Preservation
The Preservation Branch is responsible for preserving and maintaining the Library’s collection of over 5 million items. This includes books, manuscripts, prints, drawings, watercolours, photographs, architectural plans and maps, as well as artefacts, realia and paintings.
This entails developing and implementing a range of preservation strategies to reduce the risks associated with keeping and using collections to ensure that they are, and will remain, accessible. These strategies include:
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monitoring and advising on storage environments and materials
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monitoring and advising on lighting and environmental conditions for exhibitions
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monitoring pest control procedures
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counter-disaster planning and preparedness
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reformatting and digitising
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developing conservation treatments to stabilise individual items or prepare them for exhibition or loan
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rehousing collections into appropriate boxes, mounts and frames
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training staff in the correct handling of collection material.
Caring for your materials
We can offer you guidance on looking after books, family documents and works of art on paper. Contact Preservation
Our fact sheets provide information about caring for particular materials
Australian Institute for the Conservation of Cultural Materials
The Australian Institute for the Conservation of Cultural Materials (AICCM) is a national organisation for conservators and people interested in the preservation of cultural material.
The AICCM website provides lists of conservators in private practice and guidelines for commissioning conservation treatment.
Approved valuers
A list of valuers (certified by the Australian Tax Office for the purpose of cultural gifts) is available from the Australian Government Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts.
