CCAHA News & Events
Philadelphia Stewardship Program Applications Now Open

Applications are open for CCAHA's Philadelphia Stewardship Program . Funded by the William Penn Foundation , this program has provided collections care training and subsidized assessments to institutions in the Philadelphia area for over 15 years.

The Philadelphia Stewardship Program aims to help organizations assess their preservation needs and develop long-range plans to address them. Organizations can apply for services in six separate categories: Preservation Needs Assessments; Preservation Planning; Risk Assessment and Emergency Planning; Collections Management Policies; Digitization and Digital Preservation Policies; and the development of an individual preservation-related assessment or planning project.

Click here to learn more and download an application. All application materials must be postmarked or emailed by September 6, 2019 .
Rare Artifact Treated for the 24th World Scout Jamboree

Last month, the  24th World Scout Jamboree   was held at Summit Bechtel Reserve, West Virginia. The two-week educational event brought together thousands of members of the National Scout Organizations for a program full of activities, including an exhibit on the organization's history. Earlier this year, NEA Paper Conservation Fellow Benjamin Kirschner treated a special artifact in preparation for the event. This color lithograph of a cut-out Teepee award (right) was produced for the first International Boy Scouts Jamboree in London in 1920. The results of Benjamin's work were displayed at the World Scout Jamboree at a special exhibit. Click here to learn more about this treatment.
CCAHA at AASLH 2019 Annual Meeting

This month, CCAHA staff will be presenting and exhibiting at the AASLH 2019 Annual Meeting , August 28-31, in Philadelphia. If you're attending, plan to join us Thursday, August 29, for two sessions: Making the Most of Your Collections Assessment with Preservation Specialist Samantha Forsko and FSA Tips: Fundraising 101 with Director of Development Lee Price . On Saturday, August 31, Samantha will present a second session, Overcoming Barriers to Improved Collections Care . We hope to see you at the conference! Click here to learn more and download a preliminary program.
CONFERENCE
Off the Shelf: Access and Preservation
in Libraries and Archives
Dates: October 22-23
Location: Indiana Historical Society, Indianapolis

Innovative educational strategies have revolutionized how books and archival materials are experienced by diverse audiences, as a variety of communication styles and learning preferences are considered. Digitization, behind-the scenes tours, and adaptive exhibition environments relay the story for all. Even the work of conservators and librarians may be presented as part of the storytelling, as creative approaches to accessibility and collections care evolve. Yet, these approaches may seem at odds with preservation. The need for accessibility in libraries and archives requires a delicate balance between preservation and making materials available and understandable to a large audience with diverse needs. Strategies for promoting access with responsible stewardship in libraries and archives is the focus of this conference.
 
This two-day conference includes the opportunity to participate in Indiana Experience  at the Eugene and Marilyn Glick Indiana History Center .
 
Topics include:
· Security issues in public access
· Digitization as access
· Opening special collections for audiences beyond researchers
· Sensory stimulation and visitor experience
· Increasing understanding of collections stewardship

Funding for this program has been generously provided by the National Endowment for the Humanities , with additional support from the  William Penn Foundation.
PA Museums 2020 Conference Call for Proposals and Nominations


The PA Museums next Annual Statewide Museum Conference, The Strategic Museum: Mission in Community , will be held in Pittsburgh, April 19-21, 2020 . PA Museums invites nominations for the annual Special Achievement Awards. The deadline for nominations is November 1, 2019. Click here to learn more and make a nomination.

PA Museums is also seeking conference session proposals. The deadline for session proposals is November 6, 2019. Click here to learn more and submit a proposal.
AFR Philly Presents Office of Emergency Management Tour

Celebrate 2019's National Preparedness Month and become more prepared for disasters and emergencies at your cultural heritage institution! Join Alliance for Response Philadelphia on Friday, September 13, from 1:00 - 3:00 PM for a tour of the city's Office of Emergency Management Headquarters, 240 Spring Garden Street, Philadelphia. Following the tour, guests will meet with Philadelphia's former Fire Commissioner for a short presentation on fire safety and an opportunity for questions and answers. This event is free to attend, and cultural heritage professionals are encouraged to join. Click here to learn more and register.
Funding Opportunity: IMLS Inspire! Grants for Small Museums
 
IMLS Inspire! Grants for Small Museums  is a special IMLS initiative designed to inspire small museums to apply for funding to implement projects that address priorities identified in their strategic plans, including collection stewardship activities. Within the Collection Stewardship track, museums can apply for projects that include conservation surveys, conservation treatments, rehousing, digitization and other collections care activities. Applicants may request up to $50,000 for a project, with some cost share encouraged but not required.
 
While this year’s guidelines have not been published yet, you can click here to read the tentative IMLS announcement.
 
Applications tentatively due: November 15, 2019.
 
Thinking about applying for a project involving CCAHA? Email  Lee Price, Director of Development , to get started. 
Documentary Heritage and Preservation Services for New York (DHPSNY) Program Updates

The New York State Education Department’s Office of Cultural Education contracts with CCAHA to deliver statewide services supporting organizations that safeguard New York's historical documents and library research materials. Learn more about DHPSNY.

DHPSNY's next workshop series, Understanding Archives: An Introduction to Archival Basics , will be presented in five locations throughout the State, starting with a session at The Farmers’ Museum and Fenimore Art Museum on Wednesday, September 25. Click here to learn more and register.

