Looking Ahead to Future Challenges

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CCI Newsletter, No. 30, November 2002

Looking Ahead to Future Challenges

by Stefan Michalski, Manager, Preventive Conservation Services

Preventive conservation emerged as both a philosophical concept and a discrete discipline within the conservation community during the 1980s. The Preventive Conservation Services division (PCS) was formed in 1996 both as a response to this new discipline and also as a recognition of the strength of CCI staff — many of whom are world leaders in their research specialties — in this area.

Preventive conservation initially regarded the museum environment as the core issue of concern, but over time has evolved to encompass a wider view of the threats to museum collections. The work of PCS has parallelled this evolution. We began by focussing on research on relative humidity, temperature, light, and pests, but now place more emphasis on direct advice to clients — and on a much wider range of subjects. This has led to an ongoing investigation into methods of assessing risks in collections, and establishing priorities for safeguarding them.

As we move into the future, our experts will increasingly be called upon to move into new areas. For example, when client requests for advice about electronic media increased, our resident expert in integrated pest management turned his knowledge of computers into a new primary expertise: preservation of electronic media.

Although 'Preventive Conservation Services' seemed an avant-garde name only a few years ago, we are now feeling somewhat constrained by its implied boundaries. As our horizon expands towards a broader concept of risk management of Canadian heritage, we will increase our linkages with each other, with non-traditional heritage clients, and with many more segments of many more Canadian communities.