Current Training Programs

Conservation can be expensive, but it can also yield immense preservation benefits for the objects in your care and open up new possibilities for how your objects are accessed, displayed, and used. Join NEDCC’s Associate Paper Conservator Katie Boodle as she walks participants through the key considerations of planning and implementing a conservation project to make your funds go as far possible. Participants will learn about conservation project components, additional options like digital reformatting, framing and facsimile production, and grant opportunities that cultural heritage organizations can pursue to make their goals a reality. Case studies of NEDCC’s own conservation projects will help attendees understand how conservation can support their project goals.

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This session will introduce participants to a critical part of any digitization project or digital preservation program: ensuring the digital files in your care are well-formed and valid. The instructor will define file validation and its benefits and discuss how and when an institution can implement validation into their digitization and digital preservation workflows. Participants will receive an overview of available file validation tools and watch a demo of the popular free validation tool JHOVE. Participants will receive a package of files and an activity sheet that they may choose to complete after the webinar to gain hands-on experience with validation.

Participants who are eligible Certified Archivists earn 1 Archival Recertification Credit (ARC) through the Academy of Certified Archivists.

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The six-session online course offers an in-depth introduction to the preservation of photographs, including their identification, deterioration, and care. Participants will learn how to recognize various photographic processes ranging from daguerreotypes to contemporary prints. Preservation problems associated with specific processes will also be studied. The course will address storage concerns and preservation priorities, including environmental guidelines, enclosures, and proper care and handling. The course will include an optional assignment in which participants create a preservation plan for a selected photographic collection within their institution. This course is intended for individuals who want to learn in more detail how to care for photographs including curators, collection managers, exhibit preparations, catalogers, archivists , photographers and collectors.

03/03/2021 Session 1: Introduction – Photograph Preservation Checklist
03/10/2021 Session 2: Paper, Glass and Plastic: Id and Care of Negatives
03/17/2021 Session 3: Finding a Balance: Caring for Cased Images
03/24/2021 Session 4: Black and White Photographic Processes:  Salt to Silver Gelatin Print
03/31/2021 Session 5: Color and Contemporary Photography
04/07/2021 Session 6: Review of Course and Preservation Plans

Participants who are eligible Certified Archivists earn 10 Archival Recertification Credits (ARCs) through the Academy of Certified Archivists.

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Pests and mold are common culprits for damage and loss in cultural heritage collections. While preventing infestation is central to good preservation practice, there may come a time when you discover pests or mold (or both) in your collections. This webinar covers strategies for preventing and mitigating issues in library, archives, museum, and personal collections, as well as institutional policies and procedures that can be implemented to reduce the risk of infestation.

Participants who are eligible Certified Archivists earn 2 Archival Recertification Credits (ARCs) through the Academy of Certified Archivists.

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An introduction to the basics of caring for object collections, this webinar will discuss common vulnerabilities of artworks and three-dimensional objects, as well as proper handling and storage conditions. Recommendations for specific material types will be provided, such as environmental standards for metals, ceramics, and textiles. The webinar will also explore preservation approaches that are appropriate for mixed-collections spaces.

Participants who are eligible Certified Archivists earn 2 Archival Recertification Credits (ARCs) through the Academy of Certified Archivists.

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From March 2021 – June 2021, NEDCC is providing free emergency preparedness training for South Carolina cultural heritage organizations sponsored by the South Carolina State Library and funded by the Institute of Museum and Library Services.

By attending this unique training series, you will—over a period of a few short months—prepare your organization to protect cultural heritage materials during the next disaster. 

Course Components

Please plan to attend all workshops and webinars in the course, as they build on one another.

Orientation Meeting - March 23, 2021 - 2pm-4pm
Webinar #1  - April 6, 2021 - 2pm-4pm
Webinar #2 - April 13, 2021 - 2pm-4pm
Webinar #3 - April 27, 2021 - 2pm-4pm
Collection Salvage - May (TBD)
Disaster Plan Stress Test - June (TBD)

Who should attend?

This course is open to individuals associated with South Carolina cultural heritage organizations, county government departments and personnel, and offices involved with emergency management and public safety.

