University of Pittsburgh
Summer 2006 (06-3)
Term
LIS 2216:
Special Topics: Collections Conservation
Mondays, 6:00 PM – 9:15PM;
Room 337, Library Resource Facility
Instructors:
Jean Ann
Croft
Preservation
Librarian, Preservation Department, Room 205,
412-244-7522
jeanann@pitt.edu
Miriam
Meislik
Archivist/Photograph Curator, Archive Service Center
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. Collections conservation is defined
by the Research Libraries Group (RLG) as a “preservation management strategy
for the physical treatment and protective housing of endangered research
materials that allocates treatment resources for maximum benefit to the
collection.”
This
course is limited to 12 students and offered in the Preservation Department
Laboratory in the Library Resource Facility on Thomas Boulevard. The prerequisite for this course is LIS2214-
Introduction to Library and Archival Preservation.
Course Goals:
By the end of the course students will be able to. . .
* Evaluate different preservation principles and
implement the most appropriate preservation technique in a library or archival
environment.
* Communicate preservation theory to effectively
supervise conservation work on library and archival materials.
*
Identify, inspect, evaluate, and make basic repairs of motion picture film
elements.
*
Evaluate storage conditions, and prioritize manuscript and photographic and moving
images for further preservation or restoration work to be done by a commercial
laboratory.
Required
Text: Bachmann, Konstanze. Conservation Concerns: A Guide for
Collectors and Curators.
Available
online from Amazon at http://www.amazon.com. for $16.95.
Text: The Film
Preservation Guide: The Basics for Archives, Libraries, and Museums.
Available online at: http://www.filmpreservation.org (Please download from the website or purchase
the printed copy from the National Film Preservation Foundation for $8.)
Text:
Price, Nicholas Stanley, Talley, Mansfield Kirby, Melucco Vaccaro, Alexandra. Historical and Philosophical
Isues in the Conservation
of Cultural Heritage. Los Angeles: Getty Conservation
Institute, 1996 Available online from Amazon at
http://www.amazon.com. for $26.78 or at the University of
Text: Pye, Elizabeth. Caring for the Past: Issues in Conservation
for Archaeology and Museums.
Available
at the University of
Text: Hendriks, Klaus B. et al. Fundamentals
of Photograph Conservation: A Study
Guide. Toronto : National Archives of Canada
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. 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 Points
-Discussion Leadership and Class Participation- 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. Furthermore,
each student is expected to actively participate and engage in each class
discussion even when they are not leading the discussion. The instructors expect all students to come
prepared to discuss the evening's readings.
-Impression Papers- 20 Points (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 In-Class
Assignment– 10 Points
Students will be responsible for completing an in-class
graded assignment based on the previous week’s lab investigation. This assignment will require them to identify
characteristics of a variety of images in various formats and conditions citing
things such the type of image, 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
requirements among other topics. Please
take this seriously. While you may use your notes, you may not discuss your
work with your fellow classmates.
4. Photograph Preservation Assessment Project
and Paper – 30 Points
Paper:
8-10 pages or larger as needed to complete assignment. Students will conduct a
Condition Assessment of a “collection” of photographic materials. A collection will be placed on hold in the
Archives Service Center Reading Room.
The task will be to identify the items and assess the issues with the
collection. A condition assessment form
will be provided by the instructor for guidance in electronic and hard
copy. The paper will be a written report
outlining the requirements of the collection, including by not limited to, the
costs associated with proper storage of the materials and the conservation
measures to be taken. Students will be directed to suppliers such as Light
Impressions and University Products websites, among other suppliers, to
investigate their storage options and pricing.
The
collection will be placed on hold by the third week of this course. The actual organization of the report is up
to the student to decide. Students are
responsible for finding the time to visit the Archives Service Center for this
project. An after work hours visit may
be arranged at the discretion of the instructors. Note: This is not something that can be done at the
last minute. Please schedule your time accordingly.
5. Motion Picture Inspection/Identification
Exercise – 20 Points
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.
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 instructors.
