November 7 – 8, 2012 | Galt Museum & archives

 Lethbridge – Professional and volunteer archivists from across southern Alberta will be at the Galt Museum & Archives November 7-8 for a two-day Archival Materials Workshop with Greg Hill and Joe Iraci, conservators from the Canadian Conservation Institute to learn the details of various types of archival media, identify and understand the effects of deterioration and its causes, material lifespan, proper handling and storage procedures, and how to recover materials from emergencies or disasters.

 In 2008, the Galt initiated a southern Alberta museums network to provide a venue for local conversations and professional development in the museum community. In 2011, the Galt initiated a similar network of archives. Many members are from both small museums and archives with limited funding; some have only one full or part-time staff member, while others are staffed entirely by volunteers. The CCI workshop fills a professional development need in the region’s museum community.

 “The sharing of knowledge and networking opportunities is particularly important for those of us who work in smaller, rural cultural institutions who do not always have ongoing contact with other professionals on conservation and restoration issues,” says Farley Wuth, Curator at Kootenai Brown Pioneer Village and a member of the Pincher Creek and District Historical Society. According to Linda Sterenberg, a key volunteer at the Nobleford Area Museum, “Any knowledge gained in caring for archival material is definitely an asset to our museum.”

 “We are looking forward to hosting both the CCI and our colleagues next week,” says the Galt’s Archivist Andrew Chernevych. “Representatives from museums, archives and libraries in Pincher Creek, Cardston, Nobleford, Raymond, Picture Butte, Crowsnest Pass, Claresholm, Fort Macleod, Lethbridge and as far away as Canmore and Medicine Hat will be in attendance.”

 Each year, the CCI offers a variety of workshops at host organizations throughout the country, including preservation of collections (such as the Archival Materials Workshop in Lethbridge, furniture, photographic materials, metals, paintings, textiles, works of art on paper); as well as environmental guidelines, lighting, pests, storage reorganization, conservation techniques, planning and management processes, photo documentation of collections, care of artifacts in aboriginal cultural centres, and archaeological conservation field techniques, to name a few.

 The Galt worked with the CCI during its 2004-2006 expansion when the entire collections and archival holdings were moved off-site and then returned to new storage. The most recent workshop held by the CCI and hosted by the Galt was in the late 1990s and focused on disaster planning.

 BACKGROUNDER

The Canadian Conservation Institute is a Special Operating Agency in the Department of Canadian Heritage created in 1972 to promote the proper care and preservation of Canada's cultural heritage and to advance the practice, science, and technology of conservation.

 BIOGRAPHIES

Greg Hill is a graduate of the Art Conservation Techniques program at Sir Sandford Fleming College in Peterborough. He has over 24 years experience in photograph and archival conservation work for the Provincial Archives of Manitoba, Library and Archives Canada, and in the private sector.

 Joe Iraci graduated from the University of Ottawa with an Honours B.Sc. in Chemistry in 1987, and began working at the National Archives of Canada doing research on photographic materials. In 1990, a Conservation Research Division was formed and his work shifted to paper. The Division was transferred to the CCI in 1993, where Joe currently works as a Senior Conservation Scientist. He is now researching the deterioration and stability of electronic media and other issues, on which he regularly delivers workshops across Canada.

 Archival Materials Workshop Description

 This workshop discusses the structure, composition, and format of various types of archival media. Agents of deterioration are covered, as well as ways to promote longevity through selecting appropriate media, understanding both controllable and less controllable factors, and ensuring proper handling and storage. Ways to minimize potential damage and information loss in an emergency or disaster are also included.

Learning Objectives

Upon completion of this workshop, participants will be able to:

• identify and explain differences in structure, composition, and format of various types of archival media

• identify agents of deterioration and understand the effects

• understand factors affecting longevity and choose media for maximum life span

• implement proper handling and storage procedures for various media

• recover media from emergency or disaster situations properly

 Units

Structure, Composition, and Formats Structure and composition of information carriers including paper documents, books, photographic materials, optical discs (read-only, write-once, erasable, and DVD), magnetic disks (hard and floppy), and magnetic tapes (computer, analog, and video).

 Deterioration Why and how archival information carriers deteriorate, including physical damage and environmental conditions. Common deterioration problems and how to recognize them. Remedial actions that can be taken to save information.

 Longevity Factors affecting the longevity of information carriers, including those that are controllable (handling procedures, storage conditions, frequency of use) and those that are not controllable (quality of the media itself, changing technology, and obsolescence of equipment). Expected life span of various media. How to maximize longevity.

 Storage and Handling Proper storage conditions including temperature, relative humidity, light, pollution levels, type of storage room, and storage container. Handling procedures to minimize physical abuse and damage including equipment maintenance, labelling of materials, physical handling of items, and periodic winding of magnetic tapes. Existing technical standards and recommendations by experts in the field.

 Disaster Recovery Procedures for the recovery of archival materials from water and other disasters. Precautions to avoid damage in the event of a disaster.