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The proliferation of digital preservation tools can make it difficult to select the software--or combination of software--that meets your organization’s needs. This webinar provides participants with a process to identify and evaluate digital preservation software, addressing topics that include working with IT, open-source vs. proprietary, the sustainability of tools, and which elements of a digital preservation workflow a tool supports. Procedures for testing tools will also be covered, and tools with robust testing opportunities, such as Archivematica, will be demonstrated. Participants will conclude the webinar with a strong understanding of how to articulate their needs and identify software that builds their digital preservation capabilities.

Participants who are eligible Certified Archivists earn 2 Archival Recertification Credits (ARCs) through the Academy of Certified Archivists.

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From March 2021 – June 2021, NEDCC is providing free emergency preparedness training for South Carolina cultural heritage organizations sponsored by the South Carolina State Library and funded by the Institute of Museum and Library Services.

By attending this unique training series, you will—over a period of a few short months—prepare your organization to protect cultural heritage materials during the next disaster. 

Course Components

Please plan to attend all workshops and webinars in the course, as they build on one another.

Orientation Meeting - March 26, 2021 - 2pm-4pm
Webinar #1  - April 6, 2021 - 2pm-4pm
Webinar #2 - April 13, 2021 - 2pm-4pm
Webinar #3 - April 27, 2021 - 2pm-4pm
Collection Salvage - May (TBD)
Disaster Plan Stress Test - June (TBD) 

Who should attend?

This course is open to individuals associated with South Carolina cultural heritage organizations, county government departments and personnel, and offices involved with emergency management and public safety. 

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From March 2021 – June 2021, NEDCC is providing free emergency preparedness training for South Carolina cultural heritage organizations sponsored by the South Carolina State Library and funded by the Institute of Museum and Library Services. 

By attending this unique training series, you will—over a period of a few short months—prepare your organization to protect cultural heritage materials during the next disaster. 

Course Components

Please plan to attend all workshops and webinars in the course, as they build on one another.

Orientation Meeting - March 30, 2021 - 2pm-4pm
Webinar #1  - April 6, 2021 - 2pm-4pm
Webinar #2 - April 13, 2021 - 2pm-4pm
Webinar #3 - April 27, 2021 - 2pm-4pm
Collection Salvage - May (TBD)
Disaster Plan Stress Test - June (TBD) 

Who should attend?

This course is open to individuals associated with South Carolina cultural heritage organizations, county government departments and personnel, and offices involved with emergency management and public safety. 

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Participants who attend this webinar will learn about the stages of building and sustaining a digital preservation program in order to make optimal use of their available resources. The instructor will introduce a variety of assessment methods that will help an organization launch their planning process and will introduce policies and procedures that form the foundation of a mature digital preservation program. In addition to assessment and policy-making, participants will conclude the webinar knowing how to identify and work with stakeholders and to engage with communities of practice that support skill- and resource-sharing.

Participants who are eligible Certified Archivists earn 2 Archival Recertification Credits (ARCs) through the Academy of Certified Archivists.

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Part 1: April 8 2021
Part 2: April 15, 2021

Who should attend: Anyone who wants to write a disaster plan for their organization or have NEDCC review their current disaster plan

Having a disaster plan is an important part of collections stewardship. This two-part course empowers participants to complete the critical stages of becoming more prepared for the unexpected.

Part 1 of 2 guides participants through the prerequisite stage of writing a disaster plan: conducting a comprehensive risk assessment that identifies and evaluates potential threats based on an organization’s region, building, collections, and history.

Part 2 of 2 walks participants through the elements of writing a disaster plan, including forming a response team, creating salvage priorities, putting together a supplies kit, drafting salvage procedures, and making floor plans. Participants will finish this two-part series with a method for risk assessment and a disaster plan template having all the knowledge necessary to move forward with the planning process.

At the end of the series, participants can share their organization’s disaster plan with the instructor for feedback and review.

Participants who are eligible Certified Archivists earn 2 Archival Recertification Credits (ARCs) through the Academy of Certified Archivists.

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Free for Preservation Week!

This webinar will offer guidance and resources about preserving our “digital lives” – after all, digital files are today’s scrapbooks and personal collections. These digital assets represent a significant investment in both time and resources, and are often more fragile than we realize. This webinar will prepare you to collect your emails, photos, videos, and text messages and create a personal plan to ensure they are cared for well into the future

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Town, municipal, and county clerks care for historic ledgers, documents, and other records, while fulfilling everyday responsibilities to the community. By applying the preservation practices in this training webinar, municipal records holders can make the best decisions for the care and handling of their records today, while ensuring that they will be accessible for future generations. The methods and goals discussed in this webinar will help take the worry out of your responsibilities to your records.

