Northern States Conservation Center in 2018
Welcome to the Collections Caretaker e-Newsletter from Northern States Conservation Center. The newsletter is designed to bring you timely and helpful content that is pertinent to situations we all encounter in our museum and archives work. Feel free to let us know what topics you would like to see featured in Collections Caretaker or even contribute an article.
In This Issue
Featured Course
January 2018 Online Courses
February 2018 Online Courses
March 2018 Online Courses
Full 2018 Schedule
Conferences and Meetings
Featured Course: Design and Construction of Exhibit Mounts

Sprucing up your exhibits with safe, effective, inexpensive mounts can be
Waddesdon Manor, WikiVisually 
easier and more fun than you thought. With a few tools, good technique and a bit of practice, you will be well on the way to presenting your objects in their most interesting light, with an eye on long-term safety and security. Design and Construction of Exhibit Mounts presents the basics of mountmaking for the small to medium-sized museum including tools, techniques and materials. Be prepared to construct mounts during the course. Students will be sent a list of materials and tools to acquire before the course commences. Come along and exercise your creative side while doing the collection a world of good.
 
Want to learn how to make great mounts for your exhibitions?  Join Tom Bennett for MS238 Design and Construction of Exhibit Mounts starting February 5, 2018.
Early Bird Discounts Available for Full Length Courses
 
An Early Bird Discount is available for anyone who signs up for a full length course from museumclasses.org 30 days prior to the start of that course.  
 
Sign up for a full length course up to 30 days prior to its start and save $100.00!
 
For our course list or to sign up: http://www.collectioncare.org/course-list  
 
To take advantage of this discount, you must enter coupon code EARLYBIRD at checkout at collectioncare.org
 
The Early Bird Discount deadline for February courses is January 6, 2018
 
The Early Bird Discount deadline for March courses is February 3, 2018  
January 2018 Courses
 
January 8 to February 9, 2018
Instructor:  Peggy Schaller
Description:
Collections management is a critical component of running a museum. Most museums have collections and these collections drive the public functions and activities of the institution. Collections management is the physical and intellectual management of these items. In this course we will examine how information is collected and recorded for each object brought into the collection - a process called registration. We will also examine the policies that govern what is brought into the collection, including the most important piece of institutional policy--the museum mission statement. These policies are assembled into the collections management 'bible'--the registration manual. At the end of this course you should have a clear understanding of how and why collections are documented in museums and the governing principles that drive daily museum activities.
 
January 8 to February 16, 2018
Instructor: Karin Hostetter
Description:
Nearly every museum develops exhibits, but how can we improve communication with visitors while taking care of our objects? Exhibit Fundamentals explores exhibits from idea to final installation in a variety of settings. Topics include exhibit theory, the role of the museum's mission, creating a timeline, accessibility and script writing. Also covered are design elements, installation techniques, object safety and security, visitor safety and evaluations. Each student develops an exhibit plan for his or her museum.
 
February 2018 Courses
 
February 5 to March 2, 2018
Instructor: Kimberly Kenney
Description:
The United States has more than 17,000 museums, we can only guess at the world's total. While most people think of a museum as a well-staffed, professionally run institution, the vast majority of museums are started and run by people with little or no basic training in museum studies or preservation. Introduction to Museums is designed to change that. The course introduces basic concepts, terminology and the role of various staff members, including curators, registrars and directors. Introduction to Museums is aimed at staff members, board members, interns, volunteers, as well as anyone interested in becoming a museum professional or learning more about the profession.
 
February 5 to March 2, 2018
Instructor: Karin Hostetter
Description:
So much to say and so little space in which to say it. That is the dilemma when scripting an exhibition. How do you say what needs to be said in the space available? How do you even figure out how to limit the information in the first place? Discover the value of themes, tangibles, intangibles, and universals in writing exhibit text that visitors really want to read -- and remember. Additional resources provided on font size and colors as well as label layout.
 
February 5 to March 16, 2018
Instructor: Tom Bennett
Description:
Sprucing up your exhibits with safe, effective, inexpensive mounts can be easier and more fun than you thought. With a few tools, good technique and a bit of practice, you will be well on the way to presenting your objects in their most interesting light, with an eye on long-term safety and security. Design and Construction of Exhibit Mounts presents the basics of mountmaking for the small to medium-sized museum including tools, techniques and materials. Be prepared to construct mounts during the course. Students will be sent a list of materials and tools to acquire before the course commences. Come along and exercise your creative side while doing the collection a world of good.
March 2018 Courses 
 
March 5 to 30, 2018
Instructor: Karin Hostetter
Description:
Volunteers are essential for most non-profit institutions. But good volunteers aren't born -- they are made. Even though they don't get paychecks, it takes time and money to have effective volunteers. Fundamentals of Museum Volunteer Programs teaches the basics of a strong volunteer program. Topics include recruiting, training and rewarding volunteers, as well as preparing staff. Instruction continues through firing and liabilities. Participants will end up with sound foundational knowledge for starting a new or strengthening an existing volunteer program based on a nine-step process.
 
March 12 to April 13, 2018
Instructor: Sue Near
Description:
Sound business practices are critical for a museum to fulfill its mission. Sounds like vegetables, right? Museum management is complex. A museum exists to preserve collections and educate, but it is also an institution that must employ sound business practices while being accountable to the public as a non-profit organization. Instructor Sue Near teaches participants how to administer a successful museum efficiently and effectively. Participants will engage in discussions about the changing cultural climate and its effect on museum operations.
 
