HBCU Library Alliance 2024 Webinar Series
Each topic described below is presented as a 60-minute webinar, including time for questions.
We invite you to peruse the topics and descriptions below and register for any sessions that are of interest. After the program, you can also visit this page to view the webinar recording and access supplemental resources.
Essential Policies and Procedures for Cultural Institutions
Tuesday, April 2nd at 11am ET
An institution’s collections care and business practices are defined by its written policies and procedures. Institutional memory is often lost through staff changes, but best practices are encoded in these important documents. This webinar will give an overview of policies and planning documents that are essential for collections care including collections management policies, handling guidelines, and maintenance policies. Participants will learn the critical components of these documents and discuss tangible examples of how to adapt them for different institutions.
Speaker: Dyani Feige, Director of Preservation Services
Please click here to view webinar recording and resources
Environmental Management
Tuesday, April 16th at 11am ET
Creating stable environmental conditions is the most significant step an institution can take for the long-term preservation of the collection materials under its stewardship. This webinar covers the basics of collection environments including temperature, relative humidity, and dew point. It also gives participants strategies for improving the environmental conditions in collections spaces to make them good for long-term preservation.
Speaker: Maddie Cooper, Associate Preventive Conservator
Please click here to view webinar recording and resources
Assessing Condition Issues in Book Collections
Tuesday, May 7th at 11am ET
Identifying collection materials with condition issues is a key component to keeping bound collections safe, accessible, and in good condition; and knowing how to prioritize concerns determines how to best focus attention and resources. This webinar will introduce participants to the identification of condition issues and strategies for prioritization. Additional topics for discussion include book structure, agents of deterioration, common degradation, and methods for assessing and prioritizing condition challenges.
Speaker: Eliza Gilligan, Senior Book Conservator
Please click here to view webinar recording and resources
Red Flag! Identifying Preservation Needs While Processing Collections
Tuesday, May 21st at 11am ET
Gaining intellectual control over collections is just one aspect of processing and cataloging. This webinar will focus on systems for identifying and prioritizing the collections care needs of items (objects, books, artworks, archival materials, etc.) during the accessioning, processing, and cataloging phases. Participants will learn procedures for assigning conservation and housing priorities and talk about the “red flags” that indicate it’s time to call a conservator.
Speaker: Dyani Feige, Director of Preservation Services
Please click here to view webinar recording and resources.
Fundraising for Preservation and Conservation
Tuesday, June 11th at 11am ET
Through thoughtful planning and effective grant writing, your organization can be competitive in the race for public and private funding to preserve cultural collections. This webinar will highlight the aspects of the planning process that funders value most and the elements of a successful grant proposal. With examples drawn from success stories at museums, historic sites, libraries, and archives, participants will gain an understanding of how to effectively develop and implement a funding strategy to raise money for their collections.
Speaker: Daphne Mayer, Director of Business Development
Please click here to view webinar recording and resources.
Introduction to Digitization
Tuesday, June 25th at 12pm ET.
Digitization can be the final step in processing collections, facilitating access, and even aiding in collections’ long-term preservation. Like other collections care endeavors, digitization should not be undertaken without an understanding of best practices, safe techniques, and the knowledge to make the right decisions. This webinar will provide a basic overview of some of the considerations institutions should make when digitizing materials including establishing policies, prioritization and selection criteria, equipment options, handling practices while scanning or photographing, storage concerns for digital media, and digital preservation.
Speaker: Dyani Feige, Director of Preservation Services
Please click here to view webinar recording and resources.
Social Media for collecting Institutions
Tuesday, July 16th at 11am ET
Through social media, your institution can build audiences, share stories, promote events, and raise money. Facebook, Instagram, blogs, and crowdfunding platforms like Indiegogo and Kickstarter allow you to connect with new audiences in fresh and vital ways. This webinar will give you tools to understand the wide range of emerging social media opportunities to position your institution and its collections in the 21st century.