Book & Paper Group

A woman unrolls parchment on a table with a lab in the background

Become a Member!

We exchange information through meetings and publications about the conservation of books and paper materials. Our members represent a wide variety of backgrounds and specialties but share a common interest in the preservation and conservation of artifacts and collections of paper-based materials. 

Formed in 1982, we now have more than a thousand members.

Our membership is open to any AIC member with an interest in book and paper conservation.

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What We Do

Annual Meeting Programming

We organize book and paper sessions at AIC's Annual Meeting. The program is usually two to three days of papers, panel discussions, special sessions, and social events. Each year, we hold discussion group panels to exchange focused experiences and ideas on areas of specific expertise such as art on paper and museums (Art on Paper Discussion Group), as well as books and libraries (Library and Archives Conservation Discussion Group) through open dialogues, practical hands-on experiences, and round-table discussions. We publish proceedings from these discussion groups in the Book and Paper Group Annual.

Publications

Postprints

Book and Paper Group Annual, a nonjuried postprint publication that includes the abstracts and fully-developed papers based on presentations from each annual meeting and other independent submissions.

Wiki

Another publication is the Book and Paper Group Wiki , a section of the AIC Wiki for members and conservation practitioners to learn about topics in book and paper conservation and share their expertise and emerging trends in the field with colleagues. The wiki evolved from the Paper Conservation Catalog (PCC), an outline of practices and procedures used by paper conservators published from 1984–1994. Like all wikis, the site's contents are collaborative and dynamic works-in-progress.

Member Events and Workshops

Aside from the annual meeting, we host lectures and webinars on topics of interest to both our members and related specialties. Past programming has included a talk on fraud, fakes, and theft, sharing sessions on works in progress, and wiki edit-a-thons. Future workshops may include topics such as pressure sensitive tape. Reach out to our Education & Programs chair to propose an idea or help identify gaps in training. 

Funding

The Carolyn Horton and Christa Gaehde Scholarships support continuing education and research including attendance at meetings, seminars, workshops, or to conduct research or special project. The awards is typically $500 to $1,000 and the deadline to apply is February 1. Applicants will automatically be considered for awards from both the Christa Gaehde Fund and the Carolyn Horton Fund.

Volunteers who help plan programming at the annual meeting may also qualify for support to attend if they do not have institutional support.

How We're Organized

Executive Council

The executive council of the group consists of four positions: Chair, Program Chair, Assistant Program Chair, and Secretary/Treasurer, as well as a three-member Nominating Committee. The nominating committee is always taking suggestions for candidates for the ballot that will appear in the Spring. These are all two-year positions; the Assistant Program Chair assumes the Program Chair position in the second year. Descriptions of each position are found below.

There is a budget allocation for executive council members that can help defray expenses to attend meetings; please keep this in mind when considering whether to run for an office. It is the committee's hope that by posting the responsibilities of the positions more members will agree to run for office. We want to encourage participation at all levels! To nominate a group member for office, or for more information, please contact the current Nominating Committee.

Our guidelines broadly define the duties and responsibilities of the elected and appointed officers of the organization. Specific details will probably vary from year to year. Following are general descriptions of the duties of the officers.

Chair (2-year term)

  • Oversees and coordinates the activities of the group.
  • Plans agenda for and presides over the group business meeting at the AIC Annual Meeting.
  • Works closely with the Program and Assistant Program Chairs to help organize the annual Book and Paper sessions.
  • Writes six group columns for AIC newsletter.
  • Appoints committee heads and the compiler of the Annual, when needed, with the approval of the Executive Council.
  • Responds to requests from AIC staff for information from public and the press.
  • Sits on group committees (as member ex-officio) including Education and Programs Committee and Publications Committee. Requires attention to e-mail correspondence, and attendance at committee meetings (Publications Committee holds one in winter).
  • Sits on the Internal Advisory Board (IAG) of AIC. Attends one meeting in Washington, usually in November. There are budgeted travel funds for this.
  • Attends the Specialty Group Officers meeting at the AIC annual conference.
  • Writes a summary of group activities for the Internal Advisory Committee, usually in October and March. Puts printed copy of reports in the AIC internal Advisory Group/BPG Reports folder in Archives.
  • Advises Secretary/Treasurer and Program Chair on budgetary decisions and assist with budget preparation.
  • Helps with content and communication for Fall and Spring group mailings.
  • Keeps all internal email lists and website up to date.
  • Writes thank you notes to all Book and Paper Session speakers after the annual meeting (or coordinates with Program Chair).
  • Insures that Nominating Committee is on schedule with ballot.
  • Carries out other tasks or requests from the AIC or newsletter editor, i.e. write (or delegates writing of) feature article every couple of years.
  • Serves on the Nominating Committee for two years after serving as Chair.
  • Initiates special programs and special projects.
  • Maintains group archives.