Participants who are eligible Certified Archivists earn 1 Archival Recertification Credit (ARC) through the Academy of Certified Archivists.

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Disasters in or around our institutions can lead to loss in cultural heritage collections. While preventing and planning for disasters are important pieces of an overall preservation strategy, there may come a time when you need to recover your collections following an incident. This webinar covers strategies for prioritizing and triaging your collections for recovery, as well as techniques for salvaging books, works on paper, and audiovisual materials.

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In this 1-hour “hands on” webinar, participants will learn about various surface cleaning methods that can be safely used to clean books and paper. Using a combination of lecture and live demonstration, the pros and cons and appropriate application of each method will be discussed. Each participant will receive a supply kit in the mail and will have the opportunity to participate in a unique hands-on experience. This class is appropriate for anyone responsible for the care of paper-based collections – no previous conservation experience is necessary. The registration fee includes supply kit and shipping.

Participants who are eligible Certified Archivists earn 1 Archival Recertification Credit (ARC) through the Academy of Certified Archivists.

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This hands-on workshop offers an introduction to the preservation of photographs, including their identification, deterioration, and care. Participants will learn how to recognize various photographic processes ranging from daguerreotypes to inkjet prints. Preservation problems associated with specific processes will also be studied. The workshop will address storage concerns and preservation priorities, including environmental guidelines, enclosures, and proper care and handling. Participants are encouraged to bring photographs for examination and discussion. 

The one-day workshop is intended for individuals who want to learn how to care for photographs including curators, collection managers, exhibit preparations, catalogers, archivists, photographers and collectors.

Participants who are eligible Certified Archivists earn 2 Archival Recertification Credits (ARCs) through the Academy of Certified Archivists.

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PLEASE NOTE:  This workshop, originally scheduled to take place on April 20, 2021, has been postponed to October 26, 2021.

This hands-on workshop offers an introduction to the preservation of photographs, including their identification, deterioration, and care. Participants will learn how to recognize various photographic processes ranging from daguerreotypes to inkjet prints. Preservation problems associated with specific processes will also be studied. The workshop will address storage concerns and preservation priorities, including environmental guidelines, enclosures, and proper care and handling. Participants are encouraged to bring photographs for examination and discussion. 

The one-day workshop is intended for individuals who want to learn how to care for photographs including curators, collection managers, exhibit preparations, catalogers, archivists, photographers and collectors.

Participants who are eligible Certified Archivists earn 2 Archival Recertification Credits (ARCs) through the Academy of Certified Archivists.

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PLEASE NOTE: After purchase allow 24-48 hours to receive a login and password to access this webinar session.  

Closing a cultural heritage facility may be part of an institution’s seasonal schedule or caused by a disaster or stay-at-home order. Regardless of the cause, extended closures have serious implications for the preservation of an organization’s collections. This webinar introduces participants to collections concerns that arise when a building is not accessed regularly and recommends practical solutions for adapting an organization’s disaster plan and implementing practical mitigation and monitoring strategies in-house. A portion of the webinar will be reserved for attendees to ask questions and share their own experiences with extended closure, and participants are encouraged to contact the instructor with specific questions following the conclusion of the webinar.

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Most digital preservation software uses free, smaller tools that run on the command line. This webinar introduces attendees to Windows command line tools, including ROBOCOPY, MD5DEEP, FIDO, EXIFTOOL, and BagIt. Participants will receive an introduction to the command line and a demonstration of these tools in a workflow that breaks down the steps most digital preservation software automates for you. Watch this webinar if you want to learn more about the command line, gain a deeper practical understanding of digital preservation activities, and make more informed decisions about the workflows you build. Watch Building an Easy Digital Preservation Workflow with Small Tools to learn how to use more free digital preservation tools and build your workflow.

Duration: 2 hours

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PLEASE NOTE: After purchase allow 24-48 hours to receive a login and password to access this webinar session. 

This webinar instructs participants on good practices for caring for oversized materials in their collections, including those made of paper (e.g. posters, maps, large books, architectural plans) and textiles (e.g. flags, quilts). Storage and handling methods will be covered in detail. Participants will gain a solid understanding of how to protect oversized collections and will receive a decision-making tree and a bibliography.