DHPSNY has announced the next Planning & Assessment Services application deadline. Applications for DHPSNY's services are accepted year-round and reviewed three times a year. The Fall 2019 Application Review Deadline is Friday, November 15, 2019 Click here to learn more and apply.

Finally, a reminder that DHPSNY has launched a new Facebook group . The group provides a space to discuss topics of interest to the employees and volunteers of New York State’s libraries, archives, museums, and other cultural collecting institutions. 
WEBINAR
Advocacy for Collections Care
Presenter: Robyn Haynie, Assistant Director of Collections and Exhibitions/Conservator, Utah Museum of Fine Arts
Date: Wednesday, August 14
Time: 12:00 - 1:30 PM (MDT)
 
This webinar will address the challenges and opportunities surrounding collections advocacy. We will discuss how to increase awareness for the needs of your collection, with particular emphasis on public relations, marketing strategies, and collaboration. We will explore how partnering with departments across your institution may help to share “behind-the-scenes” stories and create unique narratives that advance goals, engage and educate the public, and build audiences.

This webinar is part of the Regional Heritage Stewardship Program (RHSP), serving the Intermountain West, including Nevada, Utah, and parts of Idaho, Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico. Though anyone is welcome to join, this series will be specifically geared for collecting institutions in this region.
WEBINAR
Introduction to Emergency Preparedness and Risk Assessments
Presenter: Samantha Forsko, Preservation Specialist, CCAHA
Date: Wednesday, September 25
Time: 12:00 - 1:30 PM (MDT)
 
One of the most important steps any cultural institution can take to safeguard its collections is to be prepared in the event of an emergency or disaster. Before an institution can begin developing an emergency preparedness and response plan, it is important to understand just what kinds of risks its collections might face. A risk assessment identifies potential risks and outlines strategies that might 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. Participants will also learn about tools for developing an Emergency Response and Preparedness Plan and the basics of collections salvage.

This webinar is part of the Regional Heritage Stewardship Program (RHSP), serving the Intermountain West, including Nevada, Utah, and parts of Idaho, Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico. Though anyone is welcome to join, this series will be specifically geared for collecting institutions in this region.
WORKSHOP
Caring for Paper Collections in Your House Museum or Historic Building
Presenter: Stephenie Schwartz Bailey, Education Program Manager & Preservation Consultant, CCAHA
Date: Thursday, October 10
Time: 9:30 AM - 3:30 PM
Location: A.J. Drexel Picture Gallery of Drexel University, Philadelphia
 
The end of family ownership and opening of historic buildings to visitors determines the use, presentation, and long-term care of the collections within. This workshop introduces best practices for handling, housing, and exhibiting photographs, books, and paper artifacts when architecture may limit storage space and environmental controls. Discussion will include an overview of the agents of deterioration, how to prioritize conservation concerns, and recommendations for preventive maintenance. After identifying preservation quality materials and tools, participants will design and make an enclosure for a paper artifact.
WORKSHOP
Fundraising for Preservation and Conservation
Presenter: Lee Price, Director of Development, CCAHA
Date: Tuesday, October 29
Time: 9:30 AM - 3:30 PM
Location: The Rosenbach, Philadelphia
 
Dream big! Collections-based initiatives often need a jolt of outside funding to succeed. This workshop will examine the advance planning that should support preservation and conservation initiatives, the range of potential funding sources to consider, and writing approaches that can make a request compelling. Working from examples drawn from success stories at museums, historic sites, libraries, and archives, participants will gain an understanding of how to develop and implement funding strategies capable of making your collections care preservation dreams come true.
Save the Date! CCAHA Open House 2019
Date: Wednesday, November 6
Time: 5:30 - 7:30 PM
Location: CCAHA, 264 South 23rd Street, Philadelphia

Every fall, CCAHA welcomes friends, colleagues, and neighbors into the lab for our annual Open House. Visitors enjoy refreshments, socialize, and get an up-close look at some of the remarkable projects we have worked on the previous year. Our 2019 Open House is scheduled in conjunction with this year's Association of Registrars and Collections Specialists (ARCS) Conference , which takes place November 7-9 in Philadelphia. Stay tuned for more information, and we hope you will plan to join us.
CONFERENCE
Striking the Balance: Access vs. Preservation in Museums
Dates: December 5-6
Location: Museum of the American Revolution, Philadelphia

Innovative educational strategies have revolutionized how art and artifacts are presented to diverse audiences, as a variety of communication styles and learning preferences are considered. Programs that incorporate touch experience, adaptive exhibition environments, and interactive digital encounters relay the story for all. Even the work of conservators and museum professionals may be presented as part of the storytelling, as creative approaches to accessibility and collections care evolve. Yet, these approaches may seem at odds with preservation. The need for accessibility in museums requires a delicate balance between preservation and making materials available and understandable to a large audience with diverse needs. Strategies for promoting access with responsible stewardship is the focus of this conference.

This two-day conference includes the opportunity to explore interactive exhibits and a new special exhibition, Cost of Revolution: The Life and Death of an Irish Soldier , at the Museum of the American Revolution .

Topics include:
· Touch programs with preservation handling
· ADA considerations in house museums
· Conservation on exhibit
· Digitization for accessibility
· Sensory sensitivity and visitor experience
· Giving access to university museum students

Funding for this program has been generously provided by the National Endowment for the Humanities , with additional support from the  William Penn Foundation.
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 collecting institutions and private individuals. 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.
Support provided by the Philadelphia Cultural Fund