BBinding Conference

Presenter: Dr. Cordelia Rogerson, Head of Conservation, British Library /United Kingdom/

19/09/2014
Sofia, Bulgaria

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ABSTRACT:
This paper will discuss and demonstrate how conservation at the BL maintains an important balance between preserving the collection and enabling access by readers and researchers from across the world. In the current world economic climate accountability of public money is increasingly important yet in a time of reducing resources the demands for conservation work are growing. Seven different work streams or strands of work run concurrently every year. The work streams include conserving the core collection, high profile projects, exhibition work, loans, minor repairs, digitisation. These will be described along with the method to allocate time and resources to these work streams. New conservation skills have recently been developed by existing staff to enable these work streams and a wider skill incorporating more preventive conservation set will be developed in the next few years.

Even with a department of 36 conservators only a few hundred items a year will receive conservation treatment. The system used to prioritise which items are treated from the BL collections is essential to ensure the items with the greatest need are given treatment. This prioritising system will be discussed, including the advantages and disadvantages of the present method. Ideas for updating the process will be described.

Once items are selected for conservation a careful estimate of the time needed for treatment is necessary. A risk assessment model is used to ensure only the necessary work is done and no more. The principle for only undertaking the necessary work is called ‘fit for purpose.’ This means the object needs to be fit for its current future role and does not necessarily need full conservation. The estimating method used will be described including some project management tools to assist conservators in managing their projects carefully.

The paper will conclude by summarising the key performance indicators used to show the efficiency and impact of conservation within the BL. An evaluation of how the current approach does meet the libraries current needs will be given along with how plans to widen the current conservation skill set will meet the anticipated future needs.

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