preservation needs assessment - tamara lavrencic
TRANSCRIPT
Preservation Needs
AssessmentTamara Lavrencic
Museum Programs and Collections Manager
M&G NSW
CHG 2014
This session covers
•How to choose a conservator
•What to prepare for the conservator
•What’s involved in the assessment
process
•Summary of factors in conservation
decision making
•Prioritising preservation activities
Preservation defined as…
• the protection of cultural
property through activities that
minimise chemical and physical
deterioration and damage, and
that prevent loss of information
Preservation needs assessment
• Evaluates the policies, practices and conditions that affect the preservation of an organisation’s collections
• Identifies specific preservation needs and actions to meet those needs
• Prioritises actions matched to resources
Goal
• to enable your organisation to
identify risks to, and develop a
long-term preservation strategy
for, the collection.
Choosing a conservator
•Qualified conservator with 3-5 years experience
•Get lists of names from Community Heritage Grant Office, AICCM www.aiccm.org.au or your state museum, art gallery, library or archives
•Ask for references and a PNA report
•Check they carry insurance
Previous CHG recipients
Previous recipients 2013
http://www.nla.gov.au/awards-and-
grants/chg
http://www.nla.gov.au/chg/preservation-needs-
assessments
AICCM: www.aiccm.org.au/conservation/need-
a-conservator
AICCM: Directory of conservators in
private practice
Information to provide the
consultant• Organisational history
• Description of building – location, number of buildings, a plan of the layout if possible
• Description of the collection/s
• Details of staff, paid and volunteers and roles
• Opening hours
• Number of visitors p.a.
• Copies of policies and procedures
• Copy of significance assessment report
• Disaster plan
PNA template: www.aiccm.org.au/sites/default/files/docs/AICCMBusinessDocs/PresNeedsTemplate.pdf
Assessing preservation needs
• Building location, construction and condition
• Local environmental conditions
• Internal environmental conditions
• Display methods
• Storage furniture and methods
• Housekeeping
• Visitor impact
• Overall condition of collection sub-types e.g.
books, paintings, textiles, machinery etc.
How well does the building protect
the contents?
Moisture problem
Insects
Is the cleaning schedule
adequate?
Do storage methods or materials pose a
risk to the collection?
Storage- boxed
Displays -risks
Recommendations
• Development of policies and/or procedures
• Building repairs/modifications
• Reducing light levels and UV
• Relocating parts of the collection
• Resting fragile objects
• Allocating appropriate storage space
• Purchasing shelving, plan drawers or display cases
• Rehousing objects in archival quality materials
• Reformatting – making duplicates for display, digitisation
• Conservation treatment for individual objects
• Training
Conservation decision making-
factors• Significance underpins conservation decisions and
priorities
• Signs of wear and tear can be integral to the significance of
an object
• Benefits and risks of treatment
• Reversibility of treatment
• Storage conditions that the object will be returning to
• Fragile documents, photographs and books may need to be
stabilised before they can be digitized
• Potential use and possible limitations
• Alternatives to treatment e.g. reformatting or duplication
• Will the treatment effect future research potential?
End result
•A preservation plan with
prioritised actions
•An independent report to
support future grant/funding
applications