The University of Maryland’s Conservation Lab, located at the end of an underground corridor in its largest library, is a little-known space where books and other rare materials are restored and protected with the help of flour paste, irons, custom-made boxes, and other gadgetry. This entertaining feature from UMD’s daily news site delivers a behind-the-scenes look at some of the worst, strangest, and most precious cases handled by the lab’s staff—from the original construction drawings of the university’s architecture building (found shoved in the corner of a retiring professor’s office) to a coat made of monkey fur once owned by former U.S. Vice President Spiro Agnew.
From the Judges
The trauma-center angle is creative and unique. Great, fun lede, and a good job of making a painstakingly mundane task interesting. Great story, and the details throughout are pertinent. It has a good kicker and good flow throughout.
