The Conservation Center for Art & Historical Artifacts (CCAHA) offers training programs to help preserve Pennsylvania’s at-risk collections. The programs are offered in connection with the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts and are supported by an Institute of Museum and Library Services Connecting to Collections Statewide Implementation Grant.
CCAHA will hold a Digitization Basics Workshop on April 3, 2012 in Philadelphia, PA at the Historical Society of Pennsylvania. Registration is required two weeks before the workshop and is $25 for PA institutions, $75 for out of state institutions.
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.
A second workshop, Understanding Archives: An Introduction to Archival Basics will be held on May 10, 2012, in Philadelphia, PA at Historical Society of Pennsylvania. Registration is required, and is $25 for PA institutions, $75 for out of state institutions.
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.