Glucksman Conservation Centre

The Glucksman Conservation Centre was established to preserve the University of Aberdeen’s historically-important book and archives collection. Based in the University’s new purpose built modern library, Special Collections now has three qualified conservators and a collection care assistant based in the Glucksman Conservation Centre which is due to open in summer of 2012.

Covering 250 square metres, the Centre includes a documentation room, a large main studio which is divided into wet and dry working areas, a book conservation studio, a material and supplies store, a freezer room and a decontamination room.  The Centre also has the facilty for changing displays on conservation themes. The architect, design team and engineers worked closely with conservation consultants during the planning stages to ensure that the Centre is well designed and laid out with enough space for each treatment, natural light, good environmental conditions and suitable services facilities.

The conservation team will look after all aspects of the physical care of the Special Collections which include a range of materials such as paper documents, vellum and parchment documents, rare books, works of art on paper, seals, maps, plans, charts, photographs, pamphlets and other ephemera.

The work of the conservation team is divided into interventive conservation and preventive conservation. Interventive conservation includes the physical and chemical stabilisation of paper based artefacts by means of treatments such as mechanical cleaning, humidification, washing, deacidification and paper repairs.  Book conservation treatments may also include stabilisation of the sewing supports and leather repairs.  In line with the ethics of the profession all interventive treatment are documented in writing and photographically. The latest research findings and current ethical thought are implemented and the best museum/archive standard repair materials and treatment procedures are used.

Preventive conservation covers the measures taken to monitor or control agents which cause deterioration to the collections such as: temperature, relative humidity, light, pests, handling, storage and disasters. The preventive conservation programme is already underway in Special Collections. Pest traffic and environmental conditions are monitored in all areas where the collections are stored and displayed. Special Collections has a written disaster response plan which is updated annually.

In addition to the preventive and interventive work, the Glucksman Conservation Centre will contribute to the department’s outreach programme to specialist and non specialist audiences. The current focus of the conservation team is on supporting the programme of exhibitions held in the Gallery on the ground floor of the new Library, planning the conservation strategy for Special Collections and fitting out the conservation Centre in anticipation of our opening in spring 2012.

For more information about conservation, conservation training and private conservators please visit the Institute of Conservation website at http://www.icon.org.uk/.

Contact
Glucksman Conservation Centre
Library, Special Collections & Museums
University Library
Bedford Road
Aberdeen
AB24 3AA
Tel: +44 (0)1224 274268
Email: e.kotze@abdn.ac.uk