This article discusses the use of various groups of nonconservators (students, archivists, librarians, community volunteers, long-term unemployed) for conservation work carried out on books at the Leighton Library in Dunblane, and on books and archival documents at the University of Stirling in Scotland. Work carried out included refurbishment of books, drycleaning of books and documents, documentation, pH testing, testing for solubility of inks, aqueous deacidification, resizing of documents, straightening corners and minor repair. The author presents obvious and less obvious benefits and dangers of using nonprofessionals, such as winning people over to preservation and conservation attitudes versus having barely trained amateurs declare themselves professional conservators. -- AATA