Select, Stuff, and Stack: Using Boxes for Paper Collections
When it comes to finding the right housing for your archival collection, sometimes you've got to think inside the box. For long-term preservation, boxes can provide crucial support and protection against deterioration, and choosing the appropriate material, size, construction and interior supports matters. This three-part workshop is an opportunity to learn about basic archival box designs for paper collections and how to assess when a customized construction is needed for special collections. Included are recommendations for safely and securely filling the boxes and handling boxes while operating in collections spaces under COVID-19 protocols. This three-part training is intended for participants with some experience in collections housing and handling, who are seeking a refresher workshop and/or an activity that can be completed at home in preparation for return to in-person work or to supplement work at their museum, library or archive.
Registration for this program includes the three modules below and a materials packet of all supplies for the hands-on activity shipped to your address.
PART ONE (November 15th @ 11am ET): a one-hour informational webinar
PART TWO (November 16th @ 11am ET): a synchronous activity. Log in to learn and make together. Roll up your sleeves and follow instructor Stephenie Schwartz Bailey in constructing a box for a paper artifact! At registration you may select to purchase for a small fee a prepared packet of tools and materials for this activity. You may also choose instead to have a list of tools and materials emailed to you, for you to bring to the live session.
PART THREE (November 17th @ 11am ET): an optional discussion session and brief review of environmental conditions ideal for your box by Margalit Schindler. Bring your questions and conundrums to this final meeting, to discuss with Stephenie, Margalit and other participants. Sharing of images of your housing successes and challenges is encouraged!
There are a limited number of scholarships available for this program which will be awarded on a first come, first serve basis. If you are interested in a scholarship, DO NOT register using the form below as payment will be required. Instead, please contact Preservation Services Coordinator, Alanna Shaffer, at ashaffer@ccaha.org to express interest and learn more.
About the Speakers:
Stephenie Schwartz Bailey (she/her) is responsible for connecting CCAHA's virtual and in-person audiences to engaging educational programs, tours, and written resources, bringing preservation awareness to cultural heritage professionals in the Mid-Atlantic region, nationwide, and internationally. She develops and plans preventive conservation training and teaches workshops on the care and handling of paper artifacts. Stephenie first joined the staff of CCAHA as a housing and framing conservation technician in 2009. Previously, she worked as an archival assistant at the Revs Institute for Automotive Research and Historical Study of Stanford University and at Dumbarton Oaks Research Library and Collection; as an assistant to the curator at the National Gallery of Art; and as a conservation intern at the Art Institute of Chicago and the Rockford Art Museum. She served as an adjunct professor of Renaissance to Modern Art History at Florida Southwestern State College. Stephenie received a MA in Art History from The George Washington University and a BA in Art History from Beloit College. She serves on the Board of the Nether Providence Historical Society and in 2021 will complete a certificate in Historic Preservation from Bucks County Community College.
Margalit Schindler (they/them) is currently a graduate fellow in preventive conservation at the Winterthur/University of Delaware Program in Art Conservation and is spending their Third-Year Fellowship with CCAHA. Margalit graduated from Kent State University in 2014 after studying Art History and Metalworking. Since then, they have worked for several conservation labs, including The Cleveland Museum of Art and ICA Art Conservation. They are working to combine preventive conservation and social justice, supporting traditionally marginalized collections by sharing information and empowering others. A passion for Jewish culture has led to a focus in studying and impacting the preservation of Judaica in collections around the United States. You can find more about their graduate work here.