Current Training Programs

Registration deadline: February 27, 2019
Maximum class size: 50
Instructor: Danielle Spalenka, Preservation Specialist, NEDCC
Location: Live webinar

The Preservation Reference Desk series enables you to provide basic answers for the public’s most common preservation questions. Register for these webinars if you work at a reference desk, frequently answer questions from the public, or if you will be celebrating Preservation Week or have other preservation-related programming coming up at your institution. The Personal Digital Archiving 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 answer basic questions about preserving emails, photos, videos, and text messages. (Individuals interested in preserving their digital materials are welcome!)

Close Info

Registration deadline: March 4, 2019
Maximum class size: 50
Instructor: Jeremy Linden, Owner/Principal, Linden Preservation Services
Location: Live Webinar

This webinar explains to participants how to understand the environmental data gathered by institutions to monitor the storage environments for their collections. By reviewing patterns and fluctuations in temperature and relative humidity throughout collections areas, those tasked with caring for collections can identify problems in the storage environment and address them more effectively. 

Jeremy Linden of Linden Preservation Services is a consultant and sustainable preservation services provider, as well as an international leader in the application of material science and research pertaining to the built environment surrounding cultural heritage collections, and will be the instructor for this webinar.

Close Info

Registration deadline: March 6, 2019
Maximum class size: 50
Instructor: Danielle Spalenka, Preservation Specialist, NEDCC
Location: Live Webinar

Renovation and construction projects in your facility can present significant risks to your collections. In this webinar, you will learn the most common risks for collections, risks for personnel, strategies for risk mitigation, and issues with temporary storage.

Close Info

Registration deadline: March 11, 2019
Maximum class size: 50
Instructor: Sean Ferguson, Preservation Specialist, NEDCC
Location: Live Webinar

Part 1 - March 12, 2019
Part 2 - March 26, 2019

A disaster plan is an integral component of effective collections stewardship, but preparation of a plan can be daunting. This two session course will be an in-depth coverage of risk assessment and steps involved in creating a disaster plan.  The first session webinar introduces the central elements of emergency preparedness and explores ways to identify internal and external hazards in order to assess and mitigate the risks they pose. Natural, industrial, technological, building, and human hazards will be examined for mitigation and planning purposes. The second session will cover parts of a disaster plan, updating the plan, and training methods. Following the course, NEDCC will review and provide feedback on draft disaster plans submitted by participants.

Close Info

Registration deadline: March 7, 2019
Maximum class size: 21
Instructor: Monique Fischer, Senior Photograph Conservator, NEDCC and Amanda Maloney, Associate Photograph and Paper Conservator, NEDCC
Location: Addison Gallery of American Art Andover, MA

March 14 & 15, 2019

March 14 - 9:00AM - 3:30PM
March 15 - 9:30AM - 3:30PM

This hands-on workshop offers an in-depth introduction to the preservation of photographic materials, 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 two-day workshop is a beginner to intermediate workshop intended for individuals who want to learn how to care for photographic materials including curators, collection managers, exhibit preparators, catalogers, archivists , photographers and collectors. 

Close Info

Maximum class size: 50
Instructor: Becky Geller, Preservation Specialist, NEDCC
Location: Live Webinar

Town, municipal, and county clerks care for historic ledgers, documents, and other records, as well as fulfilling everyday responsibilities to the community. By applying training in preservation planning, municipal records holders can protect these historically significant materials and ensure accessibility for years to come. The methods and goals discussed in this webinar will help local record keepers care for the formats and materials found in their collections.

Close Info

Registration deadline: March 27, 2019
Maximum class size: 50
Instructor: Sean Ferguson, Preservation Specialists, NEDCC

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.

Close Info

Registration deadline: April 9, 2019
Maximum class size: 50
Instructor: Danielle Spalenka, Preservation Specialist, NEDCC
Location: Live Webinar

Digital project planning begins with process of selecting what to digitize. This webinar will examine selection from a variety of standpoints, including user needs, preservation, copyright, and more. Webinar participants come away with an understanding of factors to consider when developing a digitization plan that will serve programmatic goals and objectives.

Close Info

Registration deadline: April 10, 2019
Maximum class size: 50
Instructor: Amanda Maloney, Associate Photograph and Paper Conservator, NEDCC
Location: Live Webinar

This webinar offers an in-depth introduction to the preservation of photographs, including their identification, deterioration, and care. Participants will learn how to recognize various photographic formats and study the preservation problems associated with each format type. The webinar will also discuss storage concerns and preservation priorities, including environmental guidelines and proper care and handling.

 The webinar is intended for anyone who wants to learn how to care for photographic materials including curators, collection managers, exhibit preparations, catalogers, archivists, photographers and the general public.

Close Info

Registration deadline: April 10, 2019
Maximum class size: 30
Instructor: Danielle Spalenka, Preservation Specialist, NEDCC and Becky Geller, Preservation Specialist, NEDCC
Location: Live Webinar Series

The Instructor-led Preservation 101: Preservation Basics for Paper and Media Collections course gives participants the foundation needed to be effective collections stewards. This comprehensive introduction prepares participants to complete a preservation needs assessment and provides structured guidance on developing an institutional disaster plan. Revised and updated, the course uses the free online version of Preservation 101 as its textbook, adding expanded resources and assignments, interactive discussions, and new content covering audiovisual and digital formats and digital preservation. Putting theory into practice, participants will develop recommendations for improvement and a long-range preservation plan.

Preservation 101 is a hybrid course. A series of ten live webinars builds on self-paced study through assigned readings. Feedback will be provided by the instructor. The webinars are interactive, and are supported by NEDCC’s Preservation 101 Education Classroom. Participants will have access to webinar recordings, readings, and additional resources, and can communicate with the instructor and fellow participants.

04/18/2019  Introduction to Preservation
04/25/2019  The Building and the Environment
05/02/2019  Caring for Collections
05/09/2019  Caring for Paper Collections
05/16/2019  Caring for Photographs
05/23/2019  Media Collections
06/06/2019  Reformatting, Digitization, and Digital Preservation
06/13/2019  Emergency Preparedness
06/20/2019  Building a Preservation Program
06/27/2019  Final Assignment Due! Final Review and Discussion

 Meeting times are 2pm-4pm ET

Close Info

Registration deadline: April 21, 2019
Maximum class size: 75
Instructor: Bryce Roe, Manager of Audio Services, NEDCC
Location: Live Webinar

Close Info

Registration deadline: April 24, 2019
Maximum class size: 75
Instructor: Bexx Caswell Olson, Director of Book Conservation, NEDCC
Location: Live Webinar

Close Info

Registration deadline: April 30, 2019
Instructor: Sean Ferguson, Preservation Specialist, NEDCC
Location: Live Webinar

With the proliferation of aging formats that are becoming increasingly difficult to playback and access, audiovisual media collections are among the most challenging for us to care for.  This webinar introduces participants to issues in audiovisual preservation, beginning with basic terminology and a broad discussion of developments in audiovisual preservation. This session will cover risks facing audiovisual materials and the major strategies being used in cultural heritage institutions to care for them over time.  Participants will walk away with a solid understanding of how to devise next steps for their AV collections and where to find more information.

Close Info

Registration deadline: May 6, 2019
Maximum class size: 50
Instructor: Danielle Spalenka, Preservation Specialist, NEDCC
Location: Live Webinar

 

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 provides hands-on techniques for salvaging books, works on paper, and audiovisual materials.

Close Info

Registration deadline: May 6, 2019
Maximum class size: 30
Instructor: Danielle Spalenka, Preservation Specialist, NEDCC
Location: Davis & Elkins College The Myles Center for the Arts Joni and Buck Smith Arts Forum 100 Campus Drive Elkins, WV 26241

May 13-14, 2019

About the Program:

This two day workshop provides a basic introduction to the concepts and standards used to build an effective preservation program. The curriculum covers preservation policies, environmental and storage conditions, care and handling of collection materials, reformatting, emergency preparedness, and program assessment. The instructor will discuss realistic approaches to preservation at small and medium sized organizations, and small group work will encourage participants to discuss their own preservation goals together.

Day 1 will cover the essentials of preservation management, environmental storage conditions, and performing a building assessment.

Day 2 will address the basics for care and handling of paper-based collections, reformatting and digitization, and program assessment.

Participants may choose to register for one or both days, though attending both days will give participants an in-depth understanding of preservation management and provide practical actions items for moving forward.

NEDCC is offering a limited number of scholarships to reimburse workshop participants for the $80 registration fee, as well as travel expenses up to $100. Applicants must commit to attending both days of the workshop.

PLEASE NOTE: All scholarships for this workshop have been awarded.

Close Info

Registration deadline: May 6, 2019
Maximum class size: 30
Instructor: Danielle Spalenka, Preservation Specialist, NEDCC
Location: Davis & Elkins College The Myles Center for the Arts Joni and Buck Smith Arts Forum 100 Campus Drive Elkins, WV 26241

May 13-14, 2019

About the Program:

This two day workshop provides a basic introduction to the concepts and standards used to build an effective preservation program. The curriculum covers preservation policies, environmental and storage conditions, care and handling of collection materials, reformatting, emergency preparedness, and program assessment. The instructor will discuss realistic approaches to preservation at small and medium sized organizations, and small group work will encourage participants to discuss their own preservation goals together.

Day 1 will cover the essentials of preservation management, environmental storage conditions, and performing a building assessment.

