Home

Conservation and Care of Natural History Collections

Course description
Course topics are:
• Development of Collections Care strategy
o Risk and agents of deterioration
o Ethics in conservation
• Collection Care Documentation (including database use)
• Surveys and Assessments
o Collection assessment
o Specimen assessment
• Health and Safety
o Specimen Hazards
• Management strategies and the museum Environment (including IPM)
o Monitoring the museum environment
o Control of the museum environment
o Establishing and identifying environmental standards and programmes
• Storage, Handling and Control
o Types of storage
♦ Wet collections
♦ Molecular Collections
♦ Herbarium Collections
♦ Dry (organic and inorganic collections)
o Specimen handling
o Packaging and transport
• Remedial Conservation
o Adhesives and consolidants
o Gap fillers and specimen supports
o Cleaning (including Laser cleaning)
• Specimen conservation issues for objects on display

Practical experiences will form a large part of the programme and will help students to gain first hand experience of conservation issues for collections and how to minimise risks when handling and using collections.

Duration
One week

Date
17 – 21 October 2011

Course language
English

Target Audience
Course ideal for collections managers, technicians or those responsible for natural history collections.

All types of Natural History (and related) Material will be included in the study. 

Location
Conservation Unit, Natural History Museum, London, Cromwell Road, South Kensington SW7 5BD http://www.nhm.ac.uk

Teachers
Chris Collins and Gill Comerford. Palaeontology Conservation Unit, Natural History Museum, London

Course fee
600 Euros.
Participants are responsible for their own travel and subsistence expenses.

Maximum number of participants
8
Criteria for selection will be scientific merit, motivation and usefulness of the training course for your career.

Registration
Deadline for registration: 30 July 2011.
Participants will be notified by 15 August 2011 whether accepted to the course.

Click here for the registration form.

Payment
Deadline payment: 30 September 2011.
Details will be provided upon acceptance to the course.

Cancellation policy
In the case of cancellation of participation before 7 October 2011, registration fee will be refunded (except cancellation fee of € 25). After that date, no further refunds will be issued.