#buffalostatecollege

[kateconwayturner]

Exploring Rwanda's Path to a Sustainable and Just Future

After many years of hearing from our students and Professor Drew Kahn about how their yearly trips to Rwanda were truly transformative, I had an opportunity to see this amazing country with my own eyes. 

In late September, Professor Kahn took a delegation to Rwanda to connect with their social justice agenda and to explore the policies and attitudinal changes since the genocide of 1994. I had the pleasure to be among SUNY administrative colleagues, leaders from Partners in Health, representatives of the Kellogg Foundation, and those from Akaye, Haiti, who were interested in what they could learn from Rwanda.

Rwandans families learning about health and nutrition

Each day of this short trip was filled with experiences and stories that I continue to relive and digest. Among the many highlights were three I will mention here.

1. It was wonderful meeting the minister of education, Eugene Mutimura, and his staff. From these colleagues, I learned of the central place Rwanda is giving education as a tool for future success. They described the primary, secondary, and higher education segments and how they were meeting the challenges head-on. Of particular interest was how eager they were to collaborate with SUNY in general and Buffalo State in particular. This opening will be fertile ground for future discussions between SUNY and the Rwandan ministry.

With the Minister of Education, Eugene Mutimura and SUNY Associate Vice Chancellor for Global Affairs, Sally Crimmins Villela

2. The sobering visit to the Kigali Genocide Memorial still haunts me. This site is not only a museum documenting the genocide, its causes, and the movement forward for Rwanda, but it is also a burial site. More than 250,000 men, women, and children are buried there. It was truly sacred ground as we realized both the depth of the suffering and the many ways Rwanda is ensuring that this will never happen again. This visit also included a discussion and framing of the importance of peace studies and striving for peace.

3. The Urukundo Village is a fully sustainable school that has completely incorporated “drama-based education.” It is here that AFP students and faculty return each year to work with teachers and provide training to reinforce how story can be used as an effective mechanism to teach all subjects. The school is led by Arlene Brown, who is affectionately called “Mama” by all. Her dedication, passion, and love for teaching her students were transparent. It was wonderful to see how the community was connected so positively with Buffalo State and how Professor Kahn was a “rock star” in Rwanda.

At the Urukundo Village

The trip was filled with many memorable moments, but today these three stand out as ones I will never forget.

[nyupreservation]

Three Similar Treatments, Three Different Approaches

My time at the Conservation Department of NYU Libraries is drawing to an end, with only two months left.  Since my chief interest is in rare book collections, I will focus on rare book treatments for my final block under the supervision of Anne Hillam and Dawn Mankowski. So far, I have worked on three leather books, whose treatments I approached from different angles. The goal of these treatments was to restore the original function of the books. The condition concerns presented either a front board detachment and/or a reback. Before beginning treatment, we discussed what options we had and which were best suited for the books in question, as well as the challenges they posed.

Book one is a full tree-calf leather binding with a tight joint, tight back construction. The board to text block attachment is facilitated by two cords. The tight back construction and its shoulder, while small, still allowed for a pleated paper hinge board reattachment. The pleated hinge preserves the pivoting action of its boards, especially since it was a tight back. This treatment was appropriate for this book because it also allowed us to avoid lifting the spine leather, which could lead to more damage.

Book two is bound in sprinkled dark brown full calf-skin, blind tooled with double fillet roll border, frame, and panel decoration. Its spine piece is missing, revealing five false cord bands, which suggest a tight back construction. We thought that this book was a great candidate for a full reback with a cast composite. Using the cast composite on a tight back with false cords proved to be challenging. The composite material does not stretch like leather, which made it difficult to mold over the false cords. The turn-ins were difficult to complete at the head and tail since the new material wrinkled easily, making it difficult to control. In the future, this treatment could be adjusted by using different adhesives with a longer drying time, as well as careful consideration on the type of binding it is used.

Book three is bound in half brown sheep-skin and purple Moiré cloth. The spine piece is a hollow back made with printer’s waste and false bands. The leather corners and the leather spine edges of the boards are blind stamped with a double fillet roll. The goal of this treatment was to keep as much of the original material as possible and the treatment method used was more traditional. I re-backed the book using dyed leather to match the original and re-used the original printed waste spine liner in the new hollow, retaining the original spine lining.

From these treatments, I learned that the construction of the binding greatly informed the type of treatment it receives. The structural elements that influenced my treatments include the condition of the covering material, tight back versus hollow construction, depth of the shoulder, and construction of the spine as smooth or on raised cords. Lastly, the materials used in treatments will not only have to match the original material aesthetically, but also complement the structural and mechanical nature of the book. This includes flexibility of the material and its durability.

What challenges in rare book conservation will come up next?

-Post by Lyudmyla Bua, Andrew W. Mellon Fellow for Master of Arts and Certificate of Advanced Study in Libraries and Archives Conservation at Buffalo State, SUNY.

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[nyupreservation]

University Archives Flat File Rehousing Project:  A Summary

Due to the renovation of the northeast corner of the University Archives on the 10th floor of the Bobst Library, oversized collection material needed to be safely relocated from the NYU Archives to the Tamiment Library & Robert F. Wagner Labor Archives.

The project team was led by Preventive Conservator Jessica Pace, and consisted of Special Collections Conservator Dawn Mankowski and graduate Mellon Fellow Lyudmyla Bua. Jessica ensured that the project stayed on schedule over a four-day period, during the week of February 13th, 2017, when three units of flat files were moved to the Tamiment Collection.  