Program Chair Responsibilities

This is the second year of a two-year term (see entry below for Assistant Program Chair). Responsibilities include the following:

  • Responsible for organizing all the group events and activities at the AIC annual meeting.
  • Schedules facilities and audio visual equipment for all Book and Paper sessions and the group's business meeting.
  • With the input of the group's Education and Programs committee, reviews all abstracts and select talks for the Book and Paper program.
  • Works with the Library Collections Conservation Discussion Group (LCDGG) and Archives Conservator's Discussion Group (ACDG) to incorporate their programs into the Book and Paper sessions.
  • Chairs the main Book and Paper sessions, which includes introducing speakers, working with the audio-visual people within the facility, and timing talks.
  • Is a member of the Education and Programs Committee
  • Works with the Assistant Program Chair to accomplish all of the above tasks.
  • Writes thank you notes to speakers (or coordinates with the Chair)

Assistant Program Chair Responsibilities

This is a two-year term; the Assistant Program Chair moves into the Program Chair position in the second year.

  • Responsible for organizing the group's reception at the AIC Annual Meeting.
  • Works within set budget to plan reception.
  • Advises Chair, Program Chair and Treasurer of costs and needs.
  • Assists the Program chair with organizing the Book and Paper sessions, as needed.
  • Other duties as coordinated or delegated by the Chair.

Secretary/Treasurer Responsibilities

This is a two-year term.

  • Records all financial transactions of the group.
  • Reconciles quarterly statements from AIC office with group finances. Periodically checks to insure that expenditures are within budget parameters.
  • Presents the annual financial report at the groupbusiness meeting.
  • Prepares a proposed annual budget for the group in consultation with the Executive Council, Discussion Groups and Committees. Submits budget to the AIC Financial Manager.
  • Acts as a liaison with the AIC Financial Manager regarding reimbursement and/or advance payment for group members.
  • Records the minutes of the group's annual business meeting.
  • Coordinates and compiles materials for fall and spring mailings to be sent to group membership. All mailings are sent electronically unless no e-mail address is on file; then they are sent by postal mail. These mailings typically include business meeting minutes, election ballots and other information pertinent to the group. Asks Executive Council, Discussion Groups and Committees for input.
  • Provides group webmaster with electronic version of mailings for posting on group webpages.
  • Maintains Secretary/Treasurer's records both in hardcopy and electronic form.
  • Makes sure that records on the AIC annual checklist are sent to AIC.

Committees

This group has committees to help plan in specific areas:

  • The Education and Programs Committee (EPC) mission is to advance the level of book and paper conservation through programs, workshops and continuing education for conservators.
  • The Nominating Committee is responsible for putting together a slate of group members who are willing to be nominated for office.
  • The Publications Committee's goal is to record and disseminate the professional body of knowledge pertaining to book and paper conservation generated by or for the membership. 

Mandate and Directives

Background

An ad hoc committee was formed in June, 2001 to review the group's support for education and program development for membership. The purpose of this committee was to develop a proposal for an organizational structure to support educational initiatives and new programs.

The ad hoc committee recommended in 2001 that the group establish a standing committee for Education and Programs. It was anticipated that a standing committee would provide consistent leadership necessary for the attainment of long-term goals, and expanded programming for the group. The ad hoc committee anticipated that the emphasis would be on mid-career training and professional development for working conservators.

Since formalizing as a standing committee in 2001, the Education and Programs Committee has surveyed the group's membership with regards to type of training, work activities and employment. The Education and Programs Committee has supported numerous lectures, workshops, symposia, and conferences that reflect the expressed needs of the group's membership. The committee supports Book and Paper programming for the AIC Annual Meeting, including coordinating joint sessions with other AIC groups, and collaborating with other organizations, such as the ICOM-CC Graphic Documents Group.

The current Education and Programs Committee (2012–2013) is working to provide training opportunities based on the 2009 survey that identified several topics the group members were interested in developing into programs, notably digitization and its effects on conservation; increasing underutilized distance learning opportunities; and investigating new technologies for communication and learning.

The 2012 Education and Programs Committee updated and clarified the scope and goals of the committee to reflect how the group and AIC has evolved since 2001 with such changes as a centralized abstract review process, additional discussion groups, and additional AIC-level committees and staffing for professional development and education.