NEDCC also offers an in-person, hands-on workshop on caring for oversized collections that goes into greater detail than this one-hour webinar. If you are interested in receiving a cost proposal, please contact us at info@nedcc.org.

Duration: 1 hour

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Scrapbooks document personal moments alongside local and national history. The variety of records and materials inside--and the myriad methods of fastening them to the page--pose significant preservation challenges. Participants will learn about the structure of scrapbooks, the types of materials commonly found in them, methods of attachment, implications for preservation and conservation, and how to provide the best level of care for scrapbook collections. Low-cost, in-house preservation approaches are included.  

Duration: 1 hour

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PLEASE NOTE: After purchase allow 24-48 hours to receive a login and password to access this webinar session. 

Historic collections often have many framed items not currently on display, including paintings, art on paper, and photographic prints, and even three dimensional objects and ephemera. These objects can be difficult to store safely, and prioritizing them for re-framing or other treatment can be difficult. This session will discuss common problems with framed objects, guidance for reframing, and safe, effective storage options for items in frames and unframed oversized items.

Duration: 1 hour

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Originally developed by Tim Walsh at Concordia University, this webinar covers the identification of various removable media and organizing workflows for capturing and ingesting the data contained on these media at collecting institutions. For the capture of data, we will touch on disk imaging and digital forensics, and go over some of the programs that are being used to extract, package, and manage data for collections. We conclude with considerations for choosing whether to complete projects in-house or with a vendor.

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PLEASE NOTE: After purchase allow 24-48 hours to receive a login and password to access this webinar session.

Many audiovisual and moving image collections are at risk due to their material instability and the ever-growing issue of technological obsolescence. While reformatting is a valuable tool for both preservation and access, preserving the original objects nevertheless remains important.  Perhaps the most important action that archivists can take to guarantee the long-term preservation of audiovisual objects is to ensure that they are held in the proper storage conditions. This webinar provides an introduction and overview of best storage practices. It will identify appropriate packing and storage containers and include a detailed discussion of proper environmental standards. Formats covered during the webinar will include magnetic tape, motion picture film, and photographs. It is suitable for both new and experienced professionals and will be taught by Jean-Louis Bigourdan, Senior Research Scientist at the Image Permanence Institute.

Duration: 90 minutes

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PLEASE NOTE: After purchase allow 24-48 hours to receive a login and password to access this webinar session.

Oral histories, which are nearly ubiquitous in archival and cultural heritage collections, capture first-hand accounts of their subjects and are particularly valuable resources as they often record the histories and memories of underrepresented people and groups. However, oral history interviews may be maintained on a variety of media formats (both analog and digital), which can make them daunting to care for. This 90-minute webinar will offer guidance to those archivists charged with maintaining these important recordings and will present a workflow—from beginning to end—for how best to process, preserve, and make accessible oral history materials. The webinar will also introduce some important concepts that are particular to oral history collections, including conversations on ethical considerations, the use of outside vendors, and the role of transcription and index tagging. This is a beginner-level webinar and previous experience processing oral history and/or audiovisual collections is not required. The course will be taught by Mary Larson, Associate Dean for Special Collections at Oklahoma State University Library and former President of the Oral History Association and Sarah Milligan Associate Professor and Head of the Oklahoma Oral History Research Program at Oklahoma State University.

Duration: 90 minutes

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NEH Preservation Assistance Grants for Smaller Institutions are relatively easy to apply for and have launched successful preservation projects and programs in institutions across the country. Be ready for the round of applications! This webinar is presented by an NEDCC Preservation Specialist and covers the issues that should be considered when preparing to submit an NEH Preservation Assistance Grant. Emphasis will be on preparing the grant narrative, making the case for your project, and getting requisite information from consultants. 

Duration: 1 hour

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Recorded as part of a REALM (REopening Archives, Libraries, and Museums) project webinar offered on October 8, 2020. Bexx Caswell-Olson, Director of Book Conservation at the Northeast Document Conservation Center, shares some considerations when thinking about coronavirus disinfection options.

Duration: 19 minutes

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Join us for a look behind the scenes in NEDCC’s Photograph Conservation Laboratory and learn about discoveries of unique photographic materials that illuminate the nation’s past.

