Training conservation technicians

Training the Trainers of Conservation : SW Region
(Text of letter from Tom Clareson of AMIGOS, dated 1992 July 31)
RE: Collections Conservation "Training the Trainers."

A Southwest Regional Planning Group has been formed to develop and
implement Short-Term Instructional Workshops for the Training of
Collections Conservation Technicians.  Group members include Craig
Jensen and Gary Frost of BookLab (Austin, TX); Ellen Cunningham-Kruppa,
Preservation Officer, University of Texas at Austin General Libraries;
Carolyn Harris of the Preservation and Conservation Education Program,
Graduate School of Library and Information Science, University of Texas
at Austin; and Tom Clareson, AMIGOS Preservation Service Manager
(Dallas, TX).  We will soon be selecting another member for the
Southwestern Planning Group from outside of Texas, and will inform you
of our selection as soon as possible.

On June 10, the Group's first meeting was held in Austin to consider
implications of the Berkeley meeting (i.e., "Training the Trainers").
Present were Cunningham-Kruppa, Clareson, Jensen and Frost.  There was
general support for a short term program approach under the
administration of the AMIGOS Preservation Service.  The workshop in
basic book repair and maintenance was posed as a one week program for
ten students.  The program would be run on a cost recovery basis,
without application for federal funding.

On July 23, a second meeting was held in Austin to further develop plans
for the short term program.  Carolyn Harris joined the group at this
meeting.  To clear up any confusion, the meeting was held in conjunction
with the Texas Library Association (TLA) Annual Assembly, but the
proposal was not -- and does not need to be -- brought before any state
library association meetings because of its regional nature.

At the July 23 meeting, the Planning Group discussed program development
and possible program dates.

The time period of January - June 1994 was selected as a tentative slot
within which to run the program.  This will tie in to the strengths of
the Planning Group in a number of ways"

a) If funded for continuation and expansion in 1993-1995, the AMIGOS
   Preservation Service plans to run training courses in preservation
   for Directors (January - June 1993) and Staff with Preservation
   Administration Responsibility (July - December 1993).  A training
   course for conservation technicians would be a natural third link in
   this series of programs.

b) The AMIGOS Preservation Service has offered to act as administrator
   for this program, including publicity and registration.  From AMIGOS'
   experience, it is important to announce training courses 4-6 months
   before they occur.  Also, for a course such as this, requiring one
   week of a conservation technician's time, and a considerable
   registration fee, it is important that the program be announced so
   the time and funding can be built into an institution's fiscal year
   planning.  Most institutions are currently in their 1992-1993 Fiscal
   Year; holding the course in early 1994 puts it in FY 1993-94.
   (Announcement of the course would be made in January or February 1993
   so that it could be synthesized into FY 1993-94 planning.)

c) Classes at the University of Texas' Preservation and Conservation
   Education Program (PCEP) will begin this autumn.  Carolyn Harris said
   at the July 23 Planning Group meeting that she believes the PCEP will
   have laboratory space by early 1994, which could probably be used for
   the Conservation Technician program free of charge.

Possible course curricula and instructors were also discussed at the
meeting.  Planning Group members hop to meet again in late August and/or
mid-October.  We will keep you informed as to the progress of our
planning.  Please feel free to contact me for further information.

Sincerely
Thomas F. R. Clareson
AMIGOS Preservation Service Manager

(end of letter)

Tom Clareson may be reached at:

  AMIGOS Bibliographic Council, Inc.
  12200 Park Central Drive, Suite 500
  Dallas, Texas   75251

  Telephone: 214-851-8000
  Telephone: 800-843-8482
  FAX:       214-991-6061

For further information about "Training the Trainers", training
opportunities for Collections Conservators and Technicians, in other
regions please contact:

Erich J. Kesse
Preservation Office
University of Florida Libraries
904-392-6962
Fax: 904-392-7251

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                  Conservation DistList Instance 6:13
                 Distributed: Saturday, August 8, 1992
                        Message Id: cdl-6-13-002
                                  ***