Seminar on environmental management and sustainability

Seminar

"Life without air conditioning?"
Scott Polar Research Institute
Lensfield Rd
University of Cambridge, CB2 1ER
Cambridge
10 December 2010

I am contacting you to let you know about an important seminar that
is being held by the University Museums Group on 10 December 2010 in
Cambridge, to discuss the issue of environmental standards for
collections in relation to the sustainability agenda.

As research has developed on the museum environment, and as the need
to develop sustainable approaches to collections management has
become more pressing, it is clear that we need to re-examine current
standards for the storage and exhibition of collections
(particularly as reflected in loan requirements).

This is because in order to achieve these standards, it is standard
to specify the installation of air conditioning in all galleries
which receive loans, which is undesirable at a time when we are more
concerned about energy costs and the environment. At the seminar we
want to review the current evidence provided by conservation
science, and look at whether it supports the case for a widening of
parameters for storage, loan and exhibition of collections.

In the morning we have papers from Sarah Staniforth of the National
Trust who will give a general overview of where we are on
collections care in relation to the sustainability agenda, from
Stephen Hackney of Tate who will look at the current evidence from
conservation science, and  from Maria Balshaw of the Whitworth Art
Gallery, whose new capital development will increase space by 30%
but reduce the overall carbon footprint of the organisation. In the
afternoon we will work in groups to discuss the implications of
challenging current standards and we hope we may at the end of the
day come up with a conclusion which will form a resolution.

I do hope you and/or colleagues in your organisation will be able to
attend, and I would be grateful if you could circulate this
information further.

    Nick Merriman
    Chair
    University Museums Group

Friday 10 December 2010

    10.15           Registration and coffee

    10.45           Introduction and Welcome

    10.50           Sarah Staniforth (National Trust)
                    'The Museum Environment:  Think Globally, Act
                    Locally'

    11.30           Stephen Hackney (Tate)
                    'Museum environmental conditions: a sustainable
                    range'

    12.10           Maria Balshaw (Whitworth Art Gallery)
                    A case study of the Whitworth's new capital
                    development

    12.40           General questions

    1-00-1.4        Lunch

    1.20            Tour of the Polar Museum and the Scott Polar
                    Research Institute
                    (led by Heather Lane, Librarian and Keeper of
                    Collections)

    1-45-2.30       UMG AGM

    2.30            Introduction to exercise in groups

    2-40-3.30       Group discussions around particular issues, e.g.

                        Should we relax the environmental guidelines
                        for collections and if so to what?

                        What are the pros and cons of university
                        museums agreeing new standards for loans
                        between themselves?

                        What practicalities would university museums
                        have to take into consideration if they
                        decided to agree new standards for loans
                        between themselves?

    3.30            Feedback from groups and discussion of possible
                    resolution on the issue of standards in
                    university museums and galleries

    4.00            Move to Fitzwilliam Museum for tour of newly
                    refurbished Greek and Roman Gallery (led by Dr
                    Lucilla Burn, Keeper of Antiquities) followed by
                    tea/reception and opportunity to view

                        Shahnameh:  Epic of the Persian Kings
                        exhibition

To register, please email Liz Hide <eah12<-at->cam<.>ac<.>uk> by Friday 26
November, 2010 giving your name, organisation, address, phone number
and details of any access or dietary requirements.

Please also indicate whether you would like to attend the free tour
and tea at the Fitzwilliam Museum after the seminar.

There is a charge of UKP15 per attendee for the day, to cover the
costs of lunch and refreshments.

Sam Sportun
Senior Conservator
Manchester Museum
Oxford Road
Manchester M139PL
+44 1612752677


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                  Conservation DistList Instance 24:24
                 Distributed: Sunday, November 7, 2010
                       Message Id: cdl-24-24-015
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