Interview with Collection Preparation Team Leader

The KB collection is on the move. This mammoth operation is scheduled to finish in 2028, and while that seems far away, work is already underway in the repositories. What needs to be done and why does it take so long? We spoke to Julia Tesselaar, Collection Preparation Team Leader. 

"The collection consists of millions of books, newspapers and magazines. Some collections have been in the repository for years, while others are scheduled to arrive tomorrow, so they do not all require the same level of attention. We’re surveying the various collections one compartment at a time to identify which collections need to be cleaned and which do not. 

The results of this work determine what the collection preparers need to vacuum. Each compartment has a central extraction system that can remove dust with the utmost care, to avoid damaging the items. We use extremely soft brushes made of horsehair for most books, but we also have a special museum vacuum for particularly old or fragile books and newspapers. The entire collection must be in tip-top condition before it is moved to the new repository.

Most items in the collection can be moved as is, but some books require a special archival storage box that we make ourselves. We first precisely measure the book or newspaper in question and then send the measurements to the box machine, which creates a box that fits the item perfectly. The staff operating this machine have elevated box-making into an art form! We also replace old storage boxes with new ones made of acid-free cardboard to help preserve the collection over the long term. I love watching our team continue to grow in their jobs. 

For the new robotic system in the repository to work properly, every collection item must have a unique barcode. About half of the collection has already been barcoded, but that also means we’ve still got millions of items to get through. In the process of barcoding the collection, we occasionally find items that were misplaced in the repository after a loan. A book that was returned to the wrong place in the past would be very difficult to find again.”

"The repository is divided into several compartments and each compartment requires a different approach. Some house a recent collection and others particularly fragile collections, some have already been barcoded while others haven’t, and some contain small items whereas others are full of heavy, bound newspapers. We meticulously investigate every single factor that could affect our work beforehand and plan our project accordingly. 

In addition to the General Collection, there are our Special Collections, such as medieval manuscripts, alba amicorum, prints and pamphlets, which can only be prepped by people with the necessary specialist skills and expertise. The Conservation team has this expertise and they are currently working in the conservation studio on tasks such as the conservation and restoration of the special collections. Lots of different people at different levels are incredibly passionate about our collection.”

“The new book repository will be almost fully automated, with a robotic system managing the collection to allow the millions of books, newspapers and magazines to be kept in safe conditions. That’s not to say that all human labour will be phased out, quite the contrary. The repository team will still do all the operational work, such as preparing and loading collections for daily transports to the main building."

“I’m incredibly proud of the Collection Conservation department and the progress we’ve made on this massive project. Our passion and collaboration are really paying off. We are firmly on track and have already achieved several important project milestones. I’m inspired by how the Collection Preparation team has developed recently and I look forward to taking on new challenges together. "

We created our very own video series on the mammoth task of relocating our book repository. Watch the videos to find out how we clean the books and what else goes into such a big operation.