- Continued professional development courses in libraries preservation and collections care - 

West Dean College of Arts and Conservation are pleased to be able to re-introduce a new series of continued professional development courses in libraries preservation and collections care in collaboration with the British Library. Starting on Thursday, May 12, 2022, the nine one-day courses are suitable for library or conservation professionals, conservation students, or for those who are interested in continuing professional development in this area. They will be held at the British Library in London, the national library of the United Kingdom, which gives access to the world’s most comprehensive research collection. Each course runs from 9.30am – 4.30pm and costs £175 (lunch is included).

The new release of courses offers access to relevant training from a plethora of industry-leading professionals. Courses include:

· Thursday, May 12, 2022 - Preventing pests by integrated pest management with Val Blyth will discuss the main insect pests which attack collections, how to identify them and the damage they cause, and how to select the most appropriate treatments to control pests. Val Blyth is an independent preventive conservator having formerly worked for 32 years as a Senior Preventive conservator at the V&A Museum, London.

· Friday, May 27, 2022 - Preservation Assessment Survey Workshop – designed for library and archive staff with no previous knowledge of preservation, this workshop introduces a variety of collection survey methods.

· Thursday, June 9, 2022 - Environment: Effective monitoring and management with Jane Henderson. This day helps you to understand the vulnerabilities and tolerances of your collections with a focus on humidity and temperature. It 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. Jane Henderson is Professor in Conservation at Cardiff University.

· Thursday, June 30, 2022 - Digitisation: planning & processes pt 1 with Matt Lambert. This training day will enable you to start a digitisation project. It concentrates on ‘still image’ capture and outlines the processes involved in planning digitisation projects. It is focused on the digitisation of library and archive materials mainly from the British Library collections and other related projects. The day includes guidance on copyright licensing, metadata and workflow management.

· Friday, July 1, 2022 - Digitisation: planning & processes pt 2 with Matt Lambert. This training day is a practical follow-up to Day 1. It is focused on pre-digitsation assessments, imaging standards and equipment. Training opportunities will be facilitated through practical demonstrations and tours of digitisation areas.

· Thursday, September 22, 2022 - Disaster response and salvage training with Emma Dadson. 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 make when responding to situations. Emma Dadson is an accredited Disaster Recovery Specialist Restorer and Fellow of the British Damage Management Association.

· Monday, October 3, 2022 - Damaged books and bound archives: practical first steps with Caroline Bendix. Learn identification of different types of damage and recognition of the causes, plus simple steps for minimising damage and understanding appropriate treatment options and decision-making for remedial treatment. Caroline Bendix is an accredited freelance library conservator with 38 years' experience working for major national conservation bodies..

· Thursday, November 3, 2022 - Dust and dirt: Strategies for prevention and management with Caroline Bendix and Karen Bradford (British Library). This training day builds an understanding of what dust is and why its management is important. It explores low-cost methods of monitoring dust and dirt and discusses methods of preventing its build-up. It includes practical sessions on how to clean books and stack areas.

· Monday, November 21, 2022 - Writing and using a preservation policy with Jennifer Dinsmore. A preservation policy is a framework that enables an organisation to embed collections care and collections management within its structures and activities, and to understand the resources necessary to implement these key responsibilities. This training day explains the purpose and benefits of a preservation policy and provides guidance on writing a policy for your organisation. Jennifer Dinsmore has worked in conservation for over 40 years and has participated in the development of survey methodologies and in evaluating conservation provision, strategies and policies in museums, libraries and archives.

West Dean College of Arts and Conservation is internationally respected for conservation education, which ranges from continuing professional development short courses through to MA Conservation Studies, and many alumni go on to work in museums and with collections of global significance. For more information and booking visit www.westdean.ac.uk

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