The Handbook on the Preservation of Museum Collections is a guide in Icelandic for all those working on the preservation of cultural heritage and a basic guide for those working in recognized museums.
National Museum of Iceland has published a two-volume handbook in Icelandic on the preservation of museum collections. This is an educational material that covers many aspects of the long-term preservation of tangible cultural heritage.
The first volume covers the basics of the museum environment, handling and packaging. It also covers storage conditions, the safety of museum objects, and emergency planning.
The second volume discusses the preservation of artifacts by type and material.
The handbook is intended for everyone who works with the preservation of cultural heritage, including collectors, archivists, archaeologists, priests and local authorities, but is also useful for university students in disciplines related to cultural heritage.
In preparing the Icelandic manual, a high-quality and detailed American manual was taken into consideration, National Park Service Museum Handbook. Chapters from this manual were used as a model for the Icelandic manual, but custodians and experts in various fields have translated and localized the text with Icelandic conditions in mind. The editor of the manual was custodian Nathalie Jacqueminet, then director of conservation at the National Museum of Iceland.
The first volume (first edition, December 2011, second edition February 2019) was produced in collaboration with the National Archives of Iceland and the National Library of Iceland – University Library. The National Festival Fund has also been a loyal supporter of the project.
The second volume (first edition, March 2018) delves deeper into the world of individual types of objects, such as paper objects (documents, books and works of art), photographs and paintings. The final chapter of this second volume deals with pests, which are a common problem in all museums. The structure and deterioration of museum objects are discussed in words and pictures, followed by guidance on their handling, storage methods and display methods.
Note: The Collection Preservation Handbook is published as a PDF document only. It is recommended that it be read online to activate the links in the text (click on the headings to open the handbook).