Schedule:
BOOKS AND PAPER
May
15 - Session 1: Introduction
to Collection Conservation course
- Conservation and Preservation
Practice
- Definitions
- Ethics and standards in
conservation
- Lab component - Level 1 repairs
- pockets, pam-binds (commercial and hand-made), Tip-ins, Cut-pages
Required
AIC
Definitions of Conservation Terminology
http://aic.stanford.edu/geninfo/defin.html
AIC Code of
Ethics and Guidelines for Practice
http://aic.stanford.edu/pubs/ethics.html
CLIR
publication103: The Evidence in Hand:
Report of the Task Force on the Artifact in Library Collections
http://www.clir.org/pubs/reports/pub103/contents.html
Section 1:
The Problem
Section 2:
The Artifact in Question
Price,
Nicholas Stanley, Talley,
Part II: Ernst van de
Wetering – The Autonomy of Restoration: Ethical Considerations in Relation to
Artistic Concepts – pgs. 193-199
May
22 - Session 2: Changing
Philosophy of Library and Archives Conservation and Preservation
- Conservation and Preservation
Practice - Continued
- Lab component - Level 2 repairs
- Re-case
Required
Pye,
Elizabeth. Caring for the Past:
Issues in Conservation for Archaeology and Museums.
Chapter 2 – Conservation Examined
pgs. 22-36
Chapter 3 – The history of
Conservation, pgs. 37 – 56
CLIR
publication103: The Evidence in Hand:
Report of the Task Force on the Artifact in Library Collections
http://www.clir.org/pubs/reports/pub103/contents.html
Section 3: States of the Artifact, 1800 - 2000
3.2. Print/Paper
3.2.1 The Relative Stability of Imprints
3.2.2 Evaluation of the Artifact and Selection for
Preservation
Price,
Nicholas Stanley, Talley,
Part III:
Introduction– pgs. 200-211
Part III: Paul
Philippot – Restoration from the Perspective of the Humanities – pgs. 216 –
229.
Part III: Cesare
Brandi – Theory of Restoration, I – pgs. 230 – 235
Monday,
May 29 – Memorial Day – No class – Enjoy!!!
June
5 - Session 3: Changing
Philosophy of Library and Archives Conservation and Preservation (continued) /
Book Structure and Components
- Concepts of rarity and
intrinsic value of originals
- Lab component - Level 2 repairs
– Re-back
Required
Pye,
Elizabeth. Caring for the Past:
Issues in Conservation for Archaeology and Museums.
Chapter 4 – The meaning of objects,
pgs. 57-76
Chapter 5 – Change in materials and
objects, pgs. 77-98
National
Park Service – Conserve O Gram – 19/1 What Makes a Book Rare?
http://www.cr.nps.gov/museum/publications/conserveogram/19-01.pdf
CLIR
publication103: The Evidence in Hand:
Report of the Task Force on the Artifact in Library Collections
http://www.clir.org/pubs/reports/pub103/contents.html
7. Appendixes
I. Current
Library Practices in Collection Development and Preservation
III.
Selection for Preservation Criteria from RLG, Cornell, and Harvard
Price,
Nicholas Stanley, Talley,
Part III: Albert
France – Lanord – Knowing How to “Question” the Object before Restoring It –
pgs. 244 – 247
Part IV: Introduction
– pgs. 262 – 267
Part IV: Paul
Philippot – Historic Preservation: Philosophy, Criteria, Guidelines, 1 – pgs.
268 - 274
June 12
- Session 4: Agents of Deterioration / Assessment and
Selection for Preservation
- Lab component - Protective
Enclosures
Required
Pye,
Elizabeth. Caring for the Past:
Issues in Conservation for Archaeology and Museums.
Chapter 6 – Issues in practice:
assessment and decision, pgs. 99-120.
Chapter 7 – Issues in practice:
conservation procedures, pgs. 121-148
Convention for the
Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict 1954
http://www.icomos.org/hague/hague.convention.html#contents
CLIR
publication103: The Evidence in Hand:
Report of the Task Force on the Artifact in Library Collections
http://www.clir.org/pubs/reports/pub103/contents.html
Section
5: Summaries and Recommendations
Price,
Nicholas Stanley, Talley,
Part IV: R. H.
