Utilizing Existing Infrastructure to Enhance the Archivist/Conservator Relationship

Abstract

Conservation records are an important part of the life cycle of an archival object. The records can be composed of digital images of the before/during/after and treatment reports that reflect exactly what was done to an object in the course of conservation intervention. The Preservation Department in the University of Maryland Libraries have extensive records of archival projects that consist of digital images, treatment reports, budgets and time outlays. This project was conceived as a way to ensure that curators and archivists have immediate access to accurate and detailed conservation records that can be shared with researchers and to be used as a guide for future conservation projects.