Academic Accreditation
San Gemini Book & Paper Conservation School
The San Gemini Book & paper Conservation School (SGB&P) is a new program being offered by the International Institute for Restoration and Preservation Studies (IIRPS) in San Gemini, Italy. Currently SGB&P is not accredited by a US university. We offer a graduate certificate of participation and an evaluation of the students’ work.
This course is the first part of the larger idea aimed at creating a professional training school in the field of conservation that meets the necessities of rare book libraries, archives, and museum archives. The common thread of these programs will be the medium of paper. Each program will be a year long. This first program will be offered in the academic year 2024-2025 and every following year we plan to add a new program.
Book and Paper Conservation
Art on Paper Conservation
Conservation of Photographic Materials and Modern Reproduction Media
The programs will be structured so that returning students will not have to repeat subject matters that they have studied in a previous program.
For the last 15 years, IIRPS has organized a summer field school , the San Gemini Preservation Studies (SGPS). This program offers 4-week courses in the field of book and paper conservation. Students in those programs have the option of receiving academic credits from a US university by applying to the program through the Art History Department of West Virginia University.
We are presently having, encouraging conversations with US universities about creating a master’s program or a graduate certificate that is associated with this new school. This process could take one to two years. The success of our summer program and the ability to offer credit to participants, has informed our approach. If we do not present a active viable program, universities are reluctant to begin the complex process of offering a new degree. Therefore, we are commencing with a non-accredited program in the hopes that we will successfully present the new viable academic curriculum for serious consideration.
This school will provide students with the skills and knowledge to be a professional conservator. However, certain types of work positions require degrees from accredited universities. Students applying should carefully evaluate what are their future needs for both professional skills and for academic credentials before applying to SGB&P, given its present state as a non accredited school.