Conservation: from books to bees (Portico Library)

Heritage conservation and environmental conservation: what do they have in common and how can they work together?

Our cultural heritage is always under threat from damage and decay. Our environment is suffering from the effects of unsustainable human activity. But what do these things have in common? What kind of pressures on our environment affect our culture and vice versa?

To mark Heritage Open Days, The Portico Library holds one day of activities on Sat 14 September exploring the relationship between cultural heritage and the natural environment.

10am – 1pm

In the morning, some drop-in activities will be available for you to engage with while you move throughout the Library, where the spaces and opening hours will be extended on this special day. You can help us to:

– do essential collections cleaning work by dusting some of our books and even having a go with our museumvac!

– see demonstrations of the kinds of conservation and restoration that take place at the Library

– help us to make a garland of paper foliage for our upcoming exhibition Second Nature

– view some spectacular examples of botanical books from the collection

We will also have Alan Wright from the Manchester and Lancashire Wildlife Trust in the Library. He will be asking you to tell him about your favourite wild places in Manchester and will be discussing the My Wild City and Kingfisher Trail projects. He will also have information about the Manchester Festival of Nature.

2pm – 4pm

Join us for a discussion and Q&A with two specialists from the heritage and environmental sectors who will share insights about some of the interesting overlaps between these areas.

Speakers:

Sarah Potter, Preventive Conservator at The Whitworth

Steve Garland, Chair of the Lancashire Wildlife Trust

The Library also launches its Endangered Books List fund in a bid to preserve its threatened collection items.

If you can’t come to this special event on Sat 14 September then please visit The Portico’s website for our opening hours and public programme: https://www.theportico.org.uk/

See Eventbrite to register your place,

Event Details