A workshop on techniques for restoring and preserving old documents will be held 5:30 p.m. Wednesday at Pensees Bookshop, located at 502 Sixth St. on the downtown square.

Because there will be limited space, attendees are required to register in advance by contacting Hailey Paige at [email protected].

Bob Bertrand, owner of the bookshop, will talk about the basic techniques used to restore old books or documents like court records. Each type of document has different preservation needs and requires different skills.

According to a press release, “Attendees of the class will learn the true goal of restoration: to present a finished product that most closely resembles the original in both appearance and construction.”

The workshop is part of a program created by the Historical Administration class of 2017 called “A Question of History: Public History in Illinois.” The workshop is the final event scheduled in the program, although an exhibition installed in the Marvin Foyer of Booth Library will remain until July 31, 2017.

Bertrand learned how to restore books from classes at the University of Illinois while working with a professional conservator, along with several years of trial and error working on his own.