Interviewing technicians

In reply to Meg Brown's contribution entitled 'Interviewing
Technicians' (Conservation DistList Instance: 15:22 Wednesday,
September 5, 2001) where she complains that most of the dexterity
tests listed to her were hauntingly similar, I would like to send
her a copy of the dexterity test we give our prospective candidates
who intend to join the 4-year degree course in the conservation of
books and works of art on paper at the Malta Centre for Restoration.

We give them an A4 sheet with three sets of shapes computer printed
on it and the students have to cut out the shapes, invert their
position, and reassemble by gluing all the pieces including the cut
out frame on to a board. The examination criteria are precision
cutting, gluing uniformity, and cleanliness.

To help the students with their entrance examination, which includes
also this dexterity test, we do a preparatory course where the
prospective candidates are not only given an idea of what
conservation is and how we approach conservation in an
interdisciplinary manner, but are also given the opportunity to try,
if they so wish, all the dexterity tests of the various areas of
study that are on offer.

Joseph Schiro
Director of Studies
Malta Centre for Restoration
Institute for Conservation and Restoration Studies


                                  ***
                  Conservation DistList Instance 15:24
                Distributed: Tuesday, September 18, 2001
                       Message Id: cdl-15-24-006
                                  ***