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C2C Care Course Monitoring What Matters Part 3: Making Sense of the Squiggly Lines

May 13 @ 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm

A Three-Part Introductory Course for Environmental Monitoring for Collections of All Sizes

Register for one or all three-parts. Each webinar stands alone, but attending all three provides a complete foundation for developing a sustainable monitoring program tailored to your institution’s needs and resources.

Whether you’re just beginning to think about environmental monitoring or have data loggers gathering dust, this accessible webinar series will help you understand why monitoring matters, how to get started, and what to do with the data you collect. Designed for small museums, historic sites, archives, and anyone caring for collections—no science background required.

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Part 3: Making Sense of the Squiggly Lines | Understanding and Using Your Monitoring Data

May 13, 2026 1:00-2:00 pm ET

Presented by Maddie Cooper

You’ve gathered data. Now what? This webinar demystifies data analysis and shows you how to turn numbers into compelling advocacy tools.

Building graph literacy:

  • Understanding time-series graphs and key vocabulary (fluctuation, trend, drift)
  • Visual aids for interpreting common patterns
  • When to be concerned vs. normal variation
  • Validating qualitative observations alongside numerical data

Context is everything:

  • ASHRAE and industry standards: What they mean (and don’t mean)
  • Regional considerations: Why Utah and the East Coast need different approaches
  • Why your collection’s historical conditions matter
  • Understanding “proofing” and why stability often beats target numbers

Advocacy and communication:

  • Presenting to different audiences: boards, funders, staff, volunteers
  • Using data to support grant applications and budget requests
  • Sharing monitoring efforts on social media and with the public
  • Available support: CAP program, state consultation services, funding opportunities

Overcoming intimidation: This webinar directly addresses that many people find data scary. We’ll show you that graph reading is a skill anyone can learn, and you don’t need to be a scientist to understand your results.

Key takeaway: Your monitoring data is a powerful tool for advocacy, planning, and preservation—once you know how to read it and talk about it.

Perfect for: Institutions with existing data they don’t know how to use, and anyone who needs to present environmental information to stakeholders.

 

Photograph of Maddie CooperAbout the Presenter

Madeline (Maddie) Cooper (she/her) is the owner and Principal Preventive Conservator at M.C. Conservation Services. She has extensive experience in surveys, assessments, and teaching. From 2021–2025, Maddie served as Associate Preventive Conservator at the Conservation Center for Art & Historic Artifacts, where she conducted assessments, developed and taught workshops, and project-managed initiatives such as Preservation Services in Puerto Rico. She has over 10 years of professional collections care experience and previously held conservation and collections roles at Vizcaya Museum and Gardens and the Wolfsonian–FIU. During graduate school, she worked with the Disaster Research Center, the Robert Rauschenberg Foundation, and the Midwest Art Conservation Center. Maddie holds an MS in Art Conservation from the Winterthur/University of Delaware Program in Art Conservation and dual bachelor’s degrees in Chemistry and Art Conservation from the University of Delaware.

Register for the entire series:

 

Details

  • Date: May 13
  • Time:
    1:00 pm - 2:00 pm
  • Event Category:

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