Meeting Logistics
Date: Thursday, June 4, 2026
Time: 6:00 p.m. Check-in / Social Hour
…………..6:30 p.m. Dinner
…………..7:00 p.m. Speaker Presentation
Menu: Meal will be catered by W. Millar & Co. and will feature Chicken marsala and shrimp scampi, served with parsley egg noodles, Caesar Salad, Bread board and assorted cookies/bars. Beverages will be provided.
Vegetarian option – Miso-glazed Eggplant (GF, Ve) available by request only.
Cost: $26 (1/2 price for students and high school teachers)
An RSVP is required for dinner so we can plan appropriate seating and meals.
Registration is required if you wish to participate virtually via Zoom –
LINK: https://american-chemical-society.zoom.com/meeting/register/-TFs1MTAT4erKiJUpnY0og?optimizely_user_id=de400c682a71420982a1c1d9ac99f013
RSVP by noon (ET) Tuesday, June 2, to csw@acs.org. Please provide the names in your party as well as your contact information when you RSVP. The public is invited to attend. You may attend the talk only at no charge, but reservations are appreciated. If you need any further information or would like to make a reservation, please contact the CSW office by email at csw@acs.org.
Bio:
Dr. Andrew Davis is a chemist in the Library of Congress’s Preservation Research and Testing Division. He studies paper and polymeric materials such as cellulose, adhesives, and modern media, with the goal of applying fundamental polymer science to inform the preservation of Library collections. Andrew is also involved in work to better understand the role of light, oxygen, and material to better enable public display of light-sensitive objects. He enjoys working with interns and visiting researchers, from high school students to postdocs. Andrew received his PhD in Polymer Science and Engineering at UMass Amherst and has previously worked in the Central Research Laboratories of 3M.
Abstract: The Preservation Research and Testing Division (PRTD) within the Library of Congress provides the scientific cornerstone to the Library’s objectives of preserving access to the wide range of materials in the Library’s collection, spanning books, manuscripts, maps, audiovisual media, and assorted historical objects. Dr. Davis will describe his scientific analyses supporting two projects: remediation of degraded 20th century commercial audiovisual media and long-term exhibition of one-of-a-kind maps of America using unique low-oxygen display encasements. These projects illustrate PRTD’s use of laboratory experiments (e.g., artificial aging, thermal property analysis) to analyze representative reference samples, and the use of non-invasive methods (e.g., spectroscopic and colorimetric analysis) to directly analyze Library collection objects.
Parking: Parking is available in nearby commercial parking garages. Please be aware that garage closing times vary. Parking is also available on the street after 6:30 pm, but be aware that most parking meters are in effect until 10:00 pm and may be limited to 2 hours. You should check the individual meters for details and payment methods as some are no longer coin-operated.
Metro: Blue/Orange/Silver Line: McPherson Square or Farragut West.
Red Line: Farragut North