About

Established in 2002, Ubbink Book and Paper Conservation provides professional conservation and restoration services to heritage institutions, art and antiquarian dealers, galleries, auction houses, collectors, and genealogists. Our experienced conservators outline both necessary and esthetic treatment options, prepare conservation treatment reports, carry out photographic documentation and offer recommendations for future storage and handling of the artifact. Working in a clean, climate-controlled environment the security, safety, integrity and value of your treasures is of the utmost importance to us.

Experts in preservation and preventative conservation, Ubbink Book and Paper Conservation’s consultation services identify and prioritize risks to artifacts outlining pragmatic solutions for mitigating deterioration resulting in a solid framework for preservation ensuring the longevity of collections. Our workshops and lectures for heritage professionals, volunteers, and the general public impart a practical knowledge of preventative conservation with immediately applicable skills.

Staff

Kyla Ubbink – Owner/Professional Conservator

Kyla Ubbink began her career through an internship with the Library and Archive Canada’s conservation laboratories in 2000 and subsequent contract positions through to 2005.  Operating a private conservation studio since 2002, Mrs. Ubbink’s work has been integral to the collections of the Canadian War Museum, Canadian Museum of Natural History, Bank of Canada Archives, Ontario Office of the Surveyor General, Global Affairs, Parks Canada, Foreign Affairs Canada, Crown and Indigenous Relations – Indigenous Art Center, and numerous university, archive, rare book, and art gallery collections. Mrs. Ubbink served on the board of directors of the Canadian Association for the Conservation of Cultural Property and taught Cultural Preservation for Algonquin College’s Archives and Records Management Program from 2007 to 2019.  She frequently provides lectures and workshops on preservation and conservation for professional conferences, has published several academic articles and recently served on a Canadian Standards Review Board to update the standard for Permanent Paper. She is a member of the Canadian Association for Cultural Property, the American Institute for Conservation, and the Canadian Bookbinders and Book Artists Guild.

2005- Present – Full time operation of Ubbink Book and Paper Conservation

2023 – Speaker for the American Institute for Conservation’s (AIC) Annual Meeting; “Past the tree line and into the snow: Inuit print making and conservation”

2007 – 2019- Part-time Professor at Algonquin College, “Preservation: Principles and Practice” for the Archives and Records Management Program.

2022 – Co-Authored article “Defending the Diefenbunker’s Murals: Conservation and protection of two murals displayed three stories underground”, published in the Book and Paper Group Annual Journal 

2021 – Speaker for British Isle Family History Society of Greater Ottawa Conference September ; “Canadian Wildflowers: How Three Generations of Women Turned CP Traill’s Field Notes into a Best Seller”

2021 – Workshop presenter for Lennox and Addington Museum and Archives; “A Snap in Time a Shot for the Future: Part 1 Identifying and Dating Family Photographs, Part 2 Preserving Family Photographs”

2021 – Speaker for the American Institute for Conservation’s (AIC) Annual Meeting; “Defending the Deifenbunker’s Murals: Conservation and protection of two murals displayed three stories underground”

2019 – Workshop presenter for Canadian Museum of Nature Library Staff; “Basic Book Conservation for Librarians of Rare Book Collections: A Practical Workshop”

2019 – Authored article “Unconventional Uses of Conventional Treatment: 3 Case Studies in Paper Conservation” published in the Book and Paper Group Annual Journal 

2019 – Workshop presenter for County of Northumberland Archival Services; “Disaster Recovery for Small Institutions”

2019 – Speaker for Canadian Association of Cultural Property’s (CAC) Annual Conference and the AIC Annual Meeting, “Unconventional Uses of Conventional Treatment: 3 Case Studies in Paper Conservation” and “Beyond the Code: Ethics and Private Practice”

2019 – Attended workshop, “Gellan Gum: Theory and Application” hosted by the CAC and presented by the Canadian Conservation Insitute.

2018 – Workshop presenter and Speaker for Ontario Genealogical Society of Ontario Conference, “Keeping the Past for the Present and Future: Preservation Techniques for the Home Archive”

2017- 2021 – Columnist for Connections, Journal of the Quebec Family History Society; “Preservation Pointers”

2017 – Speaker for Gladstone Forum Symposium hosted by the CAC Toronto Group, “Adapting Schweidler: Upgrading Historic Paper Restoration with Modern Methods”

2017 – Workshop Presenter for County of Lennox and Addington Museums, “Authenticating and Identifying Works on Paper and Parchment” and “Keeping the Past for the Present and Future: Preservation Techniques for the Home Archive”

2017 – Speaker for CAC Conference, “Adapting Schweidler: Upgrading Historic Paper Restoration with Modern Methods”

