University of Pittsburgh

School of Information Sciences

Summer 2004 (04-3) Term

 
LIS 2970: Special Topics: Collections Conservation

Mondays, 6:00 PM – 9:15PM;Room 308, Library Resource Facility

Instructors:

Jean Ann Croft
Preservation Librarian, Preservation Department, Room 205,
7500 Thomas Boulevard, Pittsburgh, PA. 15260  
412-244-7522
jeanann@pitt.edu

Miriam Meislik
Associate Archivist/Photograph Curator, Archive Service Center, Room 221  
7500 Thomas Boulevard, Pittsburgh, PA. 15260
412-244-7075
miriam@pitt.edu 

Dr. Karen Gracy
Assistant Professor, Preservation Management Program
657 SIS          
412-624-7679
kgracy@pitt.edu

Teaching Assistant:

Kate Werner
PhD. Student – Archival Studies Program
kwerner21@hotmail.com

Course Description:

This course explores collections conservation utilizing the resources of the Archives Service Center (ASC) and the Preservation Department in the University Library System.  Defined by the Research Libraries Group (RLG) as a “preservation management strategy for the physical treatment and protective housing o endangered research materials that allocates treatment resources for maximum benefit to the collection.” Students will be better able to manage preservation activities by learning how to execute hands on conservation treatments, prepare materials for outsourcing and better protect paper, photograph, and moving image collections.

Enrollment is limited to 12 students and offered in the Preservation Department Laboratory at the Library Resource Facility, Thomas Boulevard.  The prerequisite for this course is LIS2214:  Introduction to Library and Archival Preservation
 

Course Goals:


Required Reading:

Text:  Bachmann, Konstanze.  Conservation Concerns: A Guide for Collectors and Curators. New York : Smithsonian Institution Press, 1992.  Available online from Amazon at http://www.amazon.com for $16.95.

Text:  The Film Preservation Guide:  The Basics for Archives, Libraries, and Museums.  San Francisco, CA:  National Film Preservation Foundation, 2004.  Available online at:  http://www.filmpreservation.org

Text:  Pye, Elizabeth.  Caring for the Past: Issues in Conservation for Archaeology and Museums.  London:  James & James Ltd., 2001.  Available online from Amazon at http://www.amazon.com for

All readings are on reserve in the SIS Library, with the exception of materials available on the Internet, which are listed with a URL.

Grading:

1.  Graduate students are expected to attend and participate in every class. Attendance is mandatory and will affect grading. Missing more than one class period will result in failure for this course.  There will be no opportunity for make-ups. 

2.  Discussion Leadership and Impression Papers – 40%

Discussion Leadership (10 points each – total 20 points) - Everyone enrolled in Collections Conservation is responsible for all of the reading.  During the first class period, each student will be assigned to lead two discussions during subsequent class meetings, along with at least one other student.

The discussion leaders for each class meeting will be expected to have read the assigned readings in sufficient detail to provide particularly thoughtful and provocative questions and analysis, and to solicit equally thoughtful discussion from other class members.

Impression Papers (10 points each – total 20 points) – Discussion leaders will be expected to submit two 2-page issue papers discussing the principle issues and activities related to their assigned discussion topics. Students must submit their impression papers in paper format or as an e-mail attachment exactly two weeks post discussion by 6:00pm.

Students may exchange discussion dates/paper topics only with prior permission from the instructors.

3.  Photograph Identification Test – 10%

Students will be given a worksheet containing numbers that correspond to samples in the lab.  They will then identify the format, type, popular or most used dates, types of deterioration or problems associated with the image, and its storage criteria. (10 points)

4.  Photograph Assessment Project and Paper – 30%

Paper, 8-10 pages.  Assessment guidelines will be provided. Students will conduct a Condition Assessment of a “collection of photographic materials.  Each student will be given two-three boxes of images that make up a fictitious collection. Their job will be to identify the items, assess the issues in the collection, and figure out what they need to do to preserve this collection.  They will need to complete the assessment survey and write a report outlining the costs associated with proper storage of the materials and conservation measures needed. Student should review the Light Impressions and/or University Products websites to investigate their storage materials options and pricing.  The paper will be due the final class day. (30 points)

5.  Motion Picture Inspection/Identification Exercise – 20%

Students will work on an in-class assignment for two class sessions (due at the end of the last class of the term) that will give them practice in the identification, inspection, evaluation, and repair of motion picture and videotape elements. (20 points)

Total = 100 points


Grading Scale

100                                A+
93-99                             A
90-92                             A-
88-89                             B+
83-87                             B
80-82                             B-
78-79                             C+
73-77                             C


Late Assignments

Late written assignments and final projects will be lowered by one letter grade except in cases of extreme circumstances, previously discussed with the instructor.

Schedule:

BOOKS AND PAPER
May 10 - Session 1: Introduction to Collection Conservation course

Required Readings:

May 17 - Session 2: Changing Philosophy of Library and Archives Conservation and Preservation
Required Readings:
May 24 - Session 3: Changing Philosophy of Library and Archives Conservation and Preservation (continued) / Book Structure and Components
Required Readings:

May 31 – Memorial Day – No class – Enjoy!!!!
June 7 - Session 4:  Agents of Deterioration / Assessment and Selection for Preservation
Required Readings:
June 14 - Session 5: Supervising Conservation Treatments– final
Required Readings:


PHOTOGRAPHY UNIT
June 21 – Session 6:  Photography:  The Basics of Format Identification
Goal:

Students will recognize formats from 19th-21st Century photographic process and be able to identify the process, the era in which they were created, and gain familiarity with their deterioration from Daguerreotype to Digital Prints

Required Reading:

Book and Article:
Website Articles:
Lab:

Question and Answer Session regarding formats.  Stations will be setup (and duplicated for worksheet assignment) for students to get some hands on handling of materials.  This will be a good opportunity to see the items and witness their issues.  Identification labels will accompany the items in this session.

Paper Assignment:

Paper (8-10 pages).  Assessment guidelines will be provided. Students will conduct a Condition Assessment of a “collection of photographic materials.  Each student will be given two-three boxes of images that make up a fictitious collection. Their job will be to identify the items, assess the issues in the collection, and figure out what they need to do to preserve this collection.  They will need to complete the assessment survey and write a report outlining the costs associated with proper storage of the materials and conservation measures needed. Student should review the Light Impressions and/or University Products websites to investigate their storage materials options and pricing.

June 28 – Session 7:  Storage and Treatment Issues
Goal:

Students will have an understanding of proper storage and housing for photographic materials and their deterioration issues.

Required Readings:

Books:

Articles:
Websites:
Assignment/Lab:

Building on the first session’s identification lesson, the Worksheet Completion exercise requires students to identify the photographic processes and identify their structure.  Students will be given a worksheet containing numbers that correspond to samples in the lab.  They will then have to write the type of image they are looking at in the space corresponding to its number. They will then need to say whether the image is cased or uncased, when it was popular (date range), positive or negative image, photographic print or photographic negative, types of deterioration or problems associated with the image, and its storage.

July 5  –  No class

July 12  –  Session 8:  Disaster Recovery
Required Reading:
July 19  –  Session 9:  Issues in Digitization-Digitization for Preservation and Access
Goal:

This class will talk about the growing desire for digital access to photographic collections and the effect of digitization on 19th and 20th Century photographic materials.  Preserving digital print output will also be covered.

Required Reading:

Selected Photographic Resources Bibliography:

Books:

Articles:
 
Websites:
MOVING IMAGE MEDIA
July 26

Read:

July 30

Read: