Function
The Conservation Committee is responsible for acquiring, developing, and distributing information to the Society to promote the long-term preservation of natural history objects and associated materials. The Conservation Committee encourages and facilitates collaborative
projects among curators, collection managers, and conservators that contribute to best practices for collection care and the preservation of collections.
Leadership and Composition
The Conservation Committee may be led by either one chair or two co-chairs, as deemed appropriate by the SPNHC President. Membership on the committee is open to any SPNHC member and may range between 10 – 20 members.
Duties and Products
Distribution of pertinent information may include oral and poster presentations, demonstrations, workshops, publications, and response to inquiries. The committee will present new materials to the membership through the Newsletter and the Resource Display. The committee encourages publication of results, when appropriate, in Collection Forum.
Subcommittees
Subcommittees of the Conservation Committee are established as appropriate and currently include:
a) Resources Subcommittee
The Resources Subcommittee liaises with the Materials Selection and Specification Working Group (MWG) to present up-to-date information on collections storage, handling and documentation supplies and materials that appear to be effective and stable for use in collections care and preservation. Historically, this information was contained in the traveling
Resources Display Unit (RDU), a poster-format display with US and Canadian material samples. SPNHC members are encouraged to suggest new products to the subcommittee. The subcommittee has at least two members, preferably with international representation.
b) Preservation Environments
The Preservation Environments subcommittee studies current industry-wide environmental standards and presents Natural History specific guidelines to the Society. This subcommittee has at least two members.
c) Additional Subcommittees will be formed as preservation needs arise. Past subcommittees have included food management best practices and loss in value estimation.
Calendar Items
February 1: Send report to Newsletter Editor
April/May: Send report to Secretary for Annual Business Meeting
August 1: Send report to Newsletter Editor
August 31: Submit any corrections or text revision to the Secretary for the Leadership Manual
September: Transfer important records and items of committee business to the Archives Committee
Reviewed by Linda S. Ford and Laura Abraczinskas, July 2019
Revised by Rebecca Newberry and Fran Ritchie, October 2017, July 2019
Style edits contributed by Andrew Bentley and Laura Abraczinskas, October 2017
Reviewed by Jean-Marc Gagnon, March 2014
Revised by Robert Waller and Gretchen Anderson, March 2014