Training Opportunities through Save Pennsylvania’s Past

This week’s guest blogger is Lee Price, Director of Development at the Conservation Center for Art and Historic Artifacts (CCAHA) in Philadelphia. CCAHA, in partnership with PHMC, the PA Federation of Museums and Historical Organizations, and LYRASIS, is leading a statewide effort to preserve the millions of objects and historic artifacts that shape the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania’s history and define our nation.



Save Pennsylvania’s Past, a two-year initiative to improve collections care throughout the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, celebrates the state’s great historic collections. Save Pennsylvania’s Past calls upon the state’s leaders, both public and private, to support the work of preservation. It will streamline information regarding available resources. And, most importantly, Save Pennsylvania’s Past will offer training for staff and volunteers, with registration starting now.

Three traveling educational programs are being offered in 2011-2012. For each of these programs, full-day sessions will be offered at locations in Erie, Pittsburgh, Johnstown, Boalsburg/State College (at the Pennsylvania Military Museum), Allentown, Scranton, Philadelphia, and York.

Jessica Silverman, Paper Conservator and

Preservation Consultant at the CCAHA, leads an educational

program at the College of Physicians of Philadelphia

Preservation Best Practices for Optimal Collections Care
Archivists, collections managers, librarians, curators, and other staff members involved in collections care must manage a variety of tasks, including implementation of collections management plans and policies, management of environmental controls and storage conditions, and provision for safe use and exhibition of collections. This program will provide participants with an overview of the preservation standards for the many aspects of collections care. Speaker: Laura Hortz Stanton, Director of Preservation Services, Conservation Center for Art and Historic Artifacts. Workshops are scheduled between Oct. 6, 2011, and Jan. 13, 2012; the details are here.

Digitization Basics
Every institution struggles with pressure to be visible on the web and to make its collections accessible to wider audiences, and many face daunting hurdles to implementing digitization programs. This program will cover basic issues in digital preservation, including an introduction to digitization, and will provide information on handling guidelines for digitization, selection of materials, conducting pilot projects, creating access to digitized materials, funding sources, and the benefits of collaborating with other institutions. Speaker: Thomas F.R. Clareson, Senior Consultant, Digital & Preservation Services, LYRASIS. Workshops are scheduled between Feb. 21 and Apr. 25, 2012; the details are here.

Jessica Keister, Mellon Fellow at the CCAHA, with program

participants at the College of Physicians of Philadelphia

Understanding Archives: An Introduction to Archival Basics
Proper archival procedures enable safe and effective management of collections. Participants will learn about the fundamentals of archival appraisal, acquisition, and access; proper storage materials; and the most common preservation problems associated with paper-based archival collections. This program will touch briefly on processing, arrangement, and description. Volunteers, historians, and those with archival responsibilities in addition to other duties may find themselves in the position of "archivist" without formal training in the profession; this program offers an introduction to best practices in the field. Speakers: Beth Bensman, Certified Archivist, and Dyani Feige, Preservation Specialist, Conservation Center for Art and Historic Artifacts. Workshops are scheduled between May 9 and July 16, 2012; details are here.

Additional information and registration materials for all three workshops are available at CCAHA’s website.