News
The NEH-funded Sustainable Preservation Practices—Series II workshops are over but there is still time to sign up for the webinar series. The webinars are FREE – click on the “Webinar Info” tab for a description of each webinar and then register for as many as you’d like. There are nine webinars, each presented on a Wednesday between January and September 2013 from 2:00 to 3:30 EDT.
The guidebook developed for the Sustainable Preservation Practices—Series II is available for purchase through IPI’s online store. The survey of workshop participants asked if the information in the guidebook would be beneficial to them and at each venue 100% of respondents said yes. Many listed the guidebook as one of the most valuable aspects of the workshop. Responses included:
- “The Guidebook is very well organized and has a level of detail that is helpful and appropriate, both to supplement this workshop and to stand alone.”
- “The careful, balanced, analytic work is what we need to transform our data gathering into useful information and action.”
- “The Guidebook constitutes a guideline for the decisions we have to make to improve our conditions.”
For more information and to order the guidebook, click here.
About the Project
The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) Education & Training grant program has approved IPI’s application for Sustainable Preservation Practices for Managing Storage Environments—Series II. Funding will allow IPI to continue its very successful program of workshops and webinars for collections care, preservation, and facility management staff in cultural institutions. The series is designed to meet the ongoing need for information on current research and practice in environmental management and sustainable practice. The response to the original series, also funded by NEH, was remarkable, indicating a widespread interest in this topic. This second series will meet the continuing demand for this information by building on the success of the first series and expanding outreach to more institutions across the country.
Series II will provide instruction and guidance to the field through four regional workshops and nine webinars—all free of charge. These activities will take place between July 2012 and September 2013. Workshop venues included in this second series are: Denver Art Museum in the west, Folger Shakespeare Library in the northeast, Vizcaya Museum in the southeast, and Newberry Library in the Midwest.
Workshops will focus on achieving and maintaining an optimal and sustainable preservation environment—one that provides the best possible environment for long-term preservation with the least consumption of energy. Participants will receive IPI’s Sustainable Preservation Practices workbook which contains easy reference to the topics covered during the workshop along with useful references and web links, HVAC System documentation instructions, and suggestions for grant funding.
Webinars will be developed with a structured curriculum so that each presentation can stand alone as a reference on a particular topic. These presentations will focus on broad environmental challenges such as summer heat and humidity and winter dryness, along with suggestions on how to deal with them. Webinars will be archived and available on the project website.
Our goal is to provide useful tools and information that will allow participants to make informed decisions and to initiate a successful collaboration between collections care and facilities management staff.
About the Image Permanence Institute
The Image Permanence Institute, part of RIT’s College of Imaging Arts and Sciences, is a recognized world leader in the development and deployment of sustainable practices for the preservation of images and cultural property. The institute accomplishes this through a balanced program of research, education, products and services that meet the needs of individuals, companies, and institutions.
About the National Endowment for the Humanities
The National Endowment for the Humanities is an independent grant-making agency of the United States government dedicated to supporting research, education, preservation, and public programs in the humanities. It is one of the largest funders of humanities programs in the United States.
About Rochester Institute of Technology
Rochester Institute of Technology is internationally recognized for academic leadership in computing, engineering, imaging technology, and fine and applied arts, in addition to unparalleled support services for students with hearing loss. Nearly 16,800 full- and part-time students are enrolled in more than 200 career-oriented and professional programs at RIT, and its cooperative education program is one of the oldest and largest in the nation.