Marijnissen – Degradation, Conservation, and Restoration of Works of Art:
Historical Overview – pgs.275 - 280
Part IV: Sheldon Keck
– Further Materials for a History of Conservation – pgs. 281 – 287
Part V: Introduction
– pgs. 308 – 313
Part V: Eugène –
Emmanuel Viollet-Le-Duc – Restoration – pgs. 314 – 318
Part VI: Introduction
– pgs. 326 – 331
Part VI: Max J.
Friedländer – On Restorations – pgs. 332 – 334
Part VI: Cesare
Brandi – Theory of Restoration, II – pgs. 339 – 342
Part VI: Paolo Mora,
Laura Mora, and Paul Philippot – Problems of Presentation – pgs. 343 – 357
Part VI: Paul
Philippot – Historic Preservation: Philosophy, Criteria, Guidelines, II – pgs.
358 – 363
June 19
– Session 5: Emergence
of the Conservation Discipline– final
- Lab component - Protective
Enclosures continued
Required
Readings
Pye,
Elizabeth. Caring for the Past:
Issues in Conservation for Archaeology and Museums.
Chapter 8 – Working Relations, pgs.
149 – 165
Chapter 9 – Development of
conservation, pgs. 166 – 182
Chapter 10 – Communicating conservation, pgs. 183 – 200
Price,
Nicholas Stanley, Talley,
Part VII: Cesare Brandi – Theory of Restoration, III – pgs.
377 - 379
Part VIII:
Introduction – pgs. 424 – 431
Part VIII: Giovanni
Urbani – The Science and Art of Conservation of Cultural Property – pgs. 445 -
450
Photography Unit
June
26 - 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
Book
Hendriks, Klaus B. et al. Fundamentals of Photograph
Conservation: A Study Guide. Toronto : National Archives of Canada
Chapter 3 Photographic Structure
Skim for familiarity
Chapter 5 Historical Photographic
Processes READ 141-172
Fischer, Monique, NEDCC Technical Leaflet: “A Short
Guide to Film Plate Photographic Materials: Identification, Care, and
Duplication.”
Website
Articles for consideration
Sharp, Helen, “Conservation Problems of an Early 20th
Century Album, A Case Study,” Photographic Materials Conservation Group,
2002. http://www.phmcg.org.uk/resources.html
International
Federation of Library Associations and Institutions, Care Handling, and Storage
of Photographs Information Leaflet, Information Leaflet, August 1992. http://palimpsest.stanford.edu/byauth/roosa/roosa1.html
Lab: Question and Answer Session
regarding formats. Stations will be
setup (and duplicated for worksheet assignment) for students to get hands on experience
handling materials. This will be a good
opportunity to see the items and their issues.
Identification labels will accompany the items in this session so that
students can better place the name of the format with its physical
representation.
Paper Assignment
Discussion
Paper:
8-10 pages or larger as needed to complete assignment. Students will conduct a
Condition Assessment of a “collection” of photographic materials. A collection will be placed on hold in the
Archives Service Center Reading Room.
The task will be to identify the items and assess the issues with the
collection. A condition assessment form
will be provided by the instructor for guidance in electronic and hard
copy. The paper will be a written report
outlining the requirements of the collection, including by not limited to, the
costs associated with proper storage of the materials and the conservation
measures to be taken. Students will be directed to suppliers such as Light
Impressions and University Products websites, among other suppliers, to
investigate their storage options and pricing.
The
collection will be placed on hold by the third week of this course. The actual organization of the report is up
to the student to decide. Students are
responsible for finding the time to visit the Archives Service Center for this
project. An after work hours visit may
be arranged at the discretion of the instructors. Note: This is not something that can be done at the
last minute. Please schedule your time accordingly.
Horvath, David G., “The Acetate Negative Survey
Final Report,” February 1987.
Albright, Gary
Sapwater,
E., Images on Ice,
Child, Dr. Margaret, Preservation Planning and Assessment, http://www.nedcc.org/plam3/tleaf12.htm
July 3 –
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
Book
Bachman, Kostanze and Rebecca Anne Rushfield, Conservation
Concerns Principles of Storage, pp 5-9.
