Conservation (1): What is conservation?

In this new series, we will explore the importance of conservation work for LHSA collections. From the very basics of what 'conservation' entails in an archival context to examining some significant case studies from recent years, we will show you some of the work that takes place behind the scenes and that is essential to grant access to collection items.

 

What is Conservation?

Conservation aims to stabilise the condition of, and limit any further damage and deterioration to, a given object whilst working ethically to provide the best treatment possible. It can be broadly divided into two interrelated categories. Interventive conservation involves treatment to address the chemical and physical effects of damage and deterioration, cleaning and tear repair, whereas preventive conservation includes the provision of proper storage and monitoring and control of the environment. Conservation seeks to ensure long-term preservation and, in the case of LHSA, to enable continued safe access to a historically, socially and medically important collection.

LHSA's Preservation and Conservation Programme

LHSA aims to undertake collection-wide preventive conservation strategies, coupled with interventive conservation treatment of individual items or series as necessary in order to address the preservation and conservation needs of the collections. Core work funded from the annual budget is coupled with externally-funded projects and the programme is formalised in the LHSA Preservation and Conservation Policy. Please contact us if you'd like to consult the full policy, or for any further information.

LHSA has played a key role in developing the University of Edinburgh's Disaster Response and Recovery Plan for its rare/unique collections. The Plan covers LHSA material and ensures that we offer best-practice collection care. An edited version of the Plan (with all sensitive data redacted) is available here.

Pile of paperclips.

Core Conservation

LHSA has spent years establishing a conservation profile and now has an active programme  of preservation and conservation work funded by the annual budget. This ranges from surveys to determine the condition of all or parts of the collections to preventive conservation measures to stabilise and, where possible, improve the climate in which the collections are housed; for example, environmental monitoring and re-housing. Interventive treatment of individual items is also undertaken as necessary. For example, conserving bound volumes and architectural plans. Supplementary work includes photographic and written documentation, writing applications for external funding, and disseminating the results of LHSA's core and project work via presentations, publications, workshops and tours.

Access to the collections is also supported through the preservation and conservation programme. Examples include the provision of guidelines and training on handling, the production of surrogates or substitutes as necessary, and the preparation and installation of exhibitions.

Surface cleaning using an eraser and a natural hair brush.

Core conservation work may be undertaken in-house or contracted-out to specialist commercial companies depending on the material nature and quantity of items to be treated, the treatment required and the availability of funds from the annual budget.

Conservation Projects

LHSA is committed to generating project funding to supplement core conservation work. In recent years, grants have been secured from the Wellcome Trust, the National Archives of Scotland, and the National Manuscripts Conservation Trust. Awards have ranged from £649 to part-fund the conservation of four handmade Clennell booklets and £1,100 to treat indexes to the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh general register of patients to £120,000 to preserve twentieth-century folder-based medical case notes. Work may also be undertaken by project staff specially recruited or contracted-out to specialist commercial companies as appropriate.

 

Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh Indexes to the General Registers before treatment.

 

All core preservation and conservation work as well as projects are governed by the LHSA Preservation and Conservation Policy and adhere to professional standards and best practice for both treatment and documentation.

LHSA gratefully acknowledges the support it has received from external funders.