Mission

The mission of the group's Education and Programs Committee (EPC) is to advance the level of book and paper conservation through programs, workshops and continuing education for conservators.

Scope

Education and programs of the group include but are not limited to events that take place during the AIC Annual Conference such as the Book and Paper sessions, discussion groups, workshops, training sessions, educational conferences, and special events planned primarily to provide educational benefits to group members. EPC coordinates with the AIC Education and Training Committee (ETC) via the AIC Board Director of Professional Education and AIC staff Institutional Advancement Director to support and/or inform AIC-led professional development initiatives.

Guidelines for the Education and Program Committee

Membership Orientation

The education and program activities of the group should reflect the training needs and professional responsibilities of the group's membership. Group programs can consistently support a wide range of subject matter relating to the practice of conservation; however, it is imperative that programs are relevant to the actual education and training needs of members.

The composition of the committee shall reflect the diversity of training background, employment and work activities of the group's membership. Group members are invited to contribute ideas and expertise by contacting committee members directly or volunteering to assist with leading and coordinating this effort. Members can volunteer to be task force leaders which identify current and suggested opportunities for training and funding, as well as investigate new topics of interest.

Education and Program Agenda

The Committee will maintain an agenda of programming initiatives. This will include 1) Current Programs in active development; 2) Future Programs in planning or for future development.

Support for Program Chair

The Committee will provide advice and guidance to the Program Chair based on the expertise of the committee.

Advisory Role for Executive Council

The Committee may be requested to provide advice and guidance to the Program Chair based on the expertise of the committee.

Fund Raising

The Committee may work with the Executive Council to raise funds to support education and programs. All fund raising efforts must be coordinated with the Executive Council and the AIC Board.

Reporting

The Chair of the Committee will report annually to group's membership on the status of education and program initiatives and the activities of the committee. The EPC Chair may also be asked by the BPG Chair to contribute content to monthly news updates sent via email distribution list to the group's membership.

Members-at-large

Members-at-large are selected at the discretion of the EPC Chair to investigate specific topics for education and programming. Members-at-large serve the same term as Committee Members.

Committee Membership

  • Chair (volunteer member appointed by the BPG Chair)
  • Group Program Chair
  • Library Collections Conservation Discussion (LCCDG) Co-chairs
  • Archives Conservation Discussion Group (ACDG) Co-chairs
  • Art on Paper Discussion Group (APDG) Co-Chairs
  • Members-at-large (volunteers for specific topics appointed by the EPC Chair
  • Group Chair

Goals for 2012–2013 (ad hoc committee recommendations) September 15, 2012)

Short-term goals

  • Revisit scope and goals of EPC to reflect current BPG and AIC practices
  • Identify training opportunities, speakers, and venues for hosting programs based on the results of a 2009 survey, such as pressure sensitive tape removal, paper conservation techniques for book conservators, media on paper (especially iron gall ink, degraded verdigris, and water soluble media), and various topics related to the changing role of conservation in light of increased digitization of collections.

Long-term Goals

  • Increasing underutilized distance learning opportunities for programming and investigates new technologies for communication and learning, such as social media avenues (YouTube, webinar, etc.). Specific topics identified as possible candidates for using various social media platforms include photographic conservation basics for paper conservators, photographic process identification, short tips sessions, and paper techniques; such as spot testing, washing, deacidification, tape removal, and pulp fills.

Goals from 2001–2002 (ad hoc committee recommendations) May 29, 2001

  • Survey to profile BPG membership 1) type of training; 2) work activities; 3) type of employment.
  • Identify current training opportunities in book and paper conservation. Begin planning for a self-supporting training workshop. The ad hoc committee considered one or two day hands-on workshops with limited enrollment that could be planned to repeat in various locations.

Nominating committee members are made up of the Chair Emerita and two other volunteers. At the group's business meeting two volunteers for the nominating committee are sought and they serve for a year. The nominating committee convenes remotely every winter to find two candidates for each open position on the Executive Council. A call for nominations is sent out through the group email list and members in good standing are encouraged to nominate themselves or others they know to be interested in running. Voting is managed electronically through AIC staff and the election results are announced at the group's business meeting.

Nominating Committee Duties

Our guidelines broadly define the duties and responsibilities of the elected and appointed officers of the organization. Specific details will probably vary from year to year.

The following are general descriptions of the duties of the officers.

  • Is responsible for putting together a slate of group members who are willing to be nominated for office.
  • Publishes one or more notices asking for nominations from the membership.
  • Meets in October or November to draft a list of member who will be asked to stand for election.
  • Provides potential candidates with written job descriptions.
  • Prepares the final slate of candidates, with brief biographies, and delivers to the Secretary/Treasurer by mid-January.
  • Informs all candidates of the election results; writes thank you letters to candidates who were not elected.
  • Refer to the Guidelines for the requirements necessary for selection of appropriate candidates.

