About the Department

Katie Smith is Head of Conservation and is currently the Interim Preservation Librarian for the University of Florida, George Smathers Libraries. Conserving books for almost 25 years, Katie received a couple of degrees in humanities and the classics, a bookbinding degree, and a master’s degree and post-graduate diploma in book conservation science.

Katie worked as a conservator for the Church History Library in Salt Lake City as well as the Training Specialist for Preservation at the National Archives before coming to the University of Florida. She has published articles on Mark Hofmann forgeries and 19th century paper bindings and is currently researching movables and pop-ups in UF’s Special Collections. She has also worked to add arsenical bindings from UF to the Poison Book Project and Database.

She continues to bind in her spare time and is affiliated with the American Institute of Conservation (AIC), the Southeast Regional Conservation Association (SERCA), the Guild of Book Workers (GBW), and is on the board of The Movable Book Society (MBS). She is passionate about book history, book structure, and bibliographic education.

(352) 294-2235

smith.katie@ufl.edu

Jimmy holds a BFA in printmaking from the University of Florida and has worked in the Smathers Libraries since 2008, originally as a scanning technician in Digital Services.  He moved to Conservation in 2015 to work as the liaison between Digital Services and Conservation.  He is an Alachua County native and especially enjoys working with material with local ties.

(352) 273-2845

jrb74@ufl.edu

April Helena is a Conservation Associate at the George A. Smathers Libraries at the University of Florida.  She oversees the circulating collections in the libraries, including all aspects of the evaluation, tracking, repair, and conservation of the general collection as well as assisting with special collections treatments.  
 
April holds a Bachelor of Fine Art’s degree in Metals and Jewelry from Western Michigan University.  She has over a decade of experience working in jewelry conservation.  Prior to her current role, she worked four years in the Acquisitions Department at the UF libraries and five years in a public library.  
 
April is working towards her Master of Library and Information Science (MLIS) degree and is a member of the American Institute of Conservation (AIC) as well as the Guild of Book Workers (GBW).  
 
In her personal time, she enjoys reading, gardening, and playing with her two dogs Panda and Cricket. 

(352) 294-1034

april.helena@ufl.edu

Sam Asmar is a Student Assistant in the Conservation and Preservation Department of the George A. Smathers Libraries at the University of Florida. She works on pamphlets as well as assists with other circulating materials. 
 
Sam is a 4th year psychology and biology student. After graduation, she plans to attend graduate school and possibly go into museum work in the future.
 
In her free time, she enjoys reading, drawing, and going for walks. 

Rory Angelus is a Student Assistant at the George A. Smathers Libraries at the University of Florida.  She works on music pamphlets as well as assists with other circulating collections treatments like re-casings and paper repair.

Rory is a 4th-year Chemistry student at the University of Florida. After graduation, she plans to work in a clinical setting for a year while she applies for school to become a Physician Assistant.

In her free time, she enjoys sewing, painting, and cooking.