Preserving Your Family History

Join us at the William Andrews Clark Memorial Library to learn the basics of understanding and caring for your family heirlooms with the Clark’s librarians and conservators from the UCLA Library Preservation & Conservation Department. Many of us have inherited collections of family papers, scrapbooks, photographs, albums, or treasured books that we’re not quite sure how to handle. These items can seem intimidating to care for, their creators a bit mysterious, or their contents a bit confusing, and it can be difficult to know how to preserve them for future generations. But the Clark Library is here to help!

We invite participants to bring up to five paper-based heirlooms (no larger than 18” x 24”) from their own collections that will become part of the instructional display during this workshop, alongside examples from the Clark Library’s stacks. Using this group display, librarians and conservators will be able to discuss and show common issues – and provide guidance for next steps and other resources.

We will also offer brief introductions on:

• Describing and organizing your collections and heirlooms
• Tips for conducting family research
• Proper handling and storage techniques

This workshop is limited to 30 participants and will be filled on a first-come, first-served basis.

The program is free to attend and will be held in-person at the Clark Library. Registration has reached capacity; to be added to the wait list please fill out the form below. Seating is limited at the Clark Library; walk-in registrants are welcome as space permits.

Image: 1940s wedding photo and ledger, photo courtesy of Kimi Taira