Natasha Herman: The Display of Books in Exhibition Spaces

Books are more than just stored knowledge—they are physical objects worthy of thoughtful and dynamic display. Whether for a temporary pop-up exhibition or a longer-term showcase under glass, displaying these heritage objects requires careful consideration of both aesthetics and preservation care This lecture explores the key principles of book display, including structural support, preventive conservation best practices, design and display contexts. By examining the intersection of physics, materials, and exhibition design, and gain practical strategies for creating visually engaging yet preservation-conscious book displays. Natasha Herman is founder and sole proprietor of Redbone Bindery, a book conservation studio focused on the care and preservation of antiquarian books. Concurrently, she directs the STILT project, where she brings her craft and engineering skills to the design, development and production of book support and exhibition products. Natasha has taught ethics and approaches to heritage conservation as guest lecturer at the National Library of Australia, the Auckland City Library in New Zealand, the Canadian Museum of History and National Gallery of Canada, the University of Amsterdam, the Reinwardt Academie and the Royal University of Groningen. She is a trained Socratic Dialogue moderator and has moderated dialogues for institutions such as the Rijksmuseum (Go Green), The Art Academy of Utrecht (HKU) and the National Centre of Heritage Education (NCE). She brings her dialogue moderation skills to the Common Ground Common Sense mediation collective. Natasha is a Fellow in good standing with the International Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works (IIC). She sat on the board of directors for the Northern Dutch Association of Conservators and the Dutch Conservation Register advisory committee and was a member of The Central College of Experts in Restoration Quality (CCvD) with the Foundation of Recognized Monument Quality Restoration Care (ERM).