Have you ever heard the saying ”an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.?” A truer saying couldn’t be more appropriate for the preservation and care of collections. Spending funds and energy proactively on preventive care is the most efficient way to preserve an entire collection for the long term, rather than reacting and treating damage that has already occurred to an individual object. Any type of action that can be implemented to mitigate the agents of deterioration—physical forces, thieves and vandals, fire, water, pests, pollutants, light, environment (temperature and humidity), and neglect/dissociation—prevents a conservator from having to intervene with treatment, as well as helps to keep costly expenses at bay. Conservators are the folks that preserve art and objects of cultural heritage through examination, documentation, treatment and prevention. Typically, preventive care is defined as actions taken to minimize or slow the rate of deterioration and to prevent damage to collections by controlling its environment. This can include activities like risk assessment, development and implementation of guidelines for handling and care of collections, monitoring environmental conditions, and implementing pest management programs. While these tasks can be performed by registrars, collections managers, curators, or other specialists, they are often associated with conservators. Preventive conservation is now considered a new sub-discipline in the field of conservation, with some conservators specializing just in preventive care for collections.
Start with the Simple Stuff
Preventive conservation doesn’t require a ton of work, expenses, or complicated care strategies. With simple active routines and cost-effective measures, the agents of deterioration can easily be kept at bay. Taking proper care of even a small to medium-sized collection can seem daunting or like an infinite job, but an active approach to preventive care is the best way to spread finite resources. Start by getting to know your building, inside and out, and identify what potential risks can be mitigated. Regularly check windows, doors, and roofs and repair any issues before they become large or costly. Spend physical time in exhibition and collections storage spaces regularly and become familiar with your collections items. Monitor temperature and humidity, keeping both at stable levels, while avoiding wild swings as much as possible. If you are comfortable in a space, more often than not a collections item will be as well. Keep collection storage spaces clean and neat and dispose of garbage regularly. This will also deter pests from entering your collection storage spaces, which will shorten the time spent executing your integrated pest management program. Do not overcrowd storage spaces and, when necessary, use archival housing and materials to safely store collections items including proper labels. Keep a regular maintenance and dusting/vacuuming schedule for exhibition and collection storage spaces. Monitor light levels and never allow contact with direct sunlight.
Plan Ahead
Have an active collections care policy and disaster response plan, and make them living documents that are revised as new staff or volunteers join or exhibits rotate. Practice ”disaster scenarios” to keep staff involved with the emergency response process. Strong policies are the backbone to any good preventive program. Make sure adequate supplies/materials are available on-site for disasters and emergencies and replace items when necessary. Train all staff, interns, and volunteers on proper handling, exhibiting, packing, and transporting of collections.
With a little bit of thoughtful planning, and adding in proactive policies and strategies, a lot can be done to preserve and easily extend the lives of our collections.
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