Collection Forum2006; 21(1–2):64–69
A STANDARD SYLLABUS FOR NATURAL HISTORY
Natural Science Collections: Chronicle of our Environmental Heritage’ (Duck- worth et al. 1993). It recommended that an intensive graduate programme in the Conservation of Natural Science Collections must be established immediately to train a core group of conservators and that an ongoing programme should then be established to train conservators for the future. A survey was also conducted on the ‘State and Status of Geological Collections in the Republic of Ireland’
(Parkes and Wyse Jackson 1998) that revealed that no geological collection had a conservator on the staff and that there was no access to conservation staff.
Natural science conservation literature has burgeoned in the last ten years but as Crowther and Collins (1987) stated, ‘‘The conservation of the UK’s geological collections will not be helped by providing . . . curators with a recipe book of techniques with which to dabble.’’ Although it could be argued that some con- servation is better than none at all, a training course would ensure that conser- vation standards are maintained and safe, legal, up to date methods are used.
Today there is a world-wide need for a training programme to promote Natural History Conservation amongst both Natural Science curators and general conser- vators with Natural History collections in their care. The only university conser- vation course to include Natural Science, in the United Kingdom, is the MA provided by the Royal College of Art and the Victoria and Albert Museum, in association with Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine. This course involves the Natural History Museum where, during a placement, much of the natural science conservation expertise is gained. It has been running since 2004 and so far one student has completed the course. In Europe, a bachelor’s degree in Natural History Conservation can be undertaken at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts, School of Conservation.
CONSERVATIONREQUIREMENTS FOR THE NATURAL SCIENCES
What qualifications are needed by candidates who want to train in natural science conservation? Experience at the National Museum of Wales has shown that ideally they should have a background in natural science to degree level, prior to acquiring post-graduate experience in conservation. This enables the can- didate to have a detailed understanding of the materials on which they will work.
It has proved more difficult to train those with another conservation subject qual- ification in the complexities of Botany, Zoology and Geology.
We suggest that there is a need for a standard formal training syllabus to cover the conservation requirements of a natural history collection. The syllabus would be divided into two: a core of essential conservation topics plus specialisations in Zoology, Botany and Geology. Knowledge of other media, such as paper and photographic materials used in natural history collections, would also be an ad- vantage.
The desired standard of attainment should be to a post-graduate diploma level.
However, separate standards may be appropriate for technicians, collection man- agers and those for whom natural science conservation is not a speciality.
NATURALSCIENCESCONSERVATION SYLLABUS
A proposed syllabus is given in Table 1. This syllabus is based on the accepted general criteria for conservation training, such as the curriculum suggested by the National Institute for the Conservation of Cultural Property for training and col-
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Table1.Proposedsyllabusforthetrainingofnaturalscienceconservation. BotanyZoologyGeologyOthermedia& techniques TheagentsofdeteriorationMaterialtypes Environmentaleffects Materialtypes Environmentaleffects Materialtypes Environmentaleffects
Paper Labels Sketches Fieldnotes Museumenvironment Monitoring Storageroom Control Requirementsfornatural historycollections
Deteriorationmechanisms Preparation&preparation methodsbothcurrent& historical Deteriorationmechanisms Preparation&preparation methodsbothcurrent& historical Deteriorationmechanisms Preparation&preservation methodsbothcurrent& historical
Plastics Electronicmediae.g.CD’s Waxmodels Pestcontrol Identificationofpests Monitoring Preventionmethods Storageandpackaging Conservationmaterials
Herbariumcollections Remounting Humidifyingcollections Cleaning Replacingboundherbarium volumesbookblock Taxidermy,skeletalmaterial andskincollections Cleaning Storage Repair&consolidation Oxidationofsulphides(pyrite decay) Identification&prevention Treatment Storageinanoxic&low humiditymicroclimates Labelsdamagedbysul- phideoxidation
Plastermodels Photographicmaterials Analyticaltechniques FTIR SEM XRD Conservationdocumentation Conditionreports Treatmentrecords Databases
Lowerplantconservation Repackaging ‘Floatingout’ofalgae Freezedryingoffungi Fluidcollections Differentmethods Identification Maintenance Labelling DNApreservation Subfossilbone&shale Deterioration Storage Repairandconsolidation Casting&moulding Digitalphotography
Table1.Continued. BotanyZoologyGeologyOthermedia& techniques Conditionsurveys Reasonsforuse SurveymethodsWood Determination Storageconditions Entomologycollections Cleaning Storage Repair&consolidation
Lasercleaning Cleaning Reasonsforcleaning Whatisdirt? Cleaningmethods Adhesives&consolidants
Pestmanagement Pesticides Useincollections Hazards&risks Pestmanagement Hazardousmaterial Radioactive,toxicandasbes- tiformminerals Identification Monitoring Controlmeasures
CT(computerizedtomogra- phy)scanning Identification Use Repairmethods Reasonsforrepair
Othercollectionse.g., MolluscaOthercollectionse.g., Microfossils Amber Humanremains Ethics Riskassessmentandriskman- agementofcollections Health&safety,COSHH(Care ofSubstancesHazardousto Health) Disasterplanning
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lection care maintenance in Natural Sciences (National Institute for the Conser- vation of Cultural Property 1991) and on current literature (for example Carter and Walker 1999). The syllabus requires the student to have an understanding of the materials and how they deteriorate, with appropriate analytical techniques, methods of ameliorating damage by short term action and long term methodol- ogies and all the legal, ethical and health and safety issues.
