About: The San Gemini Book & Paper Conservation School

The San Gemini Book & Paper Conservation School is a new program being created by the International Institute for Restoration and Preservation Studies (IIRPS) as an outgrowth of the San Gemini Preservation Studies (SGPS) program in San Gemini Italy. It will be offered first in the academic year 2024-2025.

 In the last ten years SGPS years has offered two introductory courses one in the restoration of paper in archival material and the other on the conservation of books and archival materials. Both these programs have been done in collaboration with the historic archives of the town of San Gemini and of other nearby communities. These two courses have been very successful and there has al these year a steady affluence of students has induced us to try to organize a one academic year long intensive program that can give students a full set of skills necessary to be a book and paper restorer.

All the courses in the SGPS program are now accredited by the Department of Art History at West Virginia University in Morgantown. The new SGB&P program however is not being accredited by WVU because this year they are being radically restructure by the state government with a substantial financial cuts, they do not feel they can take on this new program.

At this point students of the SGB&P will not receive credits from  an accredited university. Potential students should consider this situation carefully. They will receive a certificate from our school and a very high quality education in this field. We hope that soon we will be able offer credit through an accredited university. However we feel that this is a unique opportunities in the English language educational world for those persons for whom the priority is learning the professional skills in a relatively brief period of time.