2024 Workshops & Webinars
Deep Dives: An In-Depth Look at Threats to Your Collection
Take a Deep Dive with GHHN as we explore three of the agents of deterioration: pests, water, and theft!
Deep Dive: Stressed About Pests? June 6, 2024 9:30 AM - 4:00 PM Historical Society of Rockland County, New City Pests (insects and vertebrates) can do irreversible damage to objects of historic and artistic value. Preventing such damage is an essential element of best practices in collection care and requires the design and implementation of an Integrated Pest Management (IPM) policy and plan. Rachael Arenstein of A.M Art Conservation and founding member and current Co-Chair of the Integrated Pest Management Working Group will lead this workshop which will introduce participants to multiple aspects of IPM. Topics covered will include policy and procedure; preventing infestation; trapping and monitoring; basic pest identification; and remedial treatment. The workshop is designed for museum staff and volunteers needing to develop basic IPM knowledge or establish or improve an IPM program in their institution. Workshop participants will learn how to:
Deep Dive: After the Flood July 31, 2024 9:30 AM - 4:00 PM Boscobel House and Gardens, Garrison What would you do if you were confronted with wet collection materials at your site - either after a flood or storm, or after a fire was put out? Did you know that actions taken within the first few hours of a water emergency play a crucial role in ensuring the long-term survival of complex and fragile materials Led by conservator and preservation consultant Donia Conn, this full-day workshop will provide participants with a unique hands-on experience in the wet salvage of historical collections (book, paper, and photographic items to textiles, furniture, and ethnographic objects) that happens after a water disaster (a flood or wet collections after the fire department puts out a fire). Participants will learn about salvage priorities and participate in exercises recovering materials commonly found in heritage-keeping institutions. Documentation of sample artifacts used in the course is planned so participants can see how wet materials react to various handling, packing, freezing, and drying processes. Workshop participants will learn how to:
Deep Dive: Security Solutions September 25, 2024 9:30 AM - 4:00 PM Ten Broeck Mansion, Albany Theft and vandalism of historical objects plague museums nationwide. And yet, many repositories still fail to recognize the vulnerability of their collections to loss. Any museum seeking to provide the best possible security for its collections must implement coordinated policies that address threats for long-term sustainable access to the public. With careful planning, awareness of warning signs, and proactive security solutions, museums can reduce the window of opportunity for collection damage and theft. This full-day workshop, which will be led by conservator and preservation consultant Donia Conn, is a deep dive into the theft and vandalism of collections. In the morning, participants will learn about: risk awareness; insider theft; facility design and security technology; security of information systems; working with vendors and contractors; research room management and design; developing institutional security policies and procedures; and post-event response. In the afternoon, an activity will allow participants to assess a staged museum space and identify the site's theft risk. Workshop participants will learn:
|
This workshop series is generously funded by the Hudson River Valley Greenway/Maurice D. Hinchey Hudson River Valley National Heritage Area. The Maurice D. Hinchey Hudson River Valley National Heritage Area was established by Congress in 1996 and is funded through the National Park Service and Department of the Interior. The mission of the Maurice D. Hinchey Hudson River Valley National Heritage Area is to recognize, preserve, protect and interpret the nationally significant historic, cultural and natural resources of the Hudson River Valley for the benefit of the Nation. The Hudson River Valley Greenway is the management entity for the Maurice D. Hinchey Hudson River Valley National Heritage Area. For more information, visit www.hudsonrivervalley.com.
Have an idea for a program you'd like us to run? Let us know!