Images are everywhere… on your living room walls, in your family albums, on the sides of buses and on your phone. However, the actual physical photograph can sometimes be taken for granted…forgotten in an attic, a shoebox, or a trunk. This webinar will cover the highlights of three photograph conservation  projects at NEDCC. Photographic collections and unique objects that were rediscovered and brought back into the public’s eye.

• North Hampton (NH) Heritage Commission found two 19^th century viewers with fourteen photographs on curved wooden frames in an attic during a photographic survey of their campus.  This rare find of Megalethoscope slides and their viewer provided both a conservation challenge and opportunity to recreate a historic process. 
  
  
• Greensboro History Museum (NC) houses the Dolley Madison Collection, a nationally significant collection including two Mathew Brady daguerreotypes. It also contains other archival materials, two dresses, a turban, shoes and a calling card case, all found in a Pennsylvania attic in the 1950s. A group of Greensboro ladies raised money to purchase the collection, which was donated to the museum in 1963. The Mathew Brady daguerreotype of Dolley Madison and her niece Anna Causten was housed loosely in a blue velvet case since 1963 and difficult to handle. After raising the funds, the conservation of the daguerreotype became a priority and ultimately was loaned for an exhibit. 

• Francesca Woodman, American photographer known for her black-and-white self-portraits, attended The Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) from 1975-1979.  Woodman’s BFA thesis is a favorite piece among RISD students and access to the object is in high-demand. The archivist at the Fleet Library, RISD brought Francesca Woodman’s BFA thesis to NEDCC as it was becoming increasingly difficult to handle and was in desperate need of conservation. The conservation treatment preserved the thesis’ original essence and provided safe access to the object for the researchers and RISD students.

 Duration: 1 hour

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Preservation is an underlying responsibility of any collections caretaker, whether you are an archivist, a public librarian, a family collector, or anyone in between. Preservation has a lot to do with knowing your collections and prioritizing the materials that need the most help to survive. This webinar will discuss preservation activitiesthat require no additional funding or supplies, including collection management, assessment ofstorage environment, care and handling practices, and emergency preparedness.

Duration: 1 hr.

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Duration: 1 hr.

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Early record books contain important historical information that must be preserved for current and future generations. Proper care and maintenance of these records is required to ensure long term access to this information.  This webinar will discuss how to identify different types of early records that you may have in your collection and special considerations for their storage and handling, provide an overview of available preservation strategies, and outline how to find and work with a qualified vendor.

Duration: 1 hour

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Caring for digital collections can be a complex undertaking which involves many decisions about policies and responsible stewardship. A digital preservation assessment can help document the decision making process and the rationales behind our policies and activities. In this free webinar, you will learn about the framework for a digital preservation assessment and how it can help sustain our digital collections care. The information in this session will also cover resources and grants available to perform this activity, and will be useful for cultural heritage institutions of all sizes that are looking for resources for caring for digital collections. This program is one of the products of the Digital Preservation Assessment Training grant, funded by National Endowment for the Humanities.

Duration: 17 minutes

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This webinar introduces participants to the key considerations of writing a preservation plan, an essential tool for coordinating preservation activities over time.  Participants will learn about the steps of preservation planning, including assessment, prioritization, and the identification of resource needs.  Different types of assessment for preservation planning will also be discussed as well as how to communicate the value of preservation planning to all stakeholders involved.  Participants will also leave having seen a sample preservation plan. 

Duration: 1 hour

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PRESERVATION WEEK FREE WEBINAR

As members of the cultural heritage community, we want our collections and activities to reflect all people in our communities . Hosting a community scanning day is an interactive, participatory way to collect--and digitize--memories from our communities for the sake of documenting our own history. However, a lot of planning goes into hosting one, with a set of logistics consider, as well as selecting equipment, determining access and delivery systems of scanned content, and ensuring the rights to view and disseminate information online. This webinar provides an overview of each of these tasks and will help you organize your next event.

Duration: 1 hour

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PRESERVATION WEEK FREE WEBINAR

Looking for creative fundraising ideas for your book conservation project or other conservation / preservation initiative? Join us for tips on developing an Adopt-a-Book, or Adopt-an-Artifact program, using web content, crowdfunding, and social media. We’ll provide examples of successful initiatives and give you a check-list to follow, as well as resources to help with your fundraising efforts.

Duration: 45 Minutes

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Duration: 1 hour

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