Credit: Charles Harrington/University Photography

Among the holiday treasures adorning the White House this season are two dozen miniature bound books created by the staff at Cornell University Library's Preservation and Conservation Department. Approximately 1-1/2 to 2 inches high, these diminutive replicas represent material in the library's Samuel May Anti-Slavery Collection.

On Dec. 6 Hillary Clinton announced the 1999 White House holiday theme, "Holiday Treasures at the White House." Earlier this year, Cornell received a $331,000 grant to conserve its extensive collection of anti-slavery literature as part of the Save America's Treasures Program, one of the first lady's favorite projects.

Cornell, as well as other funded institutions, was asked to provide a replica representing its project for the White House Christmas display.

The university's holiday contribution was among hundreds of crafts, ornaments and other decorations produced by volunteers from every state in the nation.

Save America's Treasures is a public-private partnership between the White House Millenium Council and the National Trust for Historic Preservation dedicated to the preservation of the nation's irreplaceable historic and cultural treasures for future generations. Conservation of the Samuel May Anti-Slavery Collection is one of 62 projects funded nationwide, and is one of only two awards made to libraries. The collection includes more than 10,000 pamphlets, posters, newspaper articles, manuscripts, letters and other documents and is housed in the Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections in Cornell's Kroch Library.

For more information, contact Cornell University Library staff members: John Dean, director of the Department of Preservation and Conservation, (607) 255-9687, jfd5@cornell.edu; Elaine Engst, director of the Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections, (607) 255-3530,ee11@cornell.edu; or Katherine Reagan, acting rare books curator for the Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections, (607) 255-3530, kr33@cornell.edu.

Related World Wide Web sites:

• Save America's Treasures Home Page: http://www.saveamericastreasures.org.