Shaun Thompson

Conservation Manager

Division: Special Collections

Directorate: Research Collections

Department: Conservation and Collection Care

Email: st356@cam.ac.uk

Shaun Thompson is the Conservation Manager at Cambridge University Library, specialising in the care and repair of manuscripts and printed books. He is a dedicated advocate for book and paper conservation in the heritage sector, specialising in the care and repair of manuscripts and printed books.

Shaun’s research interests include early book structures, their structural characteristics and the materials and innovative mechanisms used to create them. He has presented his work at international conferences and published his research in peer-reviewed journals.

Shaun has taught at leading conservation schools such as West Dean College of Arts, City and Guilds London School of Art, University of Amsterdam, and the Montefiascone Conservation Project in Italy. He has made significant contributions to the field of Conservation, notably through his work as a teacher and mentor to conservation students in the UK and abroad.

Publications:

• Shaun Thompson and Jim Bloxam, A Previously Unrecorded Sewing Technique Deciphered during a Study of a 12th Century, Limp Tawed-Skin Binding, Suave Mechanicals: Essays in the History of Bookbinding, Volume 5, 2019.
• Jim Bloxam and Shaun Thompson, An Italian Binding all’Islamica, Suave Mechanicals: Essays in the History of Bookbinding, Volume 8, 2023.
• Shaun Thompson, Cécilia Duminuco & Samuel Foley, The Polonsky Foundation Greek Manuscripts Project—a collaborative digitisation project in progress, Care and Conservation of Manuscripts vol 18, 2023.
• Shaun Thompson, ‘The conservation and rebinding of the Salisbury Psalter’, Bookbinder: Journal of the Society of Bookbinders, 2025, pp. 75–84.

Professional memberships:

• Associate: ICON the Institute of Conservation.