2017 Webinar Archives

Click on the titles below to view the information and videos for past webinars.

Storage Environments: The Big Picture - Tuesday, December 5, 2017

Maintaining and managing a preservation environment for collections storage is difficult, expensive, and consumes large amounts of energy. Based on research conducted at Image Permanence Institute (IPI) and other research institutions, IPI has developed strategies for a dynamic and sustainable approach to managing storage environments. This approach will reduce your carbon footprint and energy bill while still providing a proper preservation environment for collections. This presentation will discuss IPI research exploring how collections respond to changes in temperature and relative humidity and will present strategies for a dynamic approach to preservation based on our research.

NAGPRA for the Local Museum: An Introduction to the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act - Thursday, November 16, 2017

Have you heard of NAGPRA and wondered exactly what it is? And, been puzzled about how and if it applies to your museum? Have you been afraid to find out? In this webinar, we will describe the basics of the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act, a Federal law pertaining to Native American human remains and cultural items, and when it applies to institutions. We will go over some important NAGPRA terms and concepts, and introduce you to the National NAGPRA website and other resources available. In the end, you will better understand the NAGPRA processes and have practical tips on how to proceed if you think you have NAGPRA related materials in your collection.

Imaging in Context: Introduction to Still Image Digitization for Smaller Institutions - Thursday, November 9, 2017

Are you planning or in the midst of a digitization project for your collections? In this webinar, we’ll describe the main elements of paper-based digitization, including the setup of scanning hardware and processing software, quality standards and best practices as defined by the Federal Agencies Digital Guidelines Initiative, the scanning process itself, and we’ll wrap up by giving an overview of how to preserve your digitized assets for the long-term, including some details about collecting and storing metadata. We’ll show you these processes using real digitization projects from our lab. And, we’ll give alternative workflows appropriate for smaller institutions with limited funds.

What is this? Solving Problems Found in Collection - Tuesday, October 17, 2017

This webinar will define what constitutes a Found in Collection (FIC) and will provide useful guidelines for documenting, researching, and numbering FIC items, as well as identify potential problems with disposal of FIC items.

Using StEPs to Jump Start Change in Your Organization - Tuesday, September 26, 2017

Funding. People. Time. Many of us wish for more of these elusive resources. Lack of money, too few paid and unpaid staff, and of course, the biggie, lack of time, can keep many of our museums, historic sites and houses in a rut for years. The work that needs to be done at our nation’s museums is endless. But our energy and resources are greatly limited.

MAP and CAP: Assessment Programs for Small and Mid-Sized Museums - Thursday, September 21, 2017

This webinar will introduce participants to the Museum Assessment Program (MAP) administered by the American Alliance of Museums and the Collections Assessment for Preservation (CAP) program administered by the Foundation of the American Institute for Conservation. Benefits, similarities, and differences between the two programs will be explored to help you understand whether one (or both) might benefit your institution.

Are You Ready? Your Animals Depend on It-Contingency Planning for Collections - Wednesday, August 9, 2017

In this webinar, Dr. Yvonne Nadler, and Ashley Zielinski of the Zoo and Aquarium All Hazards Preparedness Response and Recovery Fusion Center (ZAHP Fusion Center) will discuss the evolution of contingency planning for living collections in the exotic animal industry. This process, equally applicable to other collections, is based upon proven Federal Emergency Management Agency recommendations for the planning process.

Care of Books and Scrapbooks - Friday, July 28, 2017

How many smaller institutions have scrapbooks and old books that have been entrusted to their care and that are just shoved in the back of a dark closet because they are problem objects? Books and scrapbooks are similar objects in many ways, but each requires different types of care. In this webinar we will explore these differences and techniques to extend the lives of these deceptively simple objects. We will look at the types of albums and books, handling these objects, housings, shelving, and more. Armed with a sound foundation, you will be able to create a preservation plan for two very common categories of materials.

So, You Want to Run a Kickstarter Campaign? Lessons/tips for crowdfunding your project - June 16, 2017

Crowdfunding, once a novel approach to financing a project, has now become mainstream with multiple hosting platforms to choose from. In this webinar, conservator J. Claire Dean will draw on her extensive experience of running campaigns (as well as backing hundreds over recent years) to highlight the challenges and rewards of using this approach to funding projects. The most popular platforms will be discussed, as will the key factors to organizing, promoting and completing a campaign. The content of the webinar will be aimed at people looking to raise less than $30,000, although the challenges of larger campaigns will be touched on.