METHODS OFCONSERVATION TRAINING
The lack of natural science conservation jobs means that after taking a post graduate course in this subject, the prospects of being employed within the field are slim. However, collections are still at risk and action needs to be taken. Per- haps the solution lies in training people already employed in museums, such as curators or technicians who can then begin to conserve collections. If there is no in-house expertise, short-term training courses can be undertaken at institutions where it is avaliable. After training, the instructors can act as mentors and assis- tance can be provided by phone and email and by site visits.
The training is best carried out in museums with large mixed natural history collections and trained conservation staff. For example, the student who com- pleted the MA in Natural History Conservation from the Royal College of Art and the Victoria and Albert Museum carried out the majority of the practical training at the Natural History Musem, with some additional experience at the National Museum of Wales. It is also advantageous if other conservation speci- alities, for example paper conservation, are represented at a training institution.
Training could be aimed at natural science curators and researchers with respon- sibility for collections, and general conservation staff that may be required to advise or work on the conservation of natural science collections.
Whether training courses need to result in a recognised qualification or be ratified by a university is a matter for debate. In recent years the National Museum of Wales has provided training for several natural science conservators, including staff from the British Geological Survey, National Museums Northern Ireland, The Lapworth Museum (University of Birmingham), Royal Cornwall Museum, and the Museum of Evolution (University of Uppsala, Sweden). These institutions have recognised that the collections are at risk, usually following a condition survey undertaken by an external conservator, and grants have been obtained to fund the cost of individual conservation training. The personnel who undertook training were either already employed in another capacity by the organisation or were taken on to undertake the conservation work. The training took place at the National Museum of Wales in Cardiff and advice was given afterwards when it was needed. As a result valuable conservation work has been undertaken and in one case a new post of conservator was created. In these situations there was no need to have a paper qualification at the end of the course. Despite this, the training could be used as experience if the conservator continued in this field, or in another aspect of collections care, or if they wanted eventually to apply for accreditation with the Institute of Conservation.
The recommendations made in this paper are for discussion by the natural history museum community. If they receive broad acceptance then it is our hope that bodies such as the Institute of Conservation (ICON), the Natural Sciences Collections Association (NatSCA), and the Society for the Preservation of Natural
History Collections (SPNHC) will use them as their approved template for any future Natural History Conservation training. Conservation training is currently being developed under the networking element of the European SYNTHESYS project, focusing on improving access, use and development of research into tax- onomy in European natural history museums (Collins et al. this volume).
It is envisaged that by setting out these standards in the form of a syllabus, flexible training courses can be tailor-made to the requirements of the individual and the sponsoring institution. If, at some later date, the market for natural science conservators expands, it would then be easy to develop the syllabus presented here into additional formal courses.
LITERATURECITED
Arthur, J. 2004. The future of natural science in the context of a large regional museum. NatSCA News 3:13–16.
Carter, D. and A.K. Walker 1999.Care and conservation of natural history collections.Butterworth- Heinemann. 226 pp.
Collins, C., L. Cornish, R. Huxley, and S. Owens. 2006. SYNTHESYS Network Activity C—assessing standards of collections in European museums. Collection Forum this volume.
Crowther P.R. and C.J. Collins (eds.). 1987: The conservation of geological materials. Geological Curator 4:375–474.
Doughty, P.S. 1981. The state and status of geology in United Kingdom Museums. Geological Society Miscellaneous Paper 1:31–118.
Duckworth, D.W., H.H. Genoways, and C.L. Rose. 1993 Preserving Natural Science Collections:
Chronicle of our Environmental Heritage. National Institute for the Conservation of Cultural Property. 140 pp.
Fothergill, H. 2005. The state and status of geological collections in United Kingdom museums: 2001.
Geological Curator 8:53–136.
National Institute for the Conservation of Cultural Property. 1991. Training for collections care and maintenance: A suggested curriculum, Vol. III: Natural sciences.National Institute for the Con- servation of Cultural Property. 94 pp.
Parkes, M.A. and P.N. Wyse Jackson. 1998. A survey of the state and status of geological collections in museums and private collections in the Republic of Ireland. Geological Curator 6:377–388.
Standing Commission on Museums and Galleries. 1980.Working Party on Conservation Report.Her Majesties Stationary Office, London. 46 pp.
Stringer, C. 2005. Regional collections at risk: Why funding for stuffed otters and dried nettles is seen as an easy cut to make. NatSCA News 6:27–30.
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