Call for papers--Conference on collection care

Call for papers:
"Evolution or revolution? The changing face of collection care"
British Library Preservation Advisory Centre Conference
British Library, London
14-15 October 2013

Are changes in the way content is created, acquired and used
encouraging collection care departments to adapt their approach--or
demanding it?

The British Library Preservation Advisory Centre, in consultation
with IFLA, is hosting a two day conference in October 2013 examining
the nature and perception of the collection care department in the
modern and increasingly digital environment. In particular, are the
career paths of collection care practitioners sign-posted well
enough to attract the right skills and offer the right opportunities
to develop, lead and engage?

Collection care departments are operating in increasingly dynamic
environments--not only in respect of resources, but also of
technology, information, learning and publishing. Technology is
constantly defining and re-defining trends in information and
content--what is created and how; how it is acquired; and how it can
be accessed and experienced.

For collection care departments, there are new technologies to
understand, new risks and benefits to be weighed up, new approaches
to be learned; and yet there remain vast, physical collections to be
protected, preserved and cared for.

We invite you to join us to discuss the effect of such changes on
collection care strategy and practice--now and in the future. What
does an effective collection care department actually look like in
an increasingly digital environment? What is its purpose, its
responsibilities; its business model? Does this represent an
evolution or a revolution in practice?

And what is the impact on the individual working in collection care?
Do we have enough of the right skills in the right places? Are we
managing the expectations of students coming into the profession
adequately?

In this context has the role of the conservator changed? If not,
does it need to?

What does the term 'conservator' actually mean?  Have we come to
accept it as a term which identifies and defines an individual with
a specific practical skill and nothing more; and is that enough? Or
is the modern conservator equipped with other skills--as well as or
instead of the traditional bench skills?

In addition to invited speakers, we are calling for papers in two
areas. The first area explores high-level perspectives on future
approaches to collection care; and the second examines the skills
present in today's collection care departments and how they have
developed and are deployed

1. The collection care department of tomorrow

Your paper should discuss, from a strategic point of view, the
collection care department of tomorrow, considering any of the
following issues:

    The relationship between conservation, preservation and digital
    preservation

    The balance between single-item conservation and larger/mass
    treatments or projects

    The skills that are needed

    The research agenda

    Business models

    Demonstrating impact

    Public engagement

2. The collection care practitioners of today

Do you currently work in collection care? In the context of an
evolution or revolution in practice, your paper might discuss and
explore your role, considering any of the following issues

What type of training did you undertake and in what format (may or
may not be collection care or conservation specific)

    Are you working in collection care disciplines now that are
    relevant to your training?

    Have your responsibilities changed to cover other aspects of
    collection care?

    Does your current job in collection care meet the expectations
    you had when you trained?

    Does the work you do define/identify you specifically as a
    conservator; or do you view yourself as a collection care
    practitioner with a specific skill?

    How relevant are your skills to collection care?

    How do you see your role developing?

Important Information

    Abstracts must be 250-300 words in length

    Abstracts should be submitted as an email attachment to
    sandy.ryan<-at->bl<.>uk

    Abstracts should contain

        Area of discussion (1 or 2)
        Full title
        Author information--name, position, institution and email
        Contact

    The deadline for the submission of abstracts is February 28,
    2013

    You will be notified by March 22, 2013 if your submission has
    been successful or not

    If your submission is accepted, you will be directed at the time
    of notification to full terms and conditions for presenting at
    the conference, but please note in the meantime that
    presentations are expected to last for approximately 20 minutes
    long and must be made freely available on the British Library
    website after the conference

    Conference registration will open in May 2013

Caroline Peach
Head of Preservation Advisory Centre
The British Library
96 Euston Road
London NW1 2DB
United Kingdom
+44 20 7412 7798


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                  Conservation DistList Instance 26:30
                 Distributed: Monday, December 17, 2012
                       Message Id: cdl-26-30-008
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