Publication on collection surveys

Niccolo Caldararo <caldararo [at] aol__com> writes

>It is appropriate that a seminar is being held on this subject (See
>Conservation DistList Instance: 15:32 Tuesday, October 16, 2001).
>There is so much confusion about surveys and how they are conducted,
>what they should produce and how they are to be used that it is
>imperative that some precise discussions take place and be made
>available.

As part of a Library and Information Commission (now Resource)
funded research project published in 2000, Nancy Bell and I produced
a 'Critical review of ten collections care assessment and benchmark
schemes'. We looked at the aim of the schemes, what they were
assessing and how the survey was conducted.

The ten schemes reviewed were;  Conservation Assessment Program CAP,
Management Assessment MAP II American Association of Museums,
Conservation Assessment Guide for Archives CCA, Preservation Needs
Assessment Survey National Library Australia, Levels of Collections
Care MGC UK, Museums Self-evaluation Checklist Alberta Museums
Association, Model for Assessing Preservation Needs UK, First
Principles UK, Preventive Conservation Indicators ICCROM, Checklist
for Preservation NPS.

The research report also provides a model for Benchmarking
Collections Care in Libraries which aims to provide clear and
realistic benchmarks to help libraries evaluate how well they are
looking after their collections.

Available from;

    British Thesis Service
    British Library Document Supply Centre
    Boston Spa
    Wetherby, West Yorkshire LS23 7BQ

    Access publications through the British Library site
    <URL:http://portico.bl.uk/>

        Library and Information Commission Research Report 55
        Benchmarks in Collections Care for UK Libraries
        Nancy Bell and Helen Lindsay'

I would be interested in any comments or queries about the report,
please address communications to:

    Helen Lindsay
    Senior Conservator London
    Metropolitan Archives
    helen.lindsay [at] corpoflondon__gov__uk


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                  Conservation DistList Instance 15:35
                 Distributed: Monday, October 29, 2001
                       Message Id: cdl-15-35-010
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