The Preparator's Handbook: A Practical Guide for Preparing and Installing Collection Objects is an invaluable resource for emerging museum professionals or anyone working in galleries and collections with little-to-no previous preparatory experience or training. This handbook explores, explains, and illustrates the basics for the preparation and installation professionals. - practical, step-by-step guides that outline museum-standard procedures for most types of collection objects, including works on paper, archival volumes, and historic artifacts. - templates and guides for presentation, preservation, and collection storage - illustrated inventories of standard and specialized tools, materials and hardware - the basics of lighting, audio, and video in installations. - unique case-studies from working professionals for a wide-range of objects and installations including examples from the Field Museum, the Corning Museum of Glass, and the Folger Shakespeare Library. - Over 50 illustrations and photographs that accompany the written text. This practical book is the first of its kind: a guide for novice or amateur collection and gallery professionals as well as an academic textbook for museum studies and fine art students.