With museum and heritage organisations necessarily closed during the lockdown, collections are being held dormant for a significant period, increasing the risk of deterioration caused by the environment, pollutants, pests and reduced levels of preventive monitoring and control.
The guidance is designed to support organisations holding heritage collections with limited inhouse conservation expertise. Icon hopes organisations will find the guide and checklist a useful starting point to assessing the likelihood of risks impacting collections and to preparing staff for resolving issues when they return to site.
The guidance was produced as a collaborative effort: Coordinated by the Heads of Conservation and Scientific Departments in National Museums, Galleries, Libraries and Archives Group and the Icon Care of Collections Group, it drew on the expertise of specialist colleagues at National Museums Scotland, National Records Scotland, ChurchCare (Church of England), Natural History Museum, British Library, National Galleries Scotland and Birmingham Museum Trust.
The Icon Care of Collections Group is an Icon special interest group, bringing together conservators as well as external professionals such as curators, archivists and architects. You can find out more about their activity here.
If you need a conservation expert to support your work, Icon's Conservation Register can help you identify someone with the right skills in your area.
A range of information and advice on broader Coronavirus related issues can be found in the Icon Coronavirus hub.
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