About Conservation

Though the words “conservation,” “restoration” and “preservation” are often used interchangeably there are subtle differences of meaning.

The term “conservation” generally denotes actions taken to achieve physical and chemical stability of an object of cultural significance. Conservation primarily deals with single items as opposed to collections of items. For paper-based objects such as artworks and books, treatment might involve surface-cleaning to remove dirt, washing to reduce acidity, or mending tears with Japanese paper and starch paste.

“Restoration” includes the process of conservation but extends beyond stabilization in attempting to regain a semblance of the object’s original appearance. In restoring a book, the conservator attempts to retain and incorporate the original materials, such as endpapers, covers and bindings. New materials added in restoration are durable, functional and as unobtrusive as possible with no attempt made at deception. Interventive treatments are reversible to provide for future conservation developments.

“Preservation” refers to more far-reaching activities with the aim of long-term care of an object or collections of objects such as those found in libraries, archives and museums. Preservation can include:

• Environmental monitoring for proper humidity and temperature levels

• Protecting the storage area from dust, dirt, water, insects and vermin

• Proper storage and handling of objects

• Housing fragile materials in protective enclosures made of archival quality materials

• Conservation framing of documents, photographs and artworks

• Individual conservation treatment of objects as necessary

All ECS conservation treatments conform to the Code of Ethics and Guidelines for Practice as provided by The American Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works (AIC).
 

Conservation and Preservation Links

American Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works (AIC) AIC is a national organization whose members are preservation and conservation professionals. The AIC web site contains useful information for both members and the general public. Subjects include disaster recovery, caring for your treasures, grant information, and selecting and working with a conservator.   Conservation OnLine (CoOL) CoOL, a project of the Preservation Department of the Stanford University Libraries, covers topics related to the conservation and preservation of library and museum collections. The content is submitted from a variety of sources, and the centerpiece of the site is an extensive, fully-searchable database of the entire CoOL document library. CoOL also contains links to various preservation organizations, reports, bibliographics, and mailing lists.   Behind the Scenes at the Struppa Collection Aboutbookbinding.com Library of Congress Preservation Directorate CBBAG Quarterly Newsletter American Academy of Bookbinding Abbey Publications The American Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works (AIC) and The Book and Paper Group American Library Association - Preservation Policy Canadian Conservation Institute (CCI) Conservation OnLine (CoOL) Council on Library and Information Resources (CLIR) European Preservation Information Center (EPIC) Heritage Preservation Library of Congress Preservation Directorate National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) (NIC) National Library of Australia (NIC) Western Association for Art Conservation (WAAC) Preservation Education Amigos Library Services Preservation Service Books at Virginia: Rare Book School Preservation and Conservation Studies Program at The University of Texas at Austin The Preservation Educators' Exchange SOLINET Preservation Service Books, Paper, and Photographs American Museum of Papermaking Antiquarian Booksellers' Association of America Canadian Bookbinders and Book Artists Guild The Daguerreian Society Friends of Dard Hunter   Related Links Guild of Bookworkers Guild of Bookworkers Southeast Chapter Institute of Paper Conservation Monique Lallier's web site Internet Resources   Albumen Photographs: History, Science and Preservation Journal of Conservation & Museum Studies Library of Congress National Archives and Records Administration - Cold Storage Handling Guidelines from Photographs National Park Service. Conserve-O-Gram Mark Roosa, "Care and Handling and Storage of Photographs" (IFLA) Henry Wilhelm The Book Arts Web & The Book Arts Web Electronic Meeting Place Binder's Guild Newsletter A journal of hand bookbinding practice.   Other Places of Interest   ABEBooks Find Rare and Used Books. The August Derleth Society Find out about Wisconsin’s most prolific author. Bay Area Art Conservation Guild (BAACG) Book Finder.com Over 40 million new, used, rare, and out of print books at your fingertips. California Preservation Clearinghouse (CPC) The Chicago Area Conservation Group ECCO The HF Group Washington Conservation Guild