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Preservation Interest Group

Guide to provide a forum to learn and share ideas about the various aspects of preservation.

General Information on Conservation and Preservation

  • American Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works
  • The Conservation Center for Art and Historic Artifacts - This organization also runs the Documentary Heritage Program of the State of New York or DHPSNY (even though it is located in Philadelphia!) DHPSNY offers free workshops and webinars on preservation and managing archives. 
  • Conservation OnLine
  • Heritage Health Index - This page provides the results of a 2005 comprehensive survey of the condition and preservation needs of collections in U.S. institutions. The survey was done by Heritage Preservation and the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS). Of special interest is the "Resources" section of the site. It provides links to reputable organizations in the areas of disaster planning, finding a conservator, locating training opportunities in preservation and conservation, funding sources for collections care, and other organizations that provide guidance in preservation-related issues.
  • Image Permanence Institute of the Rochester Institute of Technology - Includes several wonderful publications related to storage environments as well as an interactive site, "Stored Alive," which demonstrates the deterioration of various types of material stored under different conditions. These are located under the Downloads link on the homepage. The homepage also includes a link to The Archival Advisor, IPI's preservation guide for family photograph collectors, genealogists, and scrapbook makers.
  • Library of Congress Family Treasures - This is a well-organized and straightforward web site dedicated to "Preparing, Protecting, Preserving Family Treasures." The site has sections on Preparing Your Family Treasures, Protecting Your Family Treasures Every Day, and Preserving Treasures After the Disaster. Much of the advice can be applied to small archives as well.
  • National Film Preservation Foundation - The site includes a pdf version of their Film Preservation Guide. The Guide is a full-length publication written for people without prior film preservation experience. To find the Guide on the site, click on "preservation basics" on the main page.
  • Northeast Document Conservation Center

Emergency Preparedness and Recovery

Binding

Library Binders:

Guidelines for Library Binding from the Northeast Document Conservation Center: https://www.nedcc.org/free-resources/preservation-leaflets/7.-conservation-procedures/7.1-guidelines-for-library-binding

Find a professional binder for small or fragile jobs: The American Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works provides lists of qualified conservators, including book binders. People on this list have attained professional designation in AIC. This means they have had their training, knowledge, and experience reviewed by a body of professional conservators who are recognized in the field for their commitment to establishing and upholding professional standards, promoting research and publications, partaking in educational opportunities, and fostering the exchange of knowledge in the field. Search under the specialty "Books and Paper" when searching for binders.  http://www.conservation-us.org/membership/find-a-conservator#.Wv8Rtpch3yQ

 

Caring for Family Treasures

Special Formats

  • Videotape Identification and Assessment Guide -This guide provide basic information on identifying videotape formats, evaluating the condition of tapes and the costs of preserving them, and caring for those tapes that an institution chooses to preserve.

Professional Organizations

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