Northern States Conservation Center announces a repeat in January of its
popular basic preservation course: An Introduction to Collections
Preservation.
MS 104 An Introduction to Collections Preservation
Instructor: Helen Alten
Dates: January 9 to February 4, 2006
Cost: $395
The tools of a museum professional include a basic understanding of
preservation principles and techniques. This course provides an overview
of current preservation issues, from environmental monitoring to
collection cleaning, exhibit mounts and storage furniture. Covering every
aspect of the modern museum, and how the building, staff and fixtures
affect preservation of the collection, this workshop provides an overview
that participants can use in future decision-making about their
collection. 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 will be discussed. This
introductory course provides basic knowledge that is expanded in all of
our other courses.
Register for the class by purchasing it at:
http://www.collectioncare.org/tas/tas.html
The course is taken at your own pace, on-line, with a weekly on-line chat
with the instructor. You can take the course from any computer with
Internet access. There are no travel costs. If you have any
questions, please contact the course instructor, Helen Alten, at
[log in to unmask].
(A list of the first six months of our 2006 courses is available at:
http://www.collectioncare.org/index.html)
Course Outline:
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Comments by former students:
“I liked the informality, the knowledge of the instructor, the
complete information of the course. An online course like this is
very convenient for people who cannot attend classes in another city
because of their work commitments. Getting museum-related studies
is very difficult for someone who does not live near one of the few
Universities that offer it. I liked this introductory class,
because it gives an overview of many topics, and provides very useful
information.” - August 2005 student in MS 104
“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, and feel comfortable with some of
the language used in the field.” - August 2005 student in MS 104
“Everything was very good, but I particularly liked seeing images in the
PowerPoint slides. They really can add to the understanding of a topic.
Although I was familiar with most of the additional readings it was good
to have all the information grouped together in one location according to
various topics.” February 2005 student in MS 104
“I really enjoyed the excellent course reading material. It has
really helped me understand so much more about the work I do. After
the course, I will continue to read the material that I didn’t get
to. It has made me feel much more purposeful in my job. The
powerpoint presentations were excellent and I found that they highlighted
points that I missed from the reading material. They really helped
to cement the information! I like these presentations a lot and
looked forward to them after the reading had been done. I wasn’t sure
what to expect from the online chats, but they were so much fun and
really did create a sense of being in a class. It was very good to
have this place in the course where questions could be answered. I
thought it was actually easier to ask questions during the online chats
than it is sometimes in the conventional classroom situation.” - February
2005 student in MS 104
“The lectures were succinct, with links allowing greater inquiry,
depending on one’s need / interest. The PowerPoint slideshows are
nice as they provide visual cues to much of the lecture content.
The extra readings are good for reference purposes.” - February 2005
student in MS 104
“I’ve been working as a collection manager for 10 years. I
have no formal training in museum techniques. I picked up
things here and there throughout the years. 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. I
was surprised how knowledgeable Helen was. Most people don’t
know much about natural history collections, but Helen did and answered
all my questions.” - February 2005 student in MS 104
“My experience with the MS104 online course has been exceptional, a 10!
The amount of information was almost too much to digest and far exceeded
the amount of information I’ve received in any other workshop. Thank you!
Thank you for such a high quality and demanding workshop! Although I feel
as though I wasn’t able to put in 100% at all times because of my work
schedule, the information offered exceeded my expectations and required
me to really focus on learning the material in a way that other
workshops/courses have/do not. Thank you.” - February 2005 student in MS
104
“I AM THE ONE WHO SHOULD THANK YOU! EUREKA! I REALLY GAINED ALOT AND
REALLY ENJOYED STUDYING WITH YOU AND HOPE TO MEET YOU AGAIN IN A FUTURE
CHANCE.” July 2004 student in MS 104
“For one, I really appreciate all the reading material, both the lectures
and the additional readings. 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. Secondly,
the overview. I mean, I realize that the class is an
overview. But I really like the fact that my “textbook” covers so
many different subjects and gives a beginner like myself a good
foundation to build upon and also, more confidence. Third, I like
the on-line chats which afforded us students time to talk to the
instructor just like we were in the same room. Even though it is a
little daunting to try and read everything and type at the same
time. But that’s just the nature of the beast. I also liked
the laid-back feeling of the course, the self-pacing, and the
informality.” July 2004 student in MS 104