2024 Webinar Archives

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

Contamination and Pesticide Residues for Small and Mid-Sized Cultural Institutions - November 19, 2024

Increasing awareness among museums, institutions, and tribal communities about the potential risks of pesticide contamination residues on cultural heritage collections is critical, especially with increasing Indigenous involvement in collection care and the formal repatriation of cultural heritage to Native communities. This webinar will include an overview, case studies, panel discussion, and an opportunity for participants to pose questions relating to these issues.

Keeping the Groove: Caring for Grooved Audio Media - November 14, 2024

Grooved audio media, such as wax cylinders, shellac discs, and vinyl records, can be found in many archival and museum collections at small and mid-sized institutions, often featuring significant historical moments and cultural expressions. However, these materials can be vulnerable to damage and deterioration if not properly cared for. In this webinar, we will explore effective preservation strategies tailored specifically for these unique formats.

The State of Mental Health for Workers at Cultural Health Institutions - October 17, 2024

According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, the mental health movement in the workplace has been growing for several years. Beginning in 2022, AIC’s Health and Safety (H&S) Network has been working to better understand the mental stresses conservators face in the workplace and developing resources that meet the needs of the community. In 2024, the H&S Network conducted an AIC membership-wide survey and two conservator-based mental health focus groups moderated by Dr. Stephanie Arel, who has conducted research on trauma in memorial museums around the world. Now this program is being expanded to those who work in the wider cultural heritage sector starting with the C2C Care Community and its vibrant collective of small and mid-sized institutions.

Consideration and Care of Islamicate Collections - September 27, 2024

What are Islamicate or Islamic Collections and how do we care for them within collecting institutions/ as collection care professionals? The answers are neither singular nor simple, including the vocabulary used to describe these collections. These collections can encompass the sacred and the secular, the utilitarian and the venerated, and multi-religious, multicultural and multiethnic landscapes. The webinar aims to address some of these complexities, and to provide small to medium sized collecting institutions a better framework for understanding these materials, advice on identifying sacred objects, and respectful approaches for caring for Islamicate collections.

Safeguarding Collections - August 20, 2024

Has your cultural institution hosted late night events with food and drink? Filmed TV or movie productions? Or perhaps had a motorcycle drive through the building that exhibit or store collections. Safeguarding collections can be a difficult task and determining which risks should be prioritized for mitigation is never easy.

Earthquake Preparedness - May 30, 2024

Earthquakes can be devastating to building structures and their contents for small and mid-sized institutions, resulting in extended recovery periods based on accessibility and structural reinforcement, and they affect numerous regions throughout the United States.

Practical Strategies for the Care of Film and Glass Negatives - June 4, 2024

Aiming to provide collections care professionals from small and mid sized institutions with practical strategies for effectively managing and preserving film and glass negatives, this webinar will emphasize pragmatic advice, resourceful solutions, and cost-effective measures to ensure the longevity and integrity of these valuable collections.

Regional Emergency Networks: VACDaRN’s Response to Vermont’s Severe Weather and Flooding - May 1, 2024

On July 10th, 2023, after weeks of inclement weather, it began to rain across Vermont.  The saturated ground could not absorb the water from the sky or the rivers, and there was widespread flooding. The Vermont Arts & Culture Disaster and Resilience Network (VACDaRN), organized in 2018, activated and provided assistance to several cultural heritage and historical records repositories.

OSHA’s On-Site Consultation Program - April 25, 2024

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) On-Site Consultation Program is a no-cost service that operates in all U.S. states where consultants visit work sites at employers’ requests to identify hazards, help develop and maintain effective health and safety programs, and provide training. Consultants are independent of OSHA enforcement activities and will not report hazards or issue citations.

Video Killed the Radio Star: Making Effective Collections Care Videos - March 20, 2024

When it’s time to show off and present your institution’s amazing collections care accomplishments the formats seem endless. Should you aim for a 1-hour lecture or a 10-minute video? Your answer can make all the difference on how effectively your message is received and how efficiently you spend your time. Is this due to advances in technology? Probably. Can we use that to our advantage? Absolutely!

Working with Facilities to Create a Fuller Picture of Your Collection Environment - February 29, 2024

Does the building that houses your collections have temperature and humidity sensors that are read and maintained by facilities or HVAC professionals? Do you have a separate environmental monitoring system and have you ever had to seek agreement on sensors with vastly different readings? This presentation will go into some reasons why it is important to set up a parallel monitoring system even if you have BAS (building automated system) sensors, and how you can work with facilities to create a better understanding of your building.

Rock On! Storing Your Geological Materials - January 24, 2024

Geological materials can not only be found in many collections managed by small and mid-sized institutions, but are also complex objects that can span a huge range of sizes, characteristics, values, environmental sensitivities, and other preventive conservation concerns. Too often they do not receive the care they merit because of an assumption that they are “just rocks” and therefore always stable.

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