Conservator, Arizona State Library, Archives, and Public Records, Albuquerque NM
Owner, Cariño Conservation LLC
As conservator for a state archive, library, and the Capitol Museum, Jo Anne spends her days working to stabilize items like ledgers, maps, photographs, and office records with standard strategies such as humidification and flattening, surface cleaning, repair, and protective housings like sleeves, folders, and boxes. All these techniques utilize preservation quality materials and sound conservation techniques. She explains: “We monitor the environment with dataloggers, maintain blunder traps for pest detection, and maintain a humidity room and blast freezer (for Integrated Pest Management). I answer inquiries for staff, constituents, and the public on preservation issues such as how to preserve family photos or what to do when items become wet.
“Recently, the Capitol Museum received the dumbwaiter from the 1938 addition. It was very dirty and came from an uncontrolled environment. We decided to blast freeze the components to prevent any pests from entering our facility within the components. We spent hours wrapping the three large mechanical components with thick plastic and sealing the packages so that they would be airtight. This step prevents condensation from forming when the items thawed. The dumbwaiter was then frozen at negative 35 degrees C for over 72 hours. This involved problem solving and cooperation with museum staff, facilities engineers, and our warehouse technician.”
Jo Anne went to college thinking she wanted to be a journalist, and she worked on The Tower staff. But, she says, she realized early in her senior year that she did not have the toughness to be a newspaper journalist. “Meanwhile, my work-study job in the bindery in the basement of Mullen Library provided a foundation for my career. My supervisor suggested that I could take the position managing the work flow of the serials operation and the bindery. She let me know that with the tuition benefits, I could take the class that I had my eye on in the School of Library Science entitled “The History of the Book.” She also encouraged me to start on the MSLS [now LSLIS] degree. This guidance and my decision to follow it started me on the route to the field of conservation.
Like our other profilees in this issue, Jo Anne always loved the public library while growing up, in her case in Albuquerque. She still loves libraries, and the discoveries one can make by exploring collections. “I encountered primary records while writing my senior thesis at Catholic University. I spent hours in the National Archives reading room reading the papers of the Territorial Governors of New Mexico. The challenges of comprehending the handwriting and understanding the abbreviations in the old script added complexity to my work. Understanding the context of the records sent me down many research paths I had not foreseen. I relished this work.”
Among her memories of her time in the Department of History, several stand out. “Within the first month of school Professor [Thomas] West had taken me into a one on one to revise my first paper and reshape my approach to writing a history paper. Professor [James] Riley provided steady guidance although I was never a top student. In the Department I learned to read deeply, to be curious, to question assumptions, and to find my own voice."
Jo Anne’s career has spanned the digital transformation of information in so many respects, which gives her a clear perspective on its implications for her field. “As a conservator of analog items, I did not embrace digital information immediately. The preservation issues involved with digital items were too daunting for me. However, by 2000 I understood the game-changing impact of digital communication, digital objects, and digital collections. Now I embrace the challenge of preserving our collections and our heritage – analog and digital. I do preach for careful and documented decision making as we curate our digital lives. Just because it is on the internet or digital does not mean it is sustainable.”
Jo Anne continues to maintain a private practice in Conservation based in the Southwest U.S. Since there are few conservators in the region, it is important to offer services, even on a limited basis, to stewards of cultural heritage collections and permanent records. Projects and clients have included the Sikh community of Northern New Mexico and review and development of treatment protocols for mold and rodent impacted records of Native American Trust records in the custody of the Department of the Interior.
Her advice for current students interested in her career path? “I would encourage anyone seeking to become a conservator to be aware of the challenges and limitations of the field. The education and training necessary to be competent are often not recognized in compensation offered for the work. The work can be rewarding. The ideal candidate is curious and a lifelong learner. The magic of the field is in the mix of history, craftsmanship, science, and technology.”