Day 2 will address the basics for care and handling of paper-based collections, reformatting and digitization, and program assessment.

Participants may choose to register for one or both days, though attending both days will give participants an in-depth understanding of preservation management and provide practical actions items for moving forward.

NEDCC is offering a limited number of scholarships to reimburse workshop participants for the $80 registration fee, as well as travel expenses up to $100. Applicants must commit to attending both days of the workshop.

PLEASE NOTE: All scholarships for this workshop have been awarded. 

 

 

Close Info

Registration deadline: May 13, 2019
Maximum class size: 50
Instructor: Monique Fischer, Senior Photograph Conservator, NEDCC
Location: Live Webinar

Image files represent an increasingly large part of our cultural heritage, our personal memory, and our professional work, and for photographers and artists they may represent an entire body of work. These files can be surprisingly transient, and may be unintentionally lost or corrupted. Sometimes the safest backup is a hard copy, but color prints made from digital files are not always preservation-quality. To protect these valued images, you need to understand the materials employed and control storage conditions. 

Participants in this webinar will develop an understanding of the three most important factors that affect the life of a digital print: the quality of materials used such as the colorant (dye vs. pigment) and paper; the way these materials work in combination with each other; and the storage and display of the resultant prints.

Close Info

Registration deadline: May 20, 2019
Maximum class size: 50
Instructor: Sean Ferguson, Preservation Specialist, NEDCC
Location: Live Webinar

Cultural heritage organizations often look to their collections to create public exhibitions, but putting the spotlight on rare books and documents is inherently at odds with preservation.  Exhibits, though, provide a powerful avenue for outreach and also present opportunities for collection advocacy. Preparing collections for safe exhibition ensures that these materials remain accessible into the future. This webinar will help you understand the risks of exhibition so that you can develop policies and guidelines to mitigate those risks. Selection for exhibition will be covered, along with space considerations, safe handling, and display methods.

Close Info

Maximum class size: 50
Instructor: Hope O'Keeffe, Associate General Counsel, Library of Congress and Greg Cram, Associate Director of Copyright and Information Policy, New York Public Library
Location: On Demand

All too often researchers look to archivists and librarians for information regarding complex copyright law and fair use policies. This two-part webinar course aims to arm library and information professionals with a working knowledge of concepts relating to copyright and intellectual property, specifically as they relate to audiovisual collections, which present particular challenges. The webinar will begin at an introductory level—offering a basic discussion of copyright law, the public domain, and the implications for collections. The second webinar will be a “deep dive” into some of the broad concepts that are presented in Session 1. Issues such as creator and transfer rights and open access will be addressed. No previous knowledge of copyright law is required. Session 1 will be taught by Hope O’Keeffe, Associate General Counsel at the Library of Congress and Session 2 will be taught by Greg Cram, Associate Director of Copyright and Information Policy at the New York Public Library.

Close Info

Maximum class size: 50
Instructor: Greg Cram, Associate Director of Copyright and Information Policy, New York Public Library and Hope O'Keeffe, Associate General Counsel, Library of Congress
Location: On Demand

All too often researchers look to archivists and librarians for information regarding complex copyright law and fair use policies. This two-part webinar course aims to arm library and information professionals with a working knowledge of concepts relating to copyright and intellectual property, specifically as they relate to audiovisual collections, which present particular challenges. The webinar will begin at an introductory level—offering a basic discussion of copyright law, the public domain, and the implications for collections. The second webinar will be a “deep dive” into some of the broad concepts that are presented in Session 1. Issues such as creator and transfer rights and open access will be addressed. No previous knowledge of copyright law is required. Session 1 will be taught by Hope O’Keeffe, Associate General Counsel at the Library of Congress and Session 2 will be taught by Greg Cram, Associate Director of Copyright and Information Policy at the New York Public Library.

Close Info

Maximum class size: 50
Instructor: Mary Larson, Associate Dean for Special Collections, Oklahoma State University Library, and Sarah Milligan, Associate Professor and Head of the Oklahoma Oral History Research Program, Oklahoma State University
Location: On Demand

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.

Close Info

Maximum class size: 50
Instructor: Jean-Louis Bigourdan, Senior Research Scientist, Image Permanence Institute
Location: On Demand

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.

Close Info

Instructor: Becky Geller, Preservation Specialist, NEDCC

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.

Close Info

Instructor: Claire Grund, Associate Conservator, NEDCC

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.

Close Info

Instructor: Ann Marie Willer, Director of Preservation Services at NEDCC and Mary Downs, Senior Program Officer, National Endowment for the Humanities

 

Be ready for the new grant deadline on January 15, 2019! This webinar 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, getting requisite information from consultants, and putting together a good budget.

Close Info

Instructor: Frances Harrell, Senior Preservation Specialist, NEDCC

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.

Close Info