Committee Members

Two members elected by the membership and the immediate past chair.

Liz Dube
Chair Emerita
Eliza Spaullding and Andrea Knowlton
Members
Valinda Carroll
ex officio

Mission

The goal of the group's Publications Committee is to record and disseminate the professional body of knowledge pertaining to book and paper conservation generated by or for the membership. The primary audience for group publications is the group's professional membership. It is expected that group publications will also serve allied professionals by exposing the depth of professional conservation practice and theory. The design and content of these publications assumes an audience that is primarily practicing conservators of this specialty group.

Policy

The committee oversees planning, production, availability and potential revision of all group publications. It consists of representatives of the BPG Annual, PCC and BCC, as well as the BPG Chair. The Publications Committee Chair (or Co-chairs) serves at the pleasure of the Executive Council. The Publication Committee Chair appoints other committee members. Distribution of the Annual and other group publications is considered by the Publications Committee and approved by the Executive Council.

Currently, the main publication of the group is the Annual which is produced yearly in printed and electronic form. It is intended to be primarily a record of papers presented at the group's annual meeting. The Annual may include other submissions. Approval of the dedication of a volume of the Annual is a duty of the committee.

Another publication project is the Book and Paper Group Wiki, which is intended to be a comprehensive record of treatment-related topics, arranged systematically with descriptive details. The BPG Wiki grew out of the Paper Conservation Catalog (PCC) and the Book Conservation Catalog (BCC). Twenty-five chapters of the PCC were published from 1984 to 1994, and eighteen chapters of the BCC were developed, but never published. In 2009, they were both migrated into the new AIC Wiki and have since grown into 26 Paper Conservation chapters, 18 Book Conservation chapters, and 9 chapters of shared interest, as well as multiple how-to-edit and navigation pages. Links have steadily grown between the group's pages and the AIC Wiki pages maintained by other specialty groups.

The Publications Committee will consider writing letters of support for applications to outside granting agencies. Depending on available resources, the Committee may consider certain proposals for limited finding. If a request exceeds $1000, the group's membership must vote to approve funding at its annual business meeting.

Discussion Groups

The Art on Paper Discussion Group and Library and Archives Conservation Discussion Group are forums at the AIC Annual Meeting for exchanging focused experiences and ideas on art on paper conservation or on library collections and archives conservation, respectively. 

Each forum is chaired by a pair of members and content is planned through a call for topics and papers.

History: In 2019, the group's membership voted to combine the Library Collections Conservation Discussion Group (LCCDG) (1980s to 2020) and the Archives Conservation Discussion Group (ACDG) (1992 to 2020) into the Library and Archives Conservation Discussion Group (LACDG). LACDG’s inaugural year is 2020-2021.

Contact Us

bookandpapergroup@gmail.com

Book and Paper Group Annual

We publish this volume every year. It is a fully open-access publication that contains papers presented at the AIC annual meeting. We also maintain an author and topic index.

More

Our Online Community

Our online community is for group members only. Join today!

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    Hi all, I am looking for help identifying an early 20th-century manuscript binding, likely from Bihar, India. I have not been able to identify the specific workshop or decorative style and am hoping this group can provide some guidance. Any information, ... More

  • RE: Survey on fixing water-sensitive media (paper ...

    14 hours ago

    Dear Mr Mowery, there was a problem with an add-on that caused the 'exceeded numer of responses' text to appear. I'm really sorry for the inconvenience! I'm sending a link that should work: https://forms.gle/ v1v2DqysczvVRyWg7 The new link is also ... More

  • Call for Presenters: Annual Meeting Art on Paper Discussion ...

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    AIC/CAC 2026 Joint Meeting A rt on Paper Discussion Group : "Current Washing Practices in Paper Conservation" Call for Presenters Washing art on paper has been a fundamental treatment ... More

  • BPG Wiki seeking volunteer Paper Coordinator

    yesterday

    Hello all! The BPG Publications Committee is seeking a new volunteer Paper Coordinator for the Book and Paper Group Wiki , with the duties of the position to be assumed after the AIC Annual Meeting in May 2026, following a shadowing period starting ... More

  • RE: Survey on fixing water-sensitive media (paper ...

    yesterday

    Zuzanna I would have liked to partake in the survey, but it failed to load, indicating that it had exceeded the number of responses . do you have another way to send out the survey? sincerely Frank Mowery Mowery conservation LLC ... More

