activities with support for future consultancy activities for the Library of the Custody of the Holy Land in Jerusalem. The activity, which began with a remote lesson on the history and heritage of the Library of the Custody of the Holy Land in Jerusalem, allowed participants to explore the stabilization and maintenance strategies developed in the project, with the aim of supporting the conservation consultancy activities for the Custody's library.

During the practical exercises held at the Estense University Library, the students consolidated the skills acquired in the Book Restoration course through volume handling, dry cleaning, binding stabilization, and maintenance interventions in book conservation environments, engaging with the most up-to-date operational methodologies in the field of preventive conservation. One of the workshop's main outcomes was the creation, under the guidance of the instructor, of an operational handbook, complete with photographs and demonstration videos, along with guidelines for the proper handling of volumes and initial stabilization and safety interventions. The material produced was designed as a support tool for the staff of the Library of the Custody of the Holy Land in Jerusalem, with the aim of encouraging the adoption of shared procedures and best practices for the conservation of book heritage.

Led by Dr. Gaia Petrella, the workshop took place at the Biblioteca Estense Universitaria in Modena on May 7 and 8, 2026, and was aimed at fourth- and fifth-year students of the PFP5 conservation program.