Caring for Collections: with Conservator Anne Hillam

348 Warren Street,Hudson NY 12534

06 November, 2022

Description

Come and learn how to care for collections in this two-hour, introductory hands-on workshop. Participants will walk away with a solid foundation on the long-term preservation of their collections, both large and small. Topics will include: the proper handling of objectsstorage of media-based materials,removing and placing books on shelvinghow to assess the fragility/health of an object and, if needed, how to properly support objects when in use. Following the introduction, through a lecture and powerpoint presentation, participants will learn key concepts and terms related to preservation, such as recognizing agents of deterioration, disaster response, and environmental monitoring. Midway through the workshop we will discuss proper methods for handling and storing collections. We will utilize hands-on demonstrations as well as examples of what to do and not to do when caring for collections. 10–10:15am — Welcome and Introduction 10:15–10:45am — Preservation Concepts 10:45–1:30 am — Storage and Handling 11:30–noon—Wrap-Up & Questions This free workshop made possible with support from the National Endowment for the Humanities. Note: Masks required Anne Hillam, a conservator in private practice providing conservation services for institutions and individuals in New York City and Western Massachusetts. She was recommended to us by our colleagues at The Morgan Library and has been in the field for more than 25 years specializing in the conservation of books and paper artifacts. She was previously Head of Conservation at the New York Academy of Medicine’s Gladys Brooks Book & Paper Conservation Laboratory. Anne is the Guest Lecturer for Book Conservation at the Garman Art Conservation Department at SUNY Buffalo State, a member of the Library and Archive Conservation Education (LACE) Consortium, and also teaches historic book structures both nationally and internationally, and is a Professional Associate in the American Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works (AIC). Toward opening new possibilities, The Flow Chart Foundation explores poetry and the interrelationships of various art forms as guided by the legacy of American poet John Ashbery and promotes engagement with his work. Because we believe that poetry is a powerful conduit to exploration, questioning, and resisting the status quo, The Flow Chart Foundation offers new ways to engage with it and its interplay with other artistic modes. Our programs feature the work of artists who help us challenge assumed perceptions of ourselves, one another, and the world. We love artistic work often thought of as “difficult,” and strive to offer inviting means for productively engaging with it. By showcasing the widest possible diversity of artists working now—from a variety of cultural, ethnic, gender-identified, and aesthetic backgrounds and viewpoints representing a breadth of generative, exploratory work that defies simple consumption—we expand our ability to question, to speak, to think, to dream, to accomplish. Through programs for both general and scholarly audiences that showcase innovative work by artists across disciplines, we feature new work that reflects and engages transformative values. We also celebrate Ashbery and his art as an inspirational and generative force. We maintain the Ashbery Resource Center to provide opportunities for deep exploration and scholarship, and present a variety of programs and exhibits through our Flow Chart Space and with partner organizations dedicated to serving our local community.