N o 54 - IFLA

46
International Preservation News • No. 54 August 2011
training and the subject of frequent discussions
to devise substitutes for the most
costly items. But even this variable does not
constitute a major hindrance in the implementation
of treatments for curative preservation.
Thus the absence during the first
half of the training of supplies ordered from
Germany (starches, Japanese papers, etc.)
led finally to an immersion in the everyday
life of the Kazakh conservator and which required
of me, a certain adaptability.
We thus made our adhesive with wheat
flour and used a lot of filter paper 4 , in unlimited
supply. However, it seemed surprising
to us that it is difficult to procure wheat
starch in Kazakhstan. It is indeed a product
whose applications are numerous and de
facto, although we did not use it to make
sausages, which apparently baffled the retailer,
the starch reached us rather quickly
at a completely reasonable cost for the Kazakh
National Library. Thus an important
problem was resolved. Nevertheless, it must
be said that the adhesive made of flour, correctly
cooked, sifted and diluted served as a
satisfactory adhesive, even without removing
its gluten (a tedious operation to carry
out). The resulting collages were flexible,
discreet and had a low content of adhesive.
Food gelatine being available everywhere,
we had two adhesives accessible with which
a large range of treatments is possible.
Japanese papers are expensive and difficult
to ship (problems with customs, orders, languages,
etc.). And while it is difficult to do
without them completely, their variety and
their quantity can be seriously reduced. The
already mentioned filter paper, of a weight
of about 50g/m2, made of bleached chemical
wood pulp, served a number of uses:
in the place of or in addition to vegetable
tanned leather (equally expensive and difficult
to find), to practise filling in gaps
in places not mechanically stressed. It also
served for filling in gaps in cardboard or
paper. To this end, we sometimes colored
it with acrylic paints, glued it with gelatine
(in 1 % dilution), and pressed it. So transformed,
this paper was very suitable for
the preparation of endleaves or in-filling of
Arab-Islamic papers.
For linings on taut frames and for repairs
of paper tears we used the Japanese papers
of low weigh that we had but lacking these,
or in complement, it is certainly possible to
get some tea bag paper made of hemp or
eucalyptus at little cost, although we were
not able to confirm it. Used with adhesives
like wheat starch, well prepared and diluted,
this paper can provide a good lining or repair
treatment at a very low cost.
The filling of gaps in paper with the aid of
paper-pulp with hemp, hoax and cotton fibres
avoids the problems of cost and supply.
It’s also easy to implement with a little
practise with very satisfactory results, even
without a suction table 5 , as we verified.
We cannot list here all the techniques seen
during these three weeks, which were not,
however, able to address all the requests
of training participants, and I’m sorry
about that; their huge interest was often
matched by my ubiquitous lack of ability
to answer all the questions, often simultaneous,
of each of them, from fifteen to
thirty during one week! Five more trainers
would not have been in excess! The training
nevertheless took place in a very pleasant
atmosphere, and despite of the high
temperatures, concentration and desire to
learn remained rigorous, except during the
tea break, of course accompanied daily by
new pastries and these inenarrable Kazakh
candies. This was possible thanks to the precious
assistance of the staff of the National
Library, the conservation workshop and the
laboratory. We also thank the whole administration
of the BN of Kazakhstan, and in
particular Mrs. Balabekova, the General
Director, as well as Mrs. Shaimardanova,
Deputy Director and local representative of
the IFLA-PAC, the mastermind behind the
implementation of this seminar. It is also a
pleasure to thank Mrs. Baryla, Director of
the IFLA-PAC at the origin of this training
and finally of course, UNESCO and its local
representative in Almaty, Mr. Karpov for
its financing.
It should be emphasized that if such a seminar
is an important step in staff training
for libraries, archives, or museums, it is at
least as important to envisage an assessment
of this experience in a near future, which
should provide the opportunity for further
training. Furthermore, despite the lack of
implementation at the national level of such
preservation training, we encourage Kazakh
institutions to finance the training of sev-
eral local conservators at a high level, so that
they can transmit their skills throughout
Kazakhstan.
Personally, in conclusion of this professional
experience, I have to emphasize the
fruitful character, which this adventure presented.
Besides the magnificent horse 6 , the
symbol of freedom in Kazakhstan, and the
magnificent traditional tunic I was offered,
it seemed to me, that my greatest satisfaction
was that the approach of preservationrestoration
we recommend, as well as the
methods of treatment and the materials
which we used (apart from few exceptions
that one can replace) are perfectly transposable
in situations that we could consider to
be difficult. It was truly delightful to witness
that preservation and restoration are
not necessarily the privilege of the western
world but are rather the fruits of societies’
decisions.
1. Just before the first snow grows there a unique
variety of apple as big as melon.
2. The new capital, Astana is located more in
the middle of the country. Its translation is very
simple: “Capital”.
3. Two of them recently followed a ten-day conservation-training
course in Moscow.
4. This is a kind of blotting paper but thinner and
more resistant.
5. Nevertheless, I’ll send to participant plan from
a very simple and sheep suction table I made
many years ago, I still use.
6. In carved wood.