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Library filing cabinet

Shaun Thompson

Conservation and Collection Care Manager

Division: Special Collections

Directorate: Research Collections

Department: Conservation and Collection Care

Email: st356@cam.ac.uk

Shaun Thompson is the Conservation and Collection Care Manager at Cambridge University Library, specialising in the care and repair of manuscripts and printed books. Shaun’s research interests include early European book structures, the history of books, their structural qualities and the materials and sophisticated technology used to create them.

As a dedicated advocate for book and paper conservation in the heritage sector, Shaun has made significant contributions to the field, including his work as a teacher and mentor to conservation students in the UK and abroad. He 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.

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.

Professional memberships:

  • Associate: ICON the Institute of Conservation.

Associated research projects

Curious Cures in Cambridge Libraries

A project to conserve, catalogue and digitise medieval medical recipes, funded by the Wellcome Trust.
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Medieval Manuscripts Fragments at Cambridge University Library

Fragmentarium, funded by Zeno Karl Schindler Foundation and Swiss National Science Foundation.

Creating new connections: shared digital curation of the Royal Commonwealth Society Southern African collections at Cambridge University Library

A two-year project funded by the Carnegie Corporation of New York.

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Photography:
Headline image © Alice the Camera / Cambridge University Library
Laptop image with hands typing © Alice the Camera / Cambridge University Library

Collection items featured:
Curious Cures manuscript: CUL MS Dd.6.29 (ff. 27v-28r)
Partial leaf from the Coucher book of Furness Abbey CUL MS Add. 4407 (f.12).
Basutoland/Lesotho (CUL RCS/Marnham S).