Anybody who works in or with library and archival collections knows that historic scrapbooks are some of the most engaging and personal materials found in our collections. However, they are also one of the most challenging to care for and provide access to. This talk offers a brief history of scrapbooks, their structure and materials, as well as examples of what makes them so special. Jennifer Hain Teper then offers a series of case studies of how several challenging scrapbooks and photo albums from the
Gwendolyn Brooks Papers were approached for conservation and digitization as part of a Save America’s Treasures Grant at the University of Illinois Libraries from 2020-2023.