West Dean College has collaborated with the British Library to deliver a programme of courses in preservation and collection care for libraries. The programme focuses on Continued Professional Development and is aimed at professionals, conservation students and others interested in furthering their skills in this area. Here is the programme for 2016.

Programme and booking information: www.westdean.org.uk/BL

Preserving historic photographs – (course full)
Susie Clark
BL12 1 March 2016
Location: The British Library, London

Photographic collections are found in libraries, archives and museums all over the world. Their sensitivity to environmental conditions, and the speed with which images can deteriorate present special challenges. This one-day training session is led by Susie Clark, accredited photographic conservator. It is aimed at those with responsibility for the care of photographic collections regardless of institutional context.

The day provides an introduction to understanding and identifying photographic processes and their vulnerability, information on common conservation problems and solutions, and the preservation measures that can be taken to prolong the life and accessibility of photographic collections. Contact with real examples of different photographic processes is an important feature of this training session which is therefore limited to only 16 places. At the end of the day participants will be able to:

• Identify historic photographic processes
• Explain how damage is caused
• Implement appropriate preservation measures
• Commission conservation work

Course fee: £128
For further information about the course, please contact the Course Organiser: +44 (0)1243 818219 or [email protected]

Preserving architectural photographic reproductions
Hildegarde Homburger
BL13 4 March 2016
Location: The British Library, London

Photo reproductions of drawings are mostly found in architectural drawings collections and archives, more rarely in fine art collections. Their composition and their sensitivity to environmental conditions ask for special attentions and care. This one day training session is led by Hildegard Homburger, private paper conservator in Berlin, Germany. It is aimed at those with responsibility for the care of architectural drawings collections regardless of institutional context. The day provides an introduction to understanding and identifying photo reproductions processes, also an opportunity to talk about storage and handling.

Course fee: £128
For further information about the course, please contact the Course Organiser: +44 (0)1243 818219 or [email protected]

Damaged books & bound archives
Caroline Bendix
BL14 20 April 2016
Location: The British Library, London

This training day is aimed at librarians and archivists. It provides an overview of how books and bound archives become damaged, considers actions to minimise damage, and describes first steps to address common forms of damage. The training day is led by Caroline Bendix ACR (Independent Conservator). Please ensure that you bring with you on the day: One Paperback book height of 20cm x width of 13cm x thickness of 2-3cm and one Hardback book standard octavo size 22 cm.

Course fee: £128
For further information about the course, please contact the Course Organiser: +44 (0)1243 818219 or [email protected]

Disaster response & salvage
Emma Dadson, Harwell Document Restoration Services
BL15 21 April 2016
Location: The British Library, London

This intensive course focuses on preparing for disaster response and salvage. The course uses experience of responding to real incidents to demonstrate how planning can minimise the impact of emergencies in libraries and archives as well as outlining the practical steps to take when responding to situations. With reference to case studies, the course includes strategies for dealing with damage, an emergency decision-making exercise and a major incident desktop scenario. By the end of the course, participants will be able to:

• Identify the key issues that a disaster plan needs to address
• Give examples of the decisions to be made when responding to an incident
• Source salvage equipment to build a disaster kit

Previous attendees commented that they had learnt 'how much there is to think about when dealing with a disaster and how to prioritise actions', 'the importance of preparedness, tips for emergency kits and for small scale incidents', and 'how to assess what we can cope with ourselves and when to call in help'. This session is limited to only 16 places. The day is led by Harwell Document Restoration Services.

Course fee: £128
For further information about the course, please contact the Course Organiser: +44 (0)1243 818219 or [email protected]

Environment: effective monitoring & management
Jane Henderson
BL16 8 June 2016
Location: The British Library, London

Avoiding a 'one size fits all' approach to environmental parameters, this training day helps you to understand the vulnerabilities and tolerances of your collections and then shows how to set realistic and achievable targets that are appropriate to the materials in your care and the resources available to you. At the end of the day you will be in a strong position to take cost-effective decisions and prioritise actions for maintaining a sustainable environment. The training day is aimed at people with responsibility for the care of library and archive collections, and is led by Jane Henderson, Senior Lecturer in Conservation at Cardiff University.

Course fee: £116
For further information about the course, please contact the Course Organiser: +44 (0)1243 818219 or [email protected]

Dust, dirt: strategies for prevention & management
Caroline Bendix
BL17 15 June 2016
Location: The British Library, London

Dust is a constant presence in most libraries and archives and can be harmful to collections. This training day will focus on understanding the nature of dust and the threat it poses, as well as means by which dust can be cleaned and how collections may be protected from it. At the end of the day delegates will have:

• A clear understanding of how dust forms and from what it is made
• Practical knowledge of cleaning collections
• Awareness of health and safety issues
• The ability to identify pest and mould damage
• Details of various methods of protecting against dust
• The ability to set up a housekeeping programme
• An understanding of using volunteers to help clean collections

Course fee: £128
For further information about the course, please contact the Course Organiser: +44 (0)1243 818219 or [email protected]

Essential preservation
Ruth Honeybone, Sarah-Jane Hamlyn
BL18 1 July 2016
Location: The British Library, London

Preservation is a means of ensuring that collections can be used for the long-term. This workshop focuses on the preservation of library and archive collections, with an emphasis on traditional, paper-based collections. The day introduces common terminology and standards, highlights risks to collections, and describes simple steps for minimising those risks. It is targeted at those who are new to the preservation of library and archive collections, and includes group exercises and discussion sessions to address individual needs. By the end of the day, participants will be able to: define what is meant by preservation; identify the main threats to library and archive collections; identify factors to consider when storing and handling items; find other sources of information to support their preservation work.

Course fee: £128
For further information about the course, please contact the Course Organiser: +44 (0)1243 818219 or [email protected]