The rare books and special collections library of the University of Montreal (UdeM) contains “treasures”, such as a copy of Land of men dedicated by its author, Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. However, some of these gems have been worn down by time and urgently need to be restored so that the community can enjoy them.
Since December 19, the establishment has been encouraging bibliophiles to make a donation to the Rare Books Fund. The “Adopt a book to preserve heritage” campaign, which runs until mid-February, has already raised an amount exceeding $40,000. This is double the annual budget planned for external restoration at the library. For example, repairing the binding of an old volume can cost $800 to $1,500.
At the passage of Duty, books that are the pride of the place have been carefully arranged on a table. The librarian Mathieu Thomas first takes a miniature work between his fingers, The English Bijou Almanac for 1837then turns to the star of the place, the work British Algae by Anna Atkins (1843). This is the first scientific botany book illustrated with cyanotypes, an ancestor of photography.
Scrolling through the shelves, Mr. Thomas mentions that this library contains more than 150,000 documents preserved in ideal conditions. However, volumes were improperly stored by their previous owners, meaning that they now need to be repaired. “We are not a museum, so we want the works to be consulted,” he says, opening a book eaten away by worms.
The director of the library, Maryna Beaulieu, raises the fact that certain works that she loves to show to visitors must be restored “as a priority” in order to be leafed through. This is the case of the copy of Land of men (1939), which was dedicated by Saint-Exupéry to the writer and historian Jean Bruchési, with whom he was received in Quebec in 1942. The page where the note signed by the author’s hand is found is however detached.
Browsing through precious books… without gloves
Several volumes are also part of the “emergencies” of the restoration list, because they are required for teaching or an exhibition, explains Mme Beaulieu. “If a teacher wants to come and teach classes here and he has identified books which are of interest but which are in poor condition, then we will put them as priorities. »
Students who have the chance to handle books dating from the Renaissance have an unforgettable experience, says Morgane De Bellefeuille, deputy director of the UdeM libraries department. Especially since with the exception of certain documents, clean and dry hands are enough to do this. “With gloves, you have less dexterity. So, when you try to handle a small, fragile page, you risk damaging it further,” she says.
Certain volumes damaged by their former owners are however relevant for teaching, mentions Mathieu Thomas, skimming over the Trials by Michel de Montaigne (1640). Since the work was once censored, an executioner slashed its cover with a dagger. “It’s not just the author, it’s the book itself that was punished,” explains the librarian.
Sentimental value
The campaign serves to raise awareness of this type of rare work, explains Morgane De Bellefeuille, her eyes sparkling. She wants students to be able to develop a connection similar to the one she has with the collection. “When we come to the library, we want to sleep there, make a little bed and stay there all the time,” she says, laughing.
Efforts to discover these treasures already seem to be bearing fruit, she notes. “For the past few weeks, it’s been back to school, and with the campaign, we see people walking around and wanting to come here. » Once a month, the place opens its doors to the general public for a visit.
The “Adopt a book for the preservation of heritage” initiative also allows donors to “take ownership of their culture”, because they can select the works they wish to see restored, she continues. Mme De Bellefeuille is delighted to have been able to reach enthusiasts who were previously unaware of the existence of the library.
Some have also realized that they could bequeath volumes they own to the university. “But we definitely have an acquisition policy,” she explains. The selected works must meet certain criteria of relevance for teaching. And we have limited spaces, so we don’t accept everything. But it allows us to have this dialogue. »
The objective is to repeat the current campaign next year, says Morgane De Bellefeuille. She believes this helps raise awareness about the importance of preserving books. “It’s a collective asset. We have pieces of history here that come from all over the world and others that are very local,” she emphasizes.