The project focused on efficiently mitigating the improper storage conditions of the oversized paper-based materials to allow for safe transferring. Six flat files contained large architectural reproductions, posters and certificates. Many materials had no housing, while others were housed in folders or drawers that were too small for them, causing tearing and crushing of the material, as illustrated in the photos above. Three of the six flat file drawers were broken, and/or showed signs of rust formation, compromising the material held inside. These flat file units were discarded and the contents moved to the new location in Tamiment. 

Preparation of the rehousing supplies and prior assessment of the collections’ materials ensured an efficient workflow once the project was underway. First, all loose collection materials inside the broken flat files were housed in archival folders and relocated into appropriately sized enclosures. These were placed either in boxes or moved to flat files at the Tamiment Archives, as shown in the photos above. Next, the materials in the rest of the flat files were rehoused into folders for safe transfer and handling during the move. The collection materials were moved out of each flat file the day before. The empty flat files were then moved using large carts, as illustrated in the photos below. The location information of the collection material was diligently documented to ensure the ease of future access by library’s staff and patrons.

The successful outcome of this project was due to collaboration and communication between departments. Fragile and brittle papers were interleaved as a temporary measure to assist in the future handling of the objects. This remediation project ensured the materials can be safely used by the staff and patrons of the library, while the renovation is underway.

Future work is recommended to remediate the issues encountered during this project. Some items in the collection exhibited more serious condition issues such as large tears, creasing, crumpling of the paper, and brittleness, as well as improper housing that could not be easily corrected during the rehousing project. Due to the limited time allotted to complete this project, larger folders could not be procured in time for this project. Oversize materials that were too large or too thick for their current flat files, or too small for their folders, should be rehoused into appropriately-sized flat files after the Special Collections renovation. Additionally, reproductive processes that are not compatible with each other, such as blueprints (cyanotypes) and diazotypes, should be rehoused in separate folders in the near future.

-Post by Lyudmyla Bua, Andrew W. Mellon Fellow for Master of Arts and Certificate of Advanced Study in Libraries and Archives Conservation at Buffalo State, SUNY.

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[elinmargaretan]

19year old Saniyya Dennis,a Buffalo State College student, was last seen in the elevator of her dorm around 11pm on April 24. If anyone knows anything please contact Buffalo State’s University Police Department at 716-878-6333 or [email protected]. #saniyyadennis #buffalostatecollege #missingpeople #studentmissing https://www.instagram.com/p/COfBHfAFbbC/?igshid=g57xvwrzs67b

[los-cause7]

This is horrible. If anyone in the Buffalo/Niagara Falls, New York area have any info on the whereabouts of this young lady come forward. This is a nightmare to send your child away to college and have to be mentally tormented with this kind of news. SUNY Buffalo State College alumni please share this one far and wide. Sending prayers and positive energy for the safe return of Saniyyah Dennis. She’s been missing for a week. #saniyyahdennis #40cal #buffalostatecollege #buffalonewyork #niagarafallsnewyork https://www.instagram.com/p/COWstLGJxI8/?igshid=1lglxbjn0r0de

[momofthreesillyboys]

Wow!! This weekend while in The bookstore in Poulsbo I met a fellow @buffalostate @buffalostatealumni alumni!! Carol is a graduate of the class of ‘68 and I’m class of ‘98. It was so great to meet her and talk about our school. #momof3sillyboys #buffalostatecollege #buffalostatealumni #buffalostate (at Poulsbo Waterfront & Marina) https://www.instagram.com/p/B33fytjJ7tC/?igshid=zf2x9u692fb1

[sabrinaloscar]

Thank you so very much to Buffalo State for planning and organizing a boat tour down the Buffalo River. It was amazing and we learned so much. #canalsidebuffalo #buffalostate #buffalostatecollege #buffaloriver #eriecanal @buffalostate (at Buffalo Waterfront) https://www.instagram.com/p/Bz5zMT8FE31/?igshid=bllu08i0s4sm

[kateconwayturner]

The Buffalo State Impact

This week I was reviewing the list of undergraduate retention initiatives that have been implemented by Buffalo State since 2016. The list is long and touches many aspects that are generally related to the success of our students. Here success means the retention and persistence of our students from the first day they join campus until they graduate and go on to their first postgraduate jobs or graduate school.

Retention and persistence are something I speak of often on campus. I have challenged us all to think about what we do and what we can add to enhance the success of our students. The long list of initiatives demonstrates how seriously we have been in defining best practices and bringing them to campus.

Rendering of the east lobby in E.H. Butler Library where the new Academic Commons space will be located.

From mandatory advisement, to creating a plan to centralize student support, to increasing high-impact practices, and much more, we have taken up the mandate to increase the retention and persistence of all students. This fall we are adding yet another weapon to our arsenal: we have been approved for a five-year federally funded Title 3 grant, “Insight to Impact.” This grant provides the resources to hire a data analyst to assist the campus in understanding the conditions of success for our students and thus replicate those success-enhancing elements as needed. This, along with the additional resources to add coaching, peer mentorship, and more, will assist us in making the important impact on students that will result in success.

The Buffalo State Impact will implement those aspects of support that allow all students to succeed. Our work will continue to be focused on our students. We will delve deeply into any issues that inhibit success and intervene. But remember, this is critical work, and we must stay focused and committed to improve student success. I am counting on us all to work together to make the Buffalo State Impact the means to lift all students to success.