Guidelines from the National Museum of Iceland
Conservation contributes to preservation, which is divided into preventive and curative conservation. Museums are required to practice preventive conservation in their daily operations. This involves creating an optimal environment in exhibition halls and storage areas to ensure the long-term preservation of museum objects.
The optimal environment can vary depending on the material and condition of the objects. When professional expertise is not available, collections are advised to seek guidance from professionals, particularly specialists at the relevant parent institutions.
- It is necessary that storage space for collection items is organized and used professionally regarding work practices and material use:
- It is necessary to develop a plan for improvements in livestock housing with the goal of enhancing animal safety and keeping the environment stable (humidity, temperature), and minimizing light levels.
- It is necessary to create procedures for handling in storage.
- It is necessary to ensure professional packing of items by using approved packaging.
- It is necessary to create a shelf inventory to track the location of items in storage.
- It is necessary to have an emergency plan for the collection. This is a response plan developed in consultation with the fire department, which defines the response to fire or water damage. It is also important to consider response procedures for earthquakes.
- It is necessary to build an overview of the condition of the collection by recording a baseline assessment of the objects' condition as they are cataloged.
- It is necessary to create a plan for the need for preventive conservation and to get an assessment from a trained conservator to prioritize the projects.
NJ 24.06.2008
More detailed information and instructions can be found in Handbook on the preservation of museum collections which can be found here on the website of the council of museums.