2017 – Speaker for Ontario Genealogical Society of Ontario Conference, “Conserving Canada”

2017 – Workshop presenter for Ontario Genealogical Society of Ontario Conference, “A Snap in Time, A Shot for the Future: Identifying and Caring For Family Archives”

2016 – Workshop presenter for Custom Canada’s Forensic Staff; “Through the eyes of a Conservator: Examining the life Paper Documents”

2016 – Speaker for BIFHSGO conference, Workshop: “Keeping the Past for the Present and Future: Preservation Techniques for the Home Archive”

2016 – Poster Presentation AIC/CAC Conference in Montreal, “Curing the Cure: Treatment of a Manuscript Disinfected Post TB Exposure”, attended conference

2015 – Authored article “Prescription Conservation: A Preventative and Post Remedy for User of Maps” published in ACMLA Bulletin Fall 2015.

2015 – Speaker for CARTO, annual conference of the Canadian Map Libraries and Archives Association. “Prescription Conservation: A Preventative and Post Remedy for User of Maps”

2015 – Attended CAC/ACCR Conference

2015 and 2019 – Served on the Canadian Standards Review Board for Paper Permanence

2014 – Authored pamphlet “Preserving Family Archives“, available through GlobalGenealogy.com.

2013 –  Attended  Workshop “Display Cases: Preservation, Sustainability, and Design” hosted by Canadian Conservation Institute (CCI/ICC)

2013 – Attended “Digital Forensics” Workshop,  hosted by the CAC/ACCR

2013 –  Attended CAC/ACCR Conference

2013 – Speaker at Ottawa Genealogy 2013 Conference, “Restorations of Biblical Proportions”, hosted by the Ottawa Branch of the Ontario Genealogical Society.

2013 – 2017 – Served as three years as Treasurer and one years as Member at Large for the Ottawa Branch of the Ontario Genealogical Society.

2012 – Speaker for CAC/ACCR Annual Conference 2012, “From Axe To Micro Spatula: Em’Bark’ing on a Treatment”

2012 – Speaker/presented workshop for the British Isle Family History Society of Greater Ottawa Annual Conference.

2011 – Attended Canadian Conservation Institute Symposium: “Adhesives and Consolidants”

2011 – Attended Print Making Workshop, hosted by the CAC/ACCR

2011 – Attended CAC/ACCR Conference, organized AGM

2010- Workshop Presenter for Agri-Foods and Agriculture Canada’s Library Staff; “Assessing and Preserving Rare Books”

2010 – Authored article “Protect Those Precious Papers”, published in Family Chronicle, pp23-24 March/April 2010

2010 -2012 – Severed as Secretary and then Treasurer for the Executive Board of the Canadian Association for the  Conservation of Cultural Property

2010 – Member, Canadian Association for Professional Conservators; Volunteer examination board member, general volunteer; resigned 2021

2010 – Volunteered with CAC/ACCR Conference Planning Committee organizing tours and the public outreach event “Arti-FACTS”, and attended CAC/ACCR Conference

2008 – Attended CAC/ACCR Conference

2008 – Present – Providing Preservation Consultation Services for national and municipal heritage institutions, educational libraries, and rare book collections

2006 – Attended CAC/ACCR (Canadian Association for Conservation of Cultural Property) Conference

2006 – Present  –Providing workshops and lectures for heritage professionals, genealogy conferences and community groups.

2004 – Co-authored article “Preserving Letterpress Copybooks” Published in the Canadian Association for Conservation Journal, pp 38-45, Fall 2004

2002 – Began taking on private commissions and building Ubbink Book and Paper Conservation

2002 – Received Library and Archives Canada Professionalism Award

2002-2005 – Fulfilled contracts as a Conservation Assistant, and then as a Conservator with the Library and Archives Canada in the Stabilization Unit, Book Laboratory, and Maps and Manuscripts Laboratory. Attended and participated in the following workshops: Mould Recognition and Remediation 2000; Historic Sewing Styles 2002; The History of Book Cloth 2002; Iron Gall Ink 2002; Disaster Planning and Recovery 2002; Conservation Binding 2003; Sketch Books and Albums Symposium 2003; Symposium 2006

2001 – Received Ontario Museum Association Student Award

2001 – Graduated with Diploma in Applied Museum Studies, Algonquin College of Applied Arts and Technology

2000- 2001 Internship and Contract employment with Library and Archives Canada’s Preservation Services Unit.

Assistants

Ubbink Book and Paper Conservation employs assistant conservators, technicians and administration staff as needed. Jessica Lau, MA in Art Conservation, is currently providing her services as a contract paper conservator; and Dumaresq DePencier is fulfilling the position of conservation technician.