Aisha Wahab is a paper conservator at Stanford University Libraries. Prior to her position at Stanford University, Aisha Wahab worked as the Paper Conservator at University of Michigan Libraries. She earned an MA and a Certificate of Advanced Studies in Art Conservation from State University of New York College at Buffalo. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in Middle Eastern and North African Studies with a minor in Islamic Studies and Arabic from UCLA.
In addition to her primary specialty in paper conservation, Aisha has a strong interest in historical bindings and the conservation of bound materials, materials from the Muslim world, both bound and unbound, and papyrus. She is also passionate about moving towards a more people-centered approach to our conservation work and bringing greater DEIA and social justice principles into the field.
Aisha strives to engage in professional development through workshops, conferences, and research. She has presented for Connecting to Collections Care (C2CC) and at the American Institute for Conservation (AIC) and Middle Eastern Librarians Association (MELA) conferences. She has published articles in the Book and Paper Group (BPG) Annual and Hand Papermaking. She has also guest lectured at the University of Delaware’s Winterthur conservation program and the University of Texas School of Information. She has valued her experience working on the BPG Program Selection Committee for the 2025 Annual Meeting and the AIC General Session Program Selection Committee for the 2022 AIC Annual Meeting.
Outside the conservation lab, Aisha enjoys taking it to the streets at a local protest, traveling and exploring cultures and pastries, and spending time with friends and cats.