[NHCOLL-L:4856] Intro to Collections Preservation online course starts Monday

[helen at collectioncare.org]

There is still space available in the Collections
Preservation introductory course that starts on Monday.
 This is the last time this course will be offered in 2010.

MS104: An Introduction to Collections Preservation
Dates: July 5 through 30, 2010
Price: $475
Instructor: Helen Alten
Location: online at www.museumclasses.org

Description:
Every museum professional needs a solid foundation in
preservation principles and techniques. Introduction to
Collections Preservation provides an overview of current
preservation issues from environmental monitoring to
collection cleaning, exhibit mounts and storage furniture.
Participants learn about every aspect of the modern museum
and how the building, staff and fixtures affect
preservation. Subjects include the agents of deterioration,
risk management, object handling and transport, object
labeling, exhibit lighting, security, emergency
preparedness, materials for storage and display, storage
and exhibit philosophies, and condition assessments.

Course Outline:
1. Preservation Principles
2. Agents of Deterioration
3. Monitoring
4. Collection Handling
5. Collection Labeling
6. Collection Cleaning
7. Storage Principles
8. Exhibit Principles
9. Emergency Preparation
10. Conclusion

Logistics:
Participants in An Introduction to Collections Preservation
work at their own pace through 10 sections and interact
through online forums and chats. Instructor Helen Alten
will be available at scheduled times for email support.
Materials include online readings and lecture notes, slide
shows, quizzes and links to relevant web sites. The course
is limited to 20 participants.

An Introduction to Collections Preservation runs for four
weeks. To reserve a spot in the course, please pay at
http://www.collectioncare.org/tas/tas.html If you have
trouble please contact Helen Alten at
helen at collectioncare.org

Student Comments for MS104: An Introduction to Collections
Preservation:
"An online course like this is very convenient for people
who cannot attend classes in another city."

"I didn't really know what to expect because I had never
taken an online class before, nor had a taken any sort of
collections/preservation class. I definitely learned a lot;
I now understand the overall goals and practices of
collections preservation."

"I particularly liked seeing images in the PowerPoint
slides. They really can add to the understanding of a
topic."

"I really enjoyed the excellent course reading material. It
has really helped me understand so much more about the work
I do."

"I've been working as a collection manager for 10 years. I
have no formal training in museum techniques ?I thought
this class would solidify everything I've learned. I didn't
think I would learn anything new, but I did. Great course.
I would recommend it to anyone starting out in the museum
field."

"My experience with the MS104 online course has been
exceptional, a 10! ? Thank you! Thank you for such a high
quality and demanding workshop!"

"I AM THE ONE WHO SHOULD THANK YOU! EUREKA! I REALLY GAINED
ALOT AND REALLY ENJOYED STUDYING WITH YOU."

"It may have been an on-line course, but I feel like I've
got a textbook. And one written by many different sources,
two heads being better than one."

The Instructor:
Helen Alten, is the Director of Northern States
Conservation Center and its chief Objects Conservator. For
nearly 30 years she has been involved in objects
conservation, starting as a pre-program intern at the
Oriental Institute in Chicago and the University Museum of
the University of Pennsylvania. She completed a degree in
Archaeological Conservation and Materials Science from the
Institute of Archaeology at the University of London in
England. She has built and run conservation laboratories in
Bulgaria, Montana, Greece, Alaska and Minnesota. She has a
broad understanding of three-dimensional materials and
their deterioration, wrote and edited the quarterly
Collections Caretaker, maintains the popular
www.collectioncare.org web site, lectures throughout the
United States on collection care topics, was instrumental
in developing a state-wide protocol for disaster response
in small Minnesota museums, has written, received and
reviewed grants for NEH and IMLS, worked with local
foundations funding one of her pilot programs, and is
always in search of the perfect museum mannequin. She has
published chapters on conservation and deterioration of
archeological glass with the Materials Research Society and
the York Archaeological Trust, four chapters on different
mannequin construction techniques in Museum Mannequins: A
Guide for Creating the Perfect Fit (2002), preservation
planning, policies, forms and procedures needed for a small
museum in The Minnesota Alliance of Local History Museums'
Collection Initiative Manual, and is co-editor of the
penultimate book on numbering museum collections (still in
process) by the Gilcrease Museum in Oklahoma. Helen Alten
has been a Field Education Director, Conservator, and staff
trainer. She began working with people from small, rural,
and tribal museums while as the state conservator for
Montana and Alaska. Helen currently conducts conservation
treatments and operates a conservation center in
Charleston, WV and St. Paul, MN.