March 5 to 30, 2018
Instructor:  Diana Komejan
Description:
Archaeological finds come out of the ground fragile - and they often stay that way. Yet archaeologists and museum professionals have few clear guidelines for handling, moving, storing and displaying such materials. Participants in Care of Archaeological Artifacts From the Field to the Lab learn techniques for safely lifting and packing artifacts, safe transportation and temporary and permanent storage. The course also covers a broad range of excavation environments; including the Arctic, wet sites, tropical and temperate. Though Care of Archaeological Artifacts is not intended to train archaeological conservators, it is designed to help participants understand what can and can't be done to save the artifacts they unearth.

Complete 2018 Course Schedule
 
January
MS 103: The Basics of Museum Registration January 8 to February 9, 2018
MS 106: Exhibit Fundamentals: Ideas to Installation January 8 to February 16, 2018
 
February
MS 101: Introduction to Museums February 5 to March 2, 2018
MS 235: Scripting the Exhibition February 5 to March 2, 2018
MS 238: Design and Construction of Exhibit Mounts February 5 to March 16, 2018
 
March
MS 108: Fundamentals of Museum Volunteer Programs March 5 to 30, 2018
MS 109: Museum Management March 12 to April 13, 2018
MS 215: Care of Archaeological Artifacts from the Field to the Lab March 5 to 30, 2018
 
April
MS 001: The Problem with Plastics April 16 to 20, 2018
MS 209: Collections Management Policies April 9 to May 18, 2018
MS 214: Collections Management Databases April 9 to May 4, 2018
MS 223: Care of Metals April 9 to May 18, 2018
 
May
MS 011: Gallery Guides May 7 to 18, 2018
MS 211: Preservation Environments May 7 to June 15, 2018
MS 212: Care of Textiles May 7 to June 1, 2018
MS 226: Care of Furniture May 7 to June 1, 2018
MS 234: Archives Management May 7 to June 1, 2018
 
June
MS 222: Care of Photographs June 18 to August 3, 2018
 
July
MS 205/206 Disaster Plan Research and Writing July 2 to August 24, 2018
MS 207: Cataloging Your Collection July 2 to 31, 2018
MS210: Integrated Pest Management July 2 to August 10, 2018
MS 267: Museum Ethics July 2 to 31, 2018
 
August
MS 219: Opening and Closing Seasonal Museums August 20 to September 7, 2018
MS 236: Education in Museums August 6 to 31, 2018
 
September
MS 101: Introduction to Museums September 3 to 28, 2018
MS 233: Matting and Framing September 3 to 28, 2018
MS 237: Formative Evaluations for Exhibits and Public Programs September 3 to 28, 2018
 
October
MS 001: The Problem with Plastics October 15 to 19, 2018
MS 109: Museum Management October 1 to November 2, 2018
MS 209: Collections Management Policies October 1 to November 9, 2018
MS 238: Design and Construction of Exhibit Mounts October 1 to November 9, 2018
MS 259: The Volunteer Handbook October 1 to November 9, 2018
 
November
MS 002: Collection Protection - Are you Prepared? November 5 to 9, 2018
MS 007: The Mission Statement: Is it really that important? November 5 to 9, 2018
MS 014: Education Collections November 12 to 16, 2018
MS 211: Preservation Environments November 5 to December 14, 2018
MS 212: Care of Textiles November 5 to December 3, 2018
MS 218: Collection Inventories November 5 to December 3, 2018

For More Information or to Sign Up
Conferences and Meetings
 
2017   
National Association for Interpretation, Spokane, Washington
November 14-18, 2017
 
2018  
California Association of Museums, Palm Springs, CA
February 5-7, 2018
 
Museums Association New York, Rochester, NY
April 8-10, 2018
 
Colorado-Wyoming Association of Museums, Cheyenne, WY
April 12-15, 2018
 
Texas Association of Museums, Houston, TX
April 18-21, 2018
 
Museum Store Association, Washington, DC
April 27 to 30, 2018
 
American Alliance of Museums, Phoenix, AZ
May 6-9, 2018
   
AAMG & UMAC Conference 2018, Miami, FL
June 21-24, 2018 
 
Association of Midwest Museums, Chicago, IL
July 18-21, 2018
 
Society of American Archivists, Washington, DC
August 12-18, 2018
 
Society for the Preservation of Natural History Collections, Dunedin, New Zealand
August 25-September 2, 2018  

 
   
Mountain-Plains Museums Association, Billings, MT
September 11-September 15, 2018
 
Oklahoma Museums Association, Edmond, OK
September 19-21, 2018
   
American Association of State and Local History, Kansas City, MO
September 26-29, 2018  
 
Southeastern Museums Conference, 2018 Annual Meeting, Jackson, MS
October 8-10, 2018
   
International Foundation for Cultural Property Protection, Hearst Castle in San Simeon, CA
October 13-17, 2018 
 
Western Museums Association, Tacoma, WA
October 21-24, 2018 
 
New England Museum Association, Stamford, CT
November 7-9, 2018
 
National Association for Interpretation,  
New Orleans, LA
November 27-December 1, 2018
 
2019  
National Association for Interpretation, Denver, Colorado
November 12-16, 2019

2020
National Association for Interpretation,
Saint Augustine, FL
November 10-14, 2020
 


Submissions and Comments
How to submit an article or upcoming workshops for inclusion in the Newsletter:  
If you would like to submit an article, notice of an organizational meeting or upcoming workshop for an upcoming Collections Caretaker Newsletter, send your submission to [email protected] .  
 
We are always looking for contributions to this newsletter. Submission deadline is the 10th of each month. 
 
Have a comment or suggestion?   
 
Send it to [email protected]
Northern States Conservation Center (NSCC) provides training, collection care, preservation and conservation treatment services. NSCC offers online museum studies classes at   museumclasses.org in Collections Management & Care, Museum Administration & Management, Exhibit Practices and Museum Facilities Management.
 
Sincerely,
Helen Alten, Director
Peggy Schaller, Publications Manager