Melissa,

This can be a great vehicle for educating the public, antiquarians,
collectors, etc. about what a museum does, what a museum's special needs
are, and how they can help preserve the community's heritage. Questers and
other groups are very helpful in donating funds to preserve objects in
museum collections. Even a $100 check presentation for such a purpose is
often a great pr & "photo op" for both the museum and the group.

Learning about conservation can also get people thinking about how to care
for their own personal collections or family heirlooms, which is a very
worthwhile educational "side effect" of such efforts.

To carry it a step further, some museums and historical societies have
obtained grant funding to subsidize presenting a series of talks for the
public where conservators speak about caring for family treasures and
personal collections.

I used to do this myself at the Chautauqua Institution's Summer Institute as
I saw there was/is quite a need for this, and people are eager to learn. I'm
not a conservator so I didn't get into any treatment or repair info. I did
inform them about conservators, let them know to contact the AIC referral
service, and handed out AIC informational brochures.

I stressed preservation and conservation, not restoration. I introduced
people to the very basics of collections maintenance, e.g., what to look out
for, what causes damage - light, dirt, pests, handling, heat, moisture,
etc., and simple things they can do to mitigate such effects- use window
blinds, rotate items on display, use gloves where appropriate, how to
handle, using acid-free storage & framing materials, avoid displaying over
heating/AC registers,etc., etc. People were very appreciative to receive
this information.

A public program such as this paired with adopting a museum object needing
conservation could be a good way to generate good pr & attention for your
museum.

Nancy


----- Original Message -----
From: "Melissa de Bie" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Thursday, October 02, 2003 1:24 PM
Subject: conservation adoptions


> Hello
>
> Has anyone had any experience with soliciting funding sources for specific
> object conservation at smaller institutions?  I am serving on a committee
> that has suggested creating a 'wish-list' for objects that need to be
> conserved and soliciting people to 'adopt' that object for conservation
> work.
>
> This makes me feel uncomfortable (for obvious reasons).  Has anyone done
> something similar?  I'd like to hear about it!
>
> Melissa de Bie
> Collections Manager
> Rock County Historical Society
> P.O. Box 8096
> Janesville, WI 53547-8096
> (608) 756-4509
> [log in to unmask]
>
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