Conservation and restoration training In addition to this, I started studying restoration and conservation of books, paper and parchment by attending specialized courses and seminars organized by experts in book and paper conservation/restoration from Europe, the USA and Japan. This time my teachers were: Bernard C. Middleton (England), Julia Puissant (Switzerland), Mary Wooton (USA), Thomas Albro, Jr.(USA), Franklin Mowery (USA), Mari Yamaryo (Japan) and Masako Koyano (Japan).

I completed internships at Library of Congress (Washington D.C., USA) in 1992 and 1997 where I was involved in: 1) restoration of parchment maps for the Columbus exhibition held in 1992. 2) consolidation of miniatures in Medieval Manuscripts, Rosenwald collection, 1997.

I was a laureate of the Europalia Nippon Kinen, 1996 and fulfilled an internship of four months in the conservation, restoration of paper and woodblock prints at the well known conservation studios of Sensei Mary Yamaryo and Sensei Masako Koyano in Tokyo, Japan. There I could learn and appreciate the restoration of "Ukiyo-E" prints. You can find more information on WWW, e.g. the Ukiyo-e Museum Nagoya TV Server or the Japan Ukiyo-e museum of Matsumoto . There is also a European site . Herewith I include a woodblock print of Sensei Ando Hiroshige, "Sixty-Nine Stages along the Kisokaido, Senba" (Nishiki-e). Sensei Hiroshige is one of the most famous Japanese woodblock printers.

Works of conservation of Japanese prints have been exhibited at the occasion of an exhibition held at the Japanese embassy ,Brussels (Belgium) from 1st of April till 28th of April, 1998.

I am a member of the Institute of Paper Conservation (United Kingdom), the Guild of Bookworkers (USA) , the Association of Archive Restorers, VAR (The Netherlands), Atelier du Livre (Mariemont-Belgium) and the Book and Paper Workers of the Bibliotheca Wittockiana (Brussels-Belgium).

Atelier Coperta In 1993 I started a private Workshop (Atelier Coperta) for Fine Bookbinding, Book design and conservation/restoration of Archives, Books, Paper, Parchment and Leather. Because both, handbookbinding and are based on a common theoretical and practical fundamental knowledge of techniques in hand bookbinding I started a workshop where both disciplines are combined.

I have successfully restored unique old archives and rare books from Europe for private persons and public libraries. I designed and produced the 'Memorial Book' of the city of Antwerp, cultural capital of Europe in 1993.

Conservation and ethics For myself, the production of new and unique bindings on the one hand, and conservation or treatment of old bindings with a rigorous respect for the historical object on the other hand are separate disciplines with peculiar aims. I am teaching my students on this principle. I agree with the commonly accepted ethical codes of which most conservators are aware. Some of these are published on WWW, such as: the ethical code of VeRes (the Dutch Association of Restorers) and the conservator/restorer definition of the Working Group of ICCROM for training in Conservation and Restoration. I am following developments in this field via e.g. the professional guidelines of the European Confederation of Conservator-Restorers Organisations, E.C.C.O.

Center for the Book is located at the University of Iowa is an interdisciplinary program for the study and practice of the traditional and non-traditional arts of the book as well as the study of the book as a cultural artifact.