Hendriks, Klaus B. et al. Fundamentals of Photograph
Conservation: A Study Guide. Toronto : National Archives of Canada
Chapter 7
Paper Conservation as Applied to Photographs READ 289-353
Chapter 11 Condition Reporting READ
487-505
Hendriks, Klaus B. Conservation
Concerns Storage and Care of Photographs pp 39-45
Warning Signs: When Photographs Need
Conservation pp 47-52
Articles
Hendriks,
Klaus B., “Fingerprints on Photographs.”
Hollinshead, Patricia W. et al, Deteriorating
Negatives: A Health Hazard in Collection Management, Arizona State
Museum
Fischer, Monique, NEDCC Technical Leaflet: A Short
Guide to Film Plate Photographic Materials: Identification, Care, and
Duplication
Reilly, James M., Nishimura, Pavao and Adelstein,
“Photo Enclosures Research and Specifications,” Topics in Photographic
Preservation, Volume 3, 1989: 1-8.
Websites for consideration
Storage of
Photographic Materials.
http://www.fotoinfo.com/info/technicalinfo/storage.html
Stability of
Color Photographic Products
http://www.fotoinfo.com/info/technicalinfo/stability.html
Kodak, “Storage
and Care of KODAK Photographic Materials Before and After
Processing,”
September 1999. http://www.kodak.com/global/en/consumer/products/techInfo/e30/e30.pdf
Storage of Cellulose Acetate Collections: A
Preliminary Survey of Issues and Options, National Library of Australia,
February 2002. http://www.nla.gov.au/anica/storagecontents.html
Assignment/Lab: Students will be responsible for completing an in-class graded assignment
based on the previous week’s lab investigation.
This assignment will require them to identify characteristics of a
variety of images in various formats and conditions citing things such the type
of image, 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 requirements among other
topics. Please take this seriously.
While you may use your notes, you may not discuss your work with your fellow
classmates.
July 10th – Session 8: Disaster
Recovery
Hendriks, Klaus B. et al. Fundamentals of Photograph
Conservation: A Study Guide. Toronto : National Archives of Canada
Chapter 9 Disaster Preparedness
READ 405-419; 421-427
Hendriks, Klaus and B. Lesser, Disaster Recovery, Am
Arch 46 V 1, 52-68
Albright, Gary ,
Emergency Salvage Of Wet Photographs, Northeast Document
Conservation Center
Norris, Debra Hess, “Salvaging Photograph
Collections,” Conservation
Center
Lab: Recovery of a "broken" glass plate negative. Students will be assigned a broken negative.
The goal of this exercise is to build an enclosure to safely house the item.
July 17th
- 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.
Special
Guest: Jim Burke, Photographer CIDDE
Mr. Burke will bring samples of his
latest work on photographic restoration using digital technology and talk about
his strategies for digital restoration projects.
Required
Reading:
Arms, Carolyn R., Getting the Picture: Observations from
the Library of Congress on Providing Online Access to Pictorial Images,
National Digital Library Program & Information Technology Services, Library
of Congress, 1999. http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/techdocs/libt1999/libt1999.html
Identification of Digital
Prints http://aic.stanford.edu/sg/emg/juergens/
Preservation of Digital
Hardcopies http://www.knaw.nl/ecpa/publ/jurgens.html
Photography at a
Crossroads, Science News Online, http://www.sciencenews.org/20021123/bob10.asp
Wilhelm,
Henry, "Will my inkjet prints last as long as traditional photos? Yes, but
only if you choose printers, inks, and papers wisely,” February 2004.
http://www.wilhelm-research.com/pdf/GreatOutput_HW_RayW_Feb2004.pdf
MOVING IMAGE MEDIA
July 24 -Session 10: Moving
Image Basics
Required
The Film Preservation
Guide: The Basics for Archives, Libraries, and Museums.
Film Forever: The
Home Film Preservation Guide. http://www.filmforever.org.
Read,
Paul and Mark-Paul Meyer, eds. Restoration of Motion Picture Film.
Butterworth-Heinemann, 2000. Ch. 9-10, pp. 126-157.
Videotape Preservation Factsheets.
http://www.amianet.org/publication/resources/guidelines/videofacts/about.html
Wheeler, Jim. Videotape
Preservation Handbook. http://www.amianet.org/publication/resources/guidelines/WheelerVideo.pdf
July 31 -Session 11: Film Preserva