Conservation assessment plans

Artlab Australia, together with the History Trust of South Australia
and the State Library of New South Wales, is currently undertaking a
project for the Australian Government's Department of Communications
and the Arts on behalf of the Heritage Collections Council (HCC) to
examine existing models and methodologies for developing
conservation assessment plans for heritage collections and their
environments.  The outcome of the project will be a recommended
model or models for preparing conservation assessment plans which
will be promoted nationally by the HCC to museums, galleries,
libraries and related organisations.

The reason for the project is to achieve a consistent approach to
conservation assessment plans in Australia, in much the same way
that the built heritage conservation industry has achieved.  The
obvious advantage of consistency is that the plans will be readily
understandable by anyone familiar with the model.  Less obviously,
consistency will allow conservators and other heritage workers to
promote a coherent set of ideas to government and the community, and
thus help position the conservation of movable heritage to achieve
stronger support.

In this respect, we are enquiring about any standard methodologies
you may apply in undertaking conservation assessment plans.  If this
information is already documented in the form of a checklist or
procedure, would you be prepared to share this information with us
by faxing or emailing us a copy? If the information is not
documented would you be prepared to discuss by telephone your
approach with one of the team mentioned below?  Any contribution you
make will contribute to the development of an Australian national
model and, of course will be acknowledged accordingly.  The result
of this study will be a public document which will be accessible to
all who are interested.  In this respect, it may be useful not only
in Australia but elsewhere.

If you are able to send written information to us, please send to:

    Vicki Humphrey
    Project Director
    Artlab Australia
    Fax: +61 8 8207 7529
    artlab [at] senet__com__au

If you would like to discuss your approach with one of the team,
please telephone Artlab on +61 8 8207 7520 and ask to speak with
Sarah Feijen or Helen Halley.

The project is operating on a very tight time frame and we would
appreciate a response at your earliest possible convenience,
preferably by 9 September 1998. We look forward to hearing from you.
On behalf of the team, kind regards,

Keith Fernandez
Assistant Director
Business Management

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                  Conservation DistList Instance 12:24
                Distributed: Thursday, September 3, 1998
                       Message Id: cdl-12-24-005
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