Online courses in preservation

Northern States Conservation Center
<URL:http://www.museumclasses.org> announces its January 2006 course
offerings:

MS 104: An Introduction to Collections Preservation
January 9 to February 4, 2006
Instructor:  Helen Alten
Price: $395, <URL:http://www.collectioncare.org/tas/tas.html>

    The tools of a museum professional include a basic understanding
    of preservation principles and techniques. This course provides
    an overview of current preservation issues, from environmental
    monitoring to collection cleaning, exhibit mounts and storage
    furniture. Covering every aspect of the modern museum, and how
    the building, staff and fixtures affect preservation of the
    collection, this workshop provides an overview that participants
    can use in future decision-making about their collection. Agents
    of deterioration, risk management, object handling and
    transport, object labeling, exhibit lighting, security,
    emergency preparedness, materials for storage and display,
    storage and exhibit philosophies, and condition assessments will
    be discussed. This introductory course provides basic knowledge
    that is expanded in all of our other courses.

MS 205: Disaster Planning I: Introduction to Disaster Preparedness
    Planning
January 9 to February 4, 2006
Instructor:  Terri Schindel
Price: $395, <URL:http://www.collectioncare.org/tas/tas.html>

    Emergencies, disasters, accidents, and injuries can occur in any
    setting and at any time, usually without warning. Museum
    collections are by their nature both vulnerable and
    irreplaceable; even small accidents can harm a collection. Being
    prepared physically and psychologically to handle emergencies is
    an individual as well as an organizational responsibility.

    You will learn how to form a team, dynamics of team
    participation, on-going nature of planning, personnel safety,
    board governance, insurance, and plan review and update cycles.
    You will identify community partners, fire prevention personnel,
    emergency medical providers, government officials, insurance
    providers, and invite them to participate in planning. A staff
    member, and/or a team, will be chosen to serve as an emergency
    coordinator(s). You will learn what the team/person's duties and
    responsibilities are before, during and after the emergency. The
    emergency coordinator will formulate a simple, easily accessible
    flip-chart of information pertaining to contacts, personnel
    locations, immediate action steps, emergency numbers, signals,
    sirens, and visual aids if necessary. With this information you
    will be ready to write the Disaster Preparedness and Response
    Plan, the second part of this course.

MS 103: The Basics of Museum Registration
January 29 to February 25, 2006
Instructor:  Peggy Schaller
Price: $395, <URL:http://www.collectioncare.org/tas/tas.html>

    This course covers the basics of museum record keeping. The
    mission statement is emphasized as the foundation for the
    museum. Then students learn of the importance of establishing
    set policies and procedures. The terms "registration" and
    "accession" will be defined and the process discussed. Three
    common types of numbering systems will be reviewed and the
    answer to the question "Why do museums put those little bitty
    numbers on all their artifacts?" will be revealed. Finally, The
    Museum Registration Manual, its importance for the museum and
    what it should contain will be reviewed.

    Participants will be asked to create a mission statement,
    collection policy and acquisition policy for a "new" museum;
    comment on one of the selected readings about museum missions;
    complete an accessioning exercise; and for the final class
    project create a sample registration manual for our "new"
    museum.


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                  Conservation DistList Instance 19:29
                 Distributed: Tuesday, December 6, 2005
                       Message Id: cdl-19-29-019
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