SCA are pleased to announce a new webinar series exploring environmental monitoring, and to guide archivists and other heritage professionals through a complex subject.
We are delighted that our first session, on 30 November 2022, was given by Prof Jane Henderson, Secretary General of the International Institute for Conservation (IIC):
Session One: Relative Humidity Questions – Why is there never a simple answer?
Jane demystifies those familiar wiggly lines, providing guidance on managing environments and knowing when to take action. Informed by standard BS EN 16893:2018 (Conservation of Cultural Heritage), Jane will explore the technical aspects of environment control, exploring the how and why of managing it. This is a key challenge for busy archivists, many without the support of conservators and dedicated preservation managers, and in sites not purpose built to store records. This session also provides references to equip you to discuss a collection’s needs with colleagues from within your own organisation, such as property managers or facilities teams, who can support the goal of achieving a stable environment, and identifying responsibilities and how to delegate these.
About Jane:
Jane Henderson, BSc, MSc, PACR, FIIC, is a Professor of Conservation and the Secretary General of the International Institute for Conservation. Jane serves on the editorial panel of the Journal of the Institute for Conservation, is a co-opted member on the trustee board of the Welsh Federation of Museum and Art Galleries and is a visiting Researcher of the Scientific Conservation Institute in Beijing. Jane serves on the European standards body CEN TC 346 WG11 and on the BSI standard group B/560 concerned with the conservation of Tangible Cultural heritage. Jane was delighted and honoured to win the Plowden medal in 2021.
Session Two: Environmental Monitoring and Archives Accreditation
Melinda Haunton, Programme Manager (Archive Service Accreditation), The National Archives, explores the place of environmental control and monitoring within Archive Service Accreditation, the UK management standard for archive services. The webinar looks at what assessment is looking for in terms of good performance, and how environmental monitoring and control fit more broadly within the policy and planning of an archive service. The session discusses how standards relate to the needs and position of individual archive services, to offer pragmatic support to service delivery.