Professional qualifications

Janet Gertz <gertz<-a t->columbia< . >edu> writes

>>Henry Grunder <hgrunder<-a t->leo< . >vsla< . >edu> writes
>>
>>[Conservation DistList Instance: 10:88] contained yet another
>>posting for a conservator position stating "Preference... given to
>>candidates with an ... MLS degree." Why? What is the point? Would
>>not a post-baccalaureate degree in (say) materials science, or
>>>organic chemistry... or mycology, be more relevant?
>
>The Columbia University Libraries posting for a conservator position
>included the statement "MLS preferred".  We do this because the
>conservator will be working in a library, with library materials,
>and will need to be able to understand how such materials are used,
>by what sorts of scholars and students, and must be able to discuss
>these issues intelligently with the curators.

Any good conservator knows how to ask the right questions about the
treatment of a piece whether or not they are working with art,
artifacts, herbaria, or archival media. It is the first line of
inquiry when attempting to find out what an item is, what is its
relative stability, and what might need to be done to stabilize it.
The librarian/curator should be willing to talk on an equal level
with a conservator whether or not they have an MLS. I am a
conservator in a rare collections library that has a mix of curators
with museum, archival and library backgrounds. I have no library
degree; the mix of people here causes stimulating, respectful
exchange on all levels of responsibility to the collections and to
the public. An MLS can be very superfluous to a conservator who
needs to know and carry out everything about treatment of their
particular specialty, pest management, environmental controls, and
any number of preventive conservation measures.  That is why
curators of collections help interpret the degree of treatment; to
me, librarians need more information about treatments to discuss
issues intelligently with the conservators.  Our curators stand up
to that challenge.

Ramona Duncan-Huse
Head of Conservation Department
Indiana Historical Society
315 W. Ohio St
Indianapolis, IN.
Ramona Duncan-Huse
Head of Conservation
Indiana Historical Society Library
315 W. Ohio Street
Indianapolis, IN 46202
317-232-1879

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                  Conservation DistList Instance 10:92
                 Distributed: Thursday, April 24, 1997
                       Message Id: cdl-10-92-005
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