Who is Taking Care of Grandma’s Grave? The Basics of Cemetery Care - Wednesday, June, 7, 2017

Does your institution, or your community, have charge of a cemetery, graveyard, or even a single grave? This webinar will cover the basic steps of caring for historic cemeteries. Topics covered will include an introduction to documentation surveys and forms, an overview of general definitions required for documentation, photography tips, and an introduction to cemetery preservation planning and prioritization. There will also be basic tips for how to clean stone monuments.

Inside Out – The Inside Scoop on Your Outdoor Sculpture - Tuesday, May 23, 2017

This webinar is intended to give you a better understanding of motivations for and approaches to monument care and to provide you with a level of confidence and knowledge when discussing monument maintenance.

Why do we need this? Insights and Hindsights from Deaccessioning - Wednesday, May 17, 2017

In this webinar, we will address the multiple steps, and back-steps, of deaccessioning a diverse selection of objects from a collection using the experience of the 2014 to 2017 Cheekwood Permanent Collection deaccession initiative. Topics covered include assessing previous institutional deaccessions, board review and approval, collecting plan development, cross-reference of digital and hard files, institutional transfers, ethnographic materials and indigenous organizations, and donor relations.

Working with Disaster Recovery Companies: What You Need to Know - May 1, 2017

Join National Heritage Responder Tara Kennedy to learn some basic principles for salvaging different types of collection materials and which critical questions to ask when entering into (or renewing) contracts with recovery companies.

Ethical Issues in Collections Management - Wednesday, April 19, 2017

The relationship between laws and ethics is not always clear. Although we may have a legal right to do something, this does not necessarily mean it is ethically justified. What role does ethics play in caring for museum collections and what kinds of situations can raise ethical dilemmas? Do space rentals raise ethical challenges? How should you think about providing access to your collections? When is it O.K. to sell the Monet or old doilies from your collection? What is a conflict of interest and when might it occur? To explore the difference between legal and ethical issues we will consider the issue of deaccessioning collections.

Introduction to Legal Issues in Collections Management - Wednesday, April 12, 2017

This Legal Issues Webinar Series is concerned with the legal and ethical aspects of managing collections. This, the first webinar of the series, will provide an introduction to the series and an overview of US and international laws and regulations that affect the acquisition, import, export, ownership, possession, and exhibition of objects and specimens, including wildlife laws and regulations that may affect artifacts or art objects. The second webinar (April 19) in the series will be concerned with ethical issues in collections management. The third webinar (May 17) will address the disposal of deaccessioned objects.

Oversize, overwhelmed? Caring for Maps and Architectural Drawings in Your Collection - Thursday, March 16, 2017

What can you do with large maps, posters, architectural drawings, and other items that often are rolled up and pushed to the back of storage or placed on high shelves in hopes they might disappear or go away? How can you make these materials available to your patrons without worry? This webinar will address organizational, storage, handling and reformatting challenges for the safe access and preservation of these often fragile, oversized materials. Particular consideration is given to the variety of processes used to produce maps and architectural drawings, and the special degradation processes particular to these materials. Our focus is on pragmatic, low cost methods for processing, preserving and using large volumes of these records.

Practical Solutions: Quilt Care and Display - February 16, 2017

Do you have quilts in your collection and are you at a loss as to what to do with them? You are not alone. Quilts are among the most abundant textiles found in our collections. Their large size, complexity, popularity, and history of use can pose a number of challenges to their custodians. This webinar will review the fundamentals of quilt care, including assessment, surface cleaning, stabilization, storage, and display. Along the way, we will dispel common myths, such as the necessity to handle with gloves and vacuum through a screen. Creative problem solving will be emphasized. Technical handouts from the Museum Textile Services website will be provided to walk you through each of the solutions presented.

Preserving Film Collections for the Future: A Web Application - Thursday, January 26, 2017

This webinar will show you how to use FilmCare.org – a stand-alone, free resource designed to help guide you through the process of not only understanding what you have but also how best to take care of it. You will learn the ins and outs of the website and understand how to access the critical information you need to know and be guided through the process of making informed decisions to optimize the longevity of your film collections. A series of interactive steps enables you to identify what you have, to set priorities, evaluate material needs, program and design storage strategies, and implement and monitor the preservation of film collections. Using the website’s resources, you will be able to analyze survey results, to evaluate the benefits of any storage on film stability, to choose between alternative approaches, to implement an appropriate preservation strategy, and most importantly, to proactively monitor your collection’s state of preservation over time.

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