Collection Care Information Exchange Discussion Framework

The exchange of collection care practices between preservation professionals on a one-to-one basis can have added benefits beyond a traditional training setting. While conferences and workshops provide networking and information exchange, it generally occurs without a set curriculum and often at great cost to participants. In developing the Collection Care Information Exchange Discussion Framework, the American Institute for Conservation’s Preventive Care Network aims to provide a set framework that individuals and institutions may use to guide discussions about collection care practices, policies, and procedures.

Many collection care professionals note that there is a lack of suitable training offered as workshops and at conferences, or that sufficient funds are unavailable for training and travel. It is PCN’s aim that similar institutions and individuals within a region could use the template to demonstrate to supervisors a formal structure for a professional development exchange and the economic value in being able to draw from local expertise.

Collection care staff, conservators, registrars, curators, administrators, and other staff responsible for collection care within their institutions may use relevant sections of the template to guide their conversations. It is ideal to select what will be covered, how much time it will take, and which staff members should participate in the exchange in advance. Interviews with additional staff members and facility tours at the host site can enhance the experience.

Participants are encouraged to develop a short white paper of findings. This solidifies the experience by creating a reference document for participant institutions, and by submitting it to the PCN Collection Care Wiki, builds the corpus of collection care knowledge and resources.

Questions about establishing a Collection Care Information Exchange may be sent to the Preventive Care Network at collections@culturalheritage.org.

1. Gain your administration’s support to participate in an exchange. The time investment in the exchange and producing a report will depend on the amount of topics you aim to cover and the number of participants.
2. Identify an institution or institutions to participate in the exchange. Aim for a comfortable roundtable discussion setting, selecting 2-5 institutions to participate. Selecting institutions of a similar type to participate will help ensure that information offered during the exchange is relevant to your institution. In the same vein, selecting a institutions of different sizes and types might bring new ideas to the table. Choose institutions in your geographical region in order to save on travel costs.
3. Review the Discussion Framework ahead of time with exchange participants. Determine which topics are most important to your organizations to discuss and how long it will take you to cover those topics. Use the template as a starting point. To cover the whole template in conversation may take 2-3 days. Remember, you may want to include tours of your facilities, or invite other staff stakeholders to join a particular session. Setting aside the proper time also allows you to adjust the schedule as necessary.
4. Schedule an in-person meeting date. Gaining administration’s support at the front end is crucial, so that exchange participants can fully focus on the visit.
5. Plan your discussion goals at the beginning of each morning and afternoon session to stay on task. Schedule any additional tours or needed breaks into the schedule. Meeting for long periods can be difficult unless exchange participants agree to commit to the schedule.
6. Assign note takers for each session. That person will be responsible for summarizing shared information for a report after the session.
7. Immediately after the exchange, summarize notes for useful documentation.
8. Develop a one-page summary that can be shared with your administration or supervisor during an exchange session report.
9. Submit a report about participants’ findings with the Collection Care Information Exchange to PCN at collections@culturalheritage.org following the instructions at the end of this document. Consider for inclusion in the PCN Collection Care Wiki to act as a resource for other institutions. 
10. Request an evaluation to help PCN continue to develop the Collection Care Information Exchange Discussion Framework. See instructions at the end of this document.

Introduction 

• Roles at institution
• Background
• Goals for exchange session – individual and institutional
• Institutional challenges to collection care
• Interest in professional development
• Additional staff interviews that can facilitate discussion

General Collection Care

• State of collection care in participants’ institutions
• Staff organization, particularly around collection care
• Collection care program description
• Existing and needed policies and procedures
• Transitioning special projects into policies and procedures
• Raising awareness among administration and other staff 

Preservation Environment

• Monitoring and documentation programs
• Data evaluation and review activities
• Communication between collections and facilities staff
• Evaluating and communicating evolving preservation standards to all staff
• Building relationships with facilities staff 

Housekeeping

• Housekeeping program and scheduling
• Staffing – who is responsible?
• Methods and Products
• Helpful tips
• Challenges 

Integrated Pest Management

• Programs/methods used by participant institutions
• Policies and procedures
• Working with contractors
• Gaining institutional buy-in from administration and other staff
• Troubleshooting 

Storage

• Planning for new storage
• Retrofitting older storage
• Storage materials and supports
• Special issues and projects
• Off-site storage issues 

Lighting

• Collaboration between conservators, lighting designers, curators, and others
• Methods
• Sustainability initiatives
• Motion sensors
• Tracking of light exposure
• Communicating/negotiating exposure 

Surveys and Risk Assessments

• Need for collection surveys
• Purpose of collection surveys
• Condition surveys
• Space surveys
• Inventories
• Collection Risk Assessment
• Benchmarks in Collection Care 

Emergency Preparedness

• Existing programs and efforts
• Getting institutional buy-in
• Plan writing
• Setting priorities
• Organizing a response team
• Coordinating with local emergency management and first responders
• Training – outside and within institutions
• Maintaining program momentum 

Special Projects and Issues

• Institutional collection care communication and involvement
• Construction Collections hazards
• Health and safety in collection care
• Working with contract conservators
• Sharing collection care culture with other contractors and vendors 

Managing Collection Care

• Staffing Collection care institutional decision-making
• Checklists, workflows, and other management tools
• Professional development
• Training programs for collection care and other staff
• Advocating for change
• Managing change
• Managing up
• Sustaining support for collection care 

Educating about Collection Care

• Conservation and collection care tours for visitors
• Working collection care and conservation into exhibitions
• Lectures
• Gallery talks
• Website features
• Webinars 

Fundraising

• Developing donors for collection care
• Grants from government and private foundations
• Making a case with administration that collection care is worth funding 

Tools and Tips

• Tools
• References
• Forms
• Equipment
• Training sessions
• Projects that were really worth it

By evaluating the exchange experience, you can assist PCN in helping other institutions participating in collection care exchanges. Also, consider providing a report on your exchange for posting on the PCN Collection Care Wiki to help other institutions. Contact collections@culturalheritage.org to receive a Collection Care Information Exchange Evaluation, submit reports, and convey feedback.