It helps to be on a good grapevine. Workshops are popular in many fields nowadays, and somewhat controversial because some companies are making tidy profits by exploiting what appears to be a widespread addiction to workshop attendance. At least workshops in conservation are not as expensive, per hour of instruction, as attendance at a university. Sometimes workshops provide the only means to bring teacher and student together, because in small fields like this, the best teachers are often working at a full-time job and are not available for longer periods of time. To stay informed about opportunities for workshops, courses and apprenticeships, get on mailing lists, join organizations, and attend meetings.
Regional groups are good for people trying to enter the field.
As their meetings are smaller and less formal, one can meet people more easily. Six principal groups are listed, with officers and addresses, on p. 12 and 13 of the February AIC Newsletter . If you have any contacts at the major labs where paper conservation is done, check with them from time to time, because these places are used as information dissemination centers by people who plan events. The larger labs are often on the mailing lists of planners, and will post the announcements they receive on their staff bulletin boards. A lucky few people, already on the staff of an organization and doing some paper conservation, are able to persuade their employers to send them to a larger institution for an internship to upgrade their skills.