Meet Our Summer Intern

This summer, Emily Farek is interning in CCAHA's paper conservation section. Emily is a member of the Winterthur/University of Delaware Program in Art Conservation Class of 2019. She is majoring in Paper Conservation and minoring in Library/Archives. She graduated from Emory University in 2014 with a BA in Art History and a minor in Italian, and gained pre-program conservation experience at the Carlos Museum, the American Academy in Rome, Stanford University's Cantor Arts Center, and the Georgia Archives.
CCAHA Participation in Heritage Emergency National Task Force

CCAHA Executive Director Laura Hortz Stanton recently went to Washington, DC, for a meeting of the Heritage Emergency National Task Force, a partnership of 42 national service organizations and federal agencies created to address cultural heritage emergency preparedness and response. Click here to learn more.
CCAHA in the News

At the Society of American Archivists conference, CCAHA staff handed out conservation- and preservation-themed temporary tattoos designed by our staff members. We were thrilled to see them posted on social media by attendees, including our friends at Northwestern University Library's Preservation and Conservation department and the Center for Creative Photography.

A project currently underway at CCAHA was profiled in Osage News. CCAHA is treating and digitizing objects from the Osage Mission Collection of the Jesuit Archives in St. Louis. The project was catalyzed after representatives from the Osage Nation visited the Archives and noted that the objects—including "an Osage translation of the Holy Bible as it was spoken in the 1840s and 1850s, dictionaries, grammar books, and a letter from Pah-Ne-No-Pah-She to the Pope"—were deteriorating. Click here to learn more.
Alliance for Response Philadelphia Summer Happy Hour

AFR Philadelphia is planning a meet-up at the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology's Summer Night Concert Series on Wednesday, August 30th, from 5-8 PM. It will be an opportunity to meet area professionals interested in emergency preparedness, listen to the Gretchen Elise Band, explore the Museum, and enjoy happy hour snacks and beverages. AFR attendees only pay $5 for entry! Click here to learn more and RSVP.
CCAHA's Regional Heritage Stewardship Program

Building upon past success in education and network-building, CCAHA is leading a set of ambitious new strategies to aid underserved regions of the country, adapting successful service models to assist collecting institutions along the Eastern Gulf Coast and in Appalachia.

Last month, CCAHA Director of Preservation Services Dyani Feige and CCAHA Preservation Specialist Samantha Forsko presented webinars on collections management practices. Upcoming webinars will discuss collections promotion and needs assessment FAQs.

The next round of in-person workshops will occur in October on Essential Policies and Procedures for Cultural Collections and Risk Assessments for Cultural Institutions. More information below.

CCAHA's 40th 

2017 is CCAHA's 40th anniversary. We are commemorating this anniversary by sharing the articles, photos, and reminiscences that tell the story of CCAHA. In this space, we'll share recent posts from our ongoing coverage.

In 1997, CCAHA treated an object that arrived with a Pennsylvania State Police escort: the 1681 Pennsylvania Charter.


CCAHA spent three years treating Pennsylvania's Civil War Muster Rolls—the record of every soldier in the state.

Disaster Response and Preparedness Program
In 1995, the College of Physicians of Philadelphia wrote about their participation in CCAHA’s Disaster Preparedness and Response program.

Upcoming Programs
WORKSHOP
Collections Care Training
September 7
Philadelphia, PA  

To ensure long-term collections preservation, it is crucial to use proper storage systems and materials, and provide a stable environment with adequate space, furniture, and security. In this hands-on workshop, participants learn to make simple housings for storage of blueprints, drawings, artwork, or rolled documents. A selection of storage materials is reviewed.
CONFERENCE
September 25-26
Austin, TX  

In this two-day conference, experts in design, space planning, environmental control, and conservation will present strategies and practical approaches to caring for diverse collections. Sessions will include case studies demonstrating how libraries and archives of various sizes have implemented storage initiatives.


Held at the Harry Ransom Center at the University of Texas at Austin, the conference is intended for staff involved in collections care, planning, and management for library and archival collections, including directors and administrators, collections managers, curators, librarians, and archivists.
WORKSHOP
Regional Heritage Stewardship Program
WORKSHOP III:  Essential Policies and Procedures for Cultural Collections


This workshop will provide an overview of policy and planning documents that are essential for collections care, such as environmental policies, housekeeping guidelines, and maintenance policies.


Participants will learn the critical components of these documents and will receive tangible examples of how to adapt them to different institutions. Policy development, approval, and implementation responsibilities of staff, volunteers, and board will be discussed.
WORKSHOP
Regional Heritage Stewardship Program
WORKSHOP IV:  Risk Assessments for Cultural Institutions

In order to develop an emergency preparedness and response plan, an institution must understand the risks its collections face. A risk assessment identifies potential risks and outlines strategies to mitigate damage in the event of an emergency or disaster. 


This workshop will offer tips for conducting these assessments on a site-wide level and for specific collections, as well as case studies of institutions that have dealt with disasters, and advice on forming relationships with first responders and other outside contacts who can help conduct risk assessments.
Upcoming LYRASIS Programs 
In 2016, CCAHA and LYRASIS partnered to increase their constituents’ access to vital services. CCAHA members receive a discount on LYRASIS programming. In addition, the organizations offer combined consulting for cultural heritage organizations. 
The Conservation Center for Art & Historic Artifacts (CCAHA) is a nonprofit conservation facility specializing in the treatment of works on paper, photographs, and books through conservation and state-of-the-art digital imaging services. Founded in 1977, CCAHA serves both nonprofit cultural institutions and private individuals and organizations. CCAHA’s preservation services staff present educational programs, conduct preservation assessments, and develop emergency preparedness plans. CCAHA also offers fellowships, fundraising support, and disaster assistance.