Renate Mesmer is the Eric Weinmann Head of Conservation in the Werner Gundersheimer Conservation Laboratory at the Folger Shakespeare Library.


Ms. Mesmer is an experienced book and paper conservator with more than twenty years experience in the field. She formally trained as a master bookbinder in Germany and has pursued further conservation training at renowned institutions throughout Europe and the U.S. She has held previous positions conserving and restoring books and manuscripts at the Munich State Archives; the University Library in Mannheim; the Speyer State Archives in Germany, and at the Centro del bel libro in Ascona, Switzerland.

In 2004 she joined the Folger as Assistant Head of Conservation. The Library has benefitted from her comprehensive knowledge of conservation practices, administrative skills, and leadership on preservation initiatives. She is a frequent instructor on book structure and paper conservation techniques at workshops in the United States and abroad. As head of the Folger's conservationprogram she also oversees the library's active conservation internship program. Among her professional affiliations are the International Association of Book and Paper Conservators (IADA), where she was recently elected president of the Board, and the Guild of Book Workers, where she has served as president of the Potomac chapter for several years.