Conference on preservation of the Charters of Freedom

National Archives and Records Administration (NARA)
19th Annual Preservation Conference
Parchment and Titanium: Preserving the Charters of Freedom
William G. McGowan Theater
National Archives Building
700 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington DC
September 22, 2005
8:30am - 5:30pm

The 2005 Preservation Conference will focus on the multi-year
project undertaken by the National Archives to preserve and
re-encase the Charters of Freedom: the Declaration of Independence,
the U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights. The conference will be
of interest to archivists, historians, conservators, librarians,
museum curators, exhibit designers and preservation specialists.

Speakers will include senior NARA staff as well as other key
contributors to the Charters re-encasement project.

Topics

    *   History of the Charters of Freedom

    *   The historic use of encasements for preservation storage and
        display

    *   The design, fabrication and testing of a modern encasement

    *   How the National Archives managed this multi-year
        preservation project

    *   Methods used by the Document Conservation Laboratory to
        examine and treat the Charters

    *   The renovated Rotunda and new display criteria for the
        Charters

    *   Preservation challenges related to the nation's most
        valuable and well-known historical documents

    *   What other institutions can learn from NARA's experience

Program Schedule:

    Welcome and Opening Remarks
    History and Context of the Charters of Freedom Documents
    Encasement History, Theory and Use as a Preservation Tool
    NBS Encasements: History and Examinations Prior to Disassembly
    New Encasement Design Criteria
    Managing the Inter-Institutional, Multi-Year Re-encasement
    Project
    Encasement Fabrication and Testing: Processes and Innovations
    Papermaking
    The Charters of Freedom Documents: Examination and Treatment
    Display Criteria
    Conclusions and Lessons Learned

(The schedule is subject to change - please check the web site for
up to date information)

Pre-registration is encouraged - The registration fee is $75.00

Attendees can pay in advance by check. Cash will be accepted as well
but only on the day of the conference. Please make your check
payable to National Archives Trust Fund

As of this printing, a credit card system for payments has not been
finalized. We do expect to accept credit card payments by late
spring. If this is your preferred method of payment, please visit
<URL:http://www.archives.gov/preservation/conference-2005.html> for
updated information and procedures for credit card purchases.

Mail check with registration information (name, institution,
address, (phone/fax)number, and email) to:

    Richard Schneider
    Conference Coordinator (NWT)
    National Archives at College Park
    8601 Adelphi Road, Room B-815
    College Park MD 20740-6001
    301-837-3617
    richard.schneider<-a t->nara< . >gov

No refunds will be given after September 1, 2005.

A continental breakfast and afternoon break will be provided. Lunch
will be the responsibility of the attendee. NARA will provide a list
of restaurants and eateries within a short walk of the Archives
building.

Attendees are encouraged to use Metro or other means of mass-transit
as no on-site parking is available at the Archives building

Richard Schneider
Conference Coordinator


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                  Conservation DistList Instance 18:54
                   Distributed: Friday, May 20, 2005
                       Message Id: cdl-18-54-012
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