Conservation PlanningFriday 9 March 2007

Introductions

Find out about the person next to you:• their name• reasons for attending the workshop• place of work• responsibilities at work• one thing they hope to get out of today’s workshop

Program• Why develop a conservation plan?• Choosing and working with a conservator• Morning tea• Key areas in a conservation plan• Lunch• Priorotising conversation needs• Building support networks• Afternoon tea• Summery and questions

By the end of the day:

because:• Understand what a conservation plan is and its importance• Understand main areas covered in a conservation plan and why

they are important• Be able to work with a conservator to identify conservation

priorities

We will not cover:

• Conservation treatments• Condition reporting• You will not be able to undertake a conservation plan yourself

without assistance from a professional conservator

Why develop a conservation plan?

What to you understand by the terms:

• Conservation• Preventative conservation• Conservation treatment

Conservation

All actions aimed at safeguarding cultural material for the future. Its purpose is to study, record, retain and restore the cultural significant qualities of an object with the least possible intervention

ReCollections: Glossary P.10

Preventative Conservation

All actions undertaken to prevent the deterioration of cultural materials and collections.

ReCollections: Glossary p.26

Conservation treatment

Interventive actions undertaken to repair existing damage or slow down the future deterioration of cultural materials and collections

What do you think a conservation plan is?

Conservation plan

A strategy for the long-term care of collections.• Identifying the conservation needs of collections• Prioritising them and allocating resources to deal with them

Benefits

• Increased knowledge in collection care• Ensuring that limited resources are used in the most efficient

way• Assistance in securing grants and support• A well cared for collection

Funding

• Heritage Victoria• National Library• Local Government

Process

• Identify a conservator and obtain a quote• Discuss what you want to use the plan for and what it will cover

with the conservator• Grant assistance?

Choosing and working with a conservator

Who has used a conservator before?

A conservator is someone who has been trained and is qualified to carry out conservation

Types of conservators

• Preventative conservators• Specialist conservators

Locating conservators

• Conservators and information about conservation can be found through the AICMM website: www.aiccm.org.au

Please note that this is not an accredited list

Working with a conservator

• Define exactly what you need in the plan• Assess the scope of the work• Determine your respective roles and responsibilities • Set up appropriate lines of communication

Working with a conservator

• Work together make sure it meets your needs and is for the long-term benefit of the collection

Key areas in a conservation plan

Need to consider:

• What does the museum / gallery have?• What risks is the collection exposed to?• What collection care practices are in place?• What are the priorities for this museum / gallery?

What does the museum / gallery have?

• Collection types• Collection condition• Resources

Collection Types

• Different collections held• Organic, inorganic or mixed materials• Size of each collection• Significance of each collection

Collection Condition

General condition of different collections typesHighlighting the collections that are:• significant• largest in number

Resources

• Buildings or space available• Paid staff and their positions• Volunteers and their responsibilities and areas of expertise• Existing budget and sources of income or grants

What risks is the collection exposed to?

• Building(s)• Environmental conditions• Exhibitions• Stores• Handling

Building(s)

• Must provide an effective buffer against external conditions• Condition of the building(s)• Responsibility for building maintenance• Regularity of building maintenance

Environmental conditions

• Temperature• Relative humidity• Light• Pollution

Environmental Conditions

• Conditions being aimed for• Requirements for these condition types• Existing conditions• Existing environmental control measures• Monitoring programs• Action if monitoring finds unacceptable conditions

Exhibitions

• Permanent exhibitions• Rotation of collection items between exhibition and storage• Traveling exhibitions • Open or covered display • Materials used to create display cases and mounts

Stores

• Dedicated collection storage• Dual use collection stores• Storage systems• Materials used to wrap items, for enclosures and for storage

systems• Isolation areas for items entering the collection

Handling

• Movement of collection items inside the building(s)• Transportation of items• Existing equipment• Skills of existing staff and volunteers

Condition reporting and treatment

• Existing condition reports• Details of previous conservation treatments• Method used to determine priorities• Expertise used

Housekeeping

• Existing cleaning routines• Cleaning undertaken by• Time periods between cleaning• Cleaning materials used

Pest Management

• Pests entering the building(s)• Reducing the risk of pests entering the building• Pests and these collection types• Pest monitoring• Action if pests are detected

Disaster preparedness Planning

• Existing disaster plan• Existing disaster recovery materials• Assistance network• Expertise required• Materials required

Security

• Existing security systems• Security and these collection types• Reducing the risk of theft and vandalism• Action if security problems are detected

What are the priorities?

• What risks would cause the most damage?• What damage is most likely to occur• What actions would reduce the greatest number of risks• What can be done immediately by existing staff or volunteers?

Prioritising conservation needs

Case Study

Priotitising your collection

Prioritise according to:

• Value• Uniqueness / rarity• Cultural significance• Is it iconic?• Is it a duplicate?• Is it owned by someone else?

Significance:

• Does it relate to your museums collection policy / mission statement?

• Is it important for the community?• Is it unique to your local area?• Does it have full provenance?• Was it donated by a highly respected member of the

community?• Monetary value: was it purchased at a high cost to the

museum?

Create a list of significant objects

Catagorise:

Then decide:• Category 1 – Essential to save • Category 2 – Would be good to save• Category 3 - Not essential to save

Exercise:

How would you prioritise the Tabrawyndi Historical Society collection?

• Category 1 – Essential to save • Category 2 – Would be good to save• Category 3 - Not essential to save

Risk management

• Understand what a conservation plan is and why it is important for all museums and galleries

• Know what the main areas that need to be covered in a conservation plan are and why they are important

• Are able to work with a conservator to identify the conservation priorities for your collection

You now:

• Understand what a conservation plan is and why it is important for all museums and galleries

• Know what the main areas that need to be covered in a conservation plan are and why they are important

• Are able to work with a conservator to identify the conservation priorities for your collection

You now:

• Understand what a conservation plan is and why it is important for all museums and galleries

• Know what the main areas that need to be covered in a conservation plan are and why they are important

• Are able to work with a conservator to identify the conservation priorities for your collection