Our Officers

Valinda Carroll

Chair (2024-2026)

Valinda Carroll is the conservator for the Indiana State Library. Previously, she was the conservator at the Indiana Historical Society. She has worked as a contract conservator for the Indiana State Library and the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden. She was the inaugural Book and Paper Conservator for National Museum of African American History and Culture. Valinda is currently the chair of the Book and Paper Group of AIC. She has served as an officer for the Washington Conservation Guild and the Virginia Conservation Association. Valinda was co-chair of the Poster Session for the 2003-2009 AIC meetings. She earned a B.A. in Art Theory and Practice from Northwestern University, M.A. in Museum Studies from Hampton University, and M.A. with a Certificate of Advanced Studies in Art Conservation from SUNY Buffalo State University (formerly Buffalo State College).

Clair Emma Smith

Secretary/Treasurer (2025-2027)

Clair Emma Smith is a professional book conservator specializing in repair located in Oakland, California. She obtained her Bachelor's Degree in Art History from Purdue University in 2014 and completed her degree in Bookbinding and Repair at North Bennet Street School in 2019. Currently, she is obtaining her Master's Degree in Library Information Sciences at San Jose State University, with a concentration in Archives Preservation. Clair Emma has completed internships in Book and Paper Conservation at the Indiana Historical Society, National Park Service, and Northeast Document Conservation Center (NEDCC). She has also held the position of Conservation Technician at the Notarial Archives in New Orleans, Louisiana. Today, she works as a Book and Paper Conservator at Zukor Art Conservation and as a contractor for ACT Art Conservation in San Mateo, California. Clair Emma can also be found teaching bookbinding classes at the San Francisco Center for the Book. Clair Emma was elected to this role in 2025.

Anita Dey

Program Chair (2025-2026)

Anita Dey is the Assistant Paper Conservator at the Yale Center for British Art, where she focuses on the treatment and research of 18th-century materials exchanged among British, Indian, and Chinese artists. She earned a Master of Arts in Paper Conservation from the Garman Art Conservation Department at SUNY Buffalo State, where her master’s project involved the identification and treatment of six varnished Tibetan Initiation Cards. Anita also holds a Bachelor of Science in Biological Sciences with a minor in Ancient Studies from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. Anita previously worked at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Asian Art in Washington, D.C., where she conducted pigment analysis and treatment of Indian and Islamic paintings, including 14 oversized manuscripts from the Great Mongol Shahnama. Her experience also includes roles at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, the National Archives and Records Administration, the Library of Congress, the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History & Culture, and the Conservation Center for Arts and Historical Artifacts. Anita is dedicated to advancing diversity, inclusion, equity, and accessibility in the conservation field through advocacy, education, and systemic change. She is also the owner of Agents To Fight Deterioration, a small business that promotes art conservation, raises visibility in the field, and addresses issues of neutrality and inequality in conservation practices.

Aisha Wahab

Assistant Program Chair (2025-2026)

Aisha Wahab is a paper conservator at Stanford University Libraries. Prior to her position at Stanford University, Aisha Wahab worked as the Paper Conservator at University of Michigan Libraries. She earned an MA and a Certificate of Advanced Studies in Art Conservation from State University of New York College at Buffalo. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in Middle Eastern and North African Studies with a minor in Islamic Studies and Arabic from UCLA. In addition to her primary specialty in paper conservation, Aisha has a strong interest in historical bindings and the conservation of bound materials, materials from the Muslim world, both bound and unbound, and papyrus. She is also passionate about moving towards a more people-centered approach to our conservation work and bringing greater DEIA and social justice principles into the field. Aisha strives to engage in professional development through workshops, conferences, and research. She has presented for Connecting to Collections Care (C2CC) and at the American Institute for Conservation (AIC) and Middle Eastern Librarians Association (MELA) conferences. She has published articles in the Book and Paper Group (BPG) Annual and Hand Papermaking. She has also guest lectured at the University of Delaware’s Winterthur conservation program and the University of Texas School of Information. She has valued her experience working on the BPG Program Selection Committee for the 2025 Annual Meeting and the AIC General Session Program Selection Committee for the 2022 AIC Annual Meeting. Outside the conservation lab, Aisha enjoys taking it to the streets at a local protest, traveling and exploring cultures and pastries, and spending time with friends and cats.

Volunteer with Us

Help create resources, plan events, and build connections among members. There are many ways to get involved—organize annual meeting sessions, develop webinars, or support networking and skill-building efforts. All of our group’s great work is powered by volunteers. Connect, contribute, and make a difference!

Volunteer