For Preservation Week, meet an ASU conservator

Tours will be given of Hayden Library's conservation lab April 24-25


April 19, 2017

Do you have an old book, vintage letter or a 1980s Star Wars movie poster at home that you want to properly preserve?

ASU conservator Suzy Morgan carries out this work every day in the ASU Library conservation lab, where she performs in-house treatments and repairs for the library’s circulating collections and many special collections, including the Star Wars collection and the Chicano/a Research Collection. ASU Conservator Suzy Morgan ASU conservator Suzy Morgan will lead tours of the conservation lab at ASU Library, April 24-25, as part of Preservation Week. Download Full Image

Morgan will be leading tours of the conservation lab, April 24-25, as part of Preservation Week – a global celebration of a key library function. 

For many who take the tour, it will be an introduction into the work of preserving knowledge, both artifactual and textual.

“A conservator has to have a good grasp of not just art, but also science, history and a high level of manual dexterity,” Morgan said. “The best and most challenging part of my work is the problem-solving skills that are required. Each item that comes into the lab has its own unique combination of preservation issues. There is no ‘one size fits all’ approach — each item gets a customized treatment from me and my staff.”

It’s estimated that some 630 million items in collecting institutions such as libraries require immediate attention and care; therefore, the goal of Preservation Week is to raise awareness about the urgency of preservation, why it’s needed and what you can do, individually and as a community, to preserve both shared and personal collections.

During Preservation Week, Morgan will demonstrate how she and her highly trained staff work to repair, revive and bolster vulnerable materials, such as old books, documents and artifacts — ensuring their sustainability for generations to come.

“Our goal is to return the repaired material to our patrons and to specialized library collections as quickly as possible, using the highest quality materials and techniques possible,” Morgan writes.

ASU Library’s Preservation Department was founded in 1987 under the direction of Sharlane Grant, and is located on the first floor of Hayden Library. For more information on preservation services at ASU Library, visit https://lib.asu.edu/preservation.

Group tours of the ASU Library conservation lab will be approximately 45 minutes in length and are scheduled for 1 p.m. Monday, April 24, and 10 a.m. Tuesday, April 25.

Sign up here for the tour of the ASU Library conservation lab during Preservation Week. RSVP is required.

Britt Lewis

Communications Specialist, ASU Library

Cool ASU summer programs bring on learning — and fun


April 19, 2017

With summer vacation fast approaching, students of all ages are invited to experience the excitement of Arizona State University while they’re still in elementary, middle or high school.

From kindergarten prep to video game and robotics camps, ASU Summer Enrichment experiences offer children of all age levels a chance to explore, discover and socialize with peers from across the Valley and around the state who share their interests and goals.  Girls build robots at Lego camp At the First LEGO League camps, students learn to design, engineer and make things move. Photo by Nick Narducci/ASU Download Full Image

Read more: See photos from last summer's camps. 

“Students can choose from hundreds of fun, interactive summer enrichment and college readiness programs that will not only pique their interests, but will also help them think about their future and begin paving the way to a successful college experience,” said Lorenzo Chavez, director of Family and Student Initiatives with Access ASU.

Here’s a quick look at 10 ways K-12 students can spend the summer at ASU:

1. Fast track your college experience

Summer Experience at West is an academic enrichment program that demystifies the academic process and builds confidence in rising ninth- through 12th-grade students preparing for college admission and success. Participants can choose from a day or residential program where they will engage and connect with their peers within interactive learning communities as they collaborate on a group poster presentation and explore the many resources and services available at the ASU to support their college success.

Summer Experience at West 1

Summer Experience at West 2

2. First LEGO League Jr.

It’s never too early to discover STEM! This half-day camp is an introduction to the world of engineering. Students will learn to design, engineer and make things move — all with LEGOS. Teams explore a real-world scientific program and construct a motorized model of what they learned. Teamwork, the wonders of science and technology, and core values including respect, sharing and critical thinking are elements of the program.

3. What’s better than playing video games? Designing them!

Why just play video games when you can learn to create and produce your own? Hosted by the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering, Game Camp is a unique, hands-on opportunity for middle and high school students to learn intensive video game creation, visualization and production. Students will use the latest software, hardware and development tools to create concepts and prototypes for 2-D and 3-D video gaming. Student to instructor ratios are very low in game camp, Professor Kobayashi and one TA for every 10 students makes it a focused, individual experience.

  • Grades: 7–11
  • When: High school students, 8:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m. June 5–16 (weekdays); middle school students, 8:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m. June 19–30 (weekdays)
  • Where: Tempe campus
  • Cost: $650
  • Deadline: May 1
  • Contact: 480-965-1349 or ykobaya@asu.edu

4. To the Moon, Mars, and Beyond!

Explore space for real! Fourth- through sixth-grade students are invited to join a team of scientists and engineers in the ASU School of Earth and Space Exploration as they explore missions, spacecraft and instruments used to find the largest canyons, deepest craters and highest volcanoes in our solar system. Participants will learn about past, current and future NASA missions and visit science operations centers on ASU's Tempe campus while designing and building their own spacecraft for a mission to a planetary body.

5. Get with the Program: Intro to Coding (Beginning and Intermediate)

Basic programming skills help children understand how technology works while teaching problem-solving, design and math skills valuable for creating games, engineering projects and master works of art. Whether your student’s long-term interest is game design or creating lifesaving biomedical devices, this camp offers beginners a fun, basic understanding of coding and how early introduction to computer science is an investment in the future.

6. ASU 7Up RobotCamp

This camp is designed for students entering grades 7 and 8. Students will start to learn programming using the Alice programming environment with 3-D animation, movie and game development. Then, students will design and construct robots, learn EV3 robotics programming, and participate in the robotics challenge at the level of difficulty similar to FIRST Lego League (FLL) Robotics Competition.

7. Ready, Set, K!

For children entering kindergarten in the fall, expert teachers will introduce participants to the routines, academic procedures, expectations and skills they need for a smooth transition into today’s kindergarten classroom.

8. Where art meets engineering this summer

ASU’s Digital Culture Summer Institute will challenge both the artistic and technical sides of middle school and high school students in a series of short, project-focused classes ranging from producing digital music to coding for games to 3-D printing and projection mapping. Hands-on access to fast computers with tons of professional media software, media equipment including cameras, field audio recorders and projectors and a fully equipped fabrication lab with laser cutters and 3-D printers makes this unique camp an experience for future makers, artists, entrepreneurs, and engineers.

 9. App Camp for Girls

App Camp For Girls is a one-week summer day program where girls can put their creative powers to work, designing and building apps, while learning more about the business of software and being inspired by role models in the industry.

10. Sun Devil Kids' Camp

Sun Devil Kids' Camp is a fun-filled, action-packed sports and activity summer camp for children. Kids will participate in a variety of sports-related games focusing on physical fitness and sportsmanship, arts and crafts activities for kids of all ages and interests. And they will swim every day!

  • Grades: 1–6
  • When: May 24–Aug. 4, 7:30 a.m.–5:30 p.m.
  • Where: Tempe, Polytechnic and West campuses
  • Cost: $135 per week for members of the Sun Devil Fitness Center; $155 for non-members
  • Deadline: May 30
  • Registration: https://fitness.asu.edu/camp
  • Contact: 480-965-5639 or tara.yesenski@asu.edu