Yale University Library Research Guides: Conservation for Cultural Heritage Collections: Museums, Libraries and Archives: Online

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Included here are numerous online resources freely accessible via the worldwide web that include tools, literature, professional organizations, and featured conservation departments. A variety of information and resources can be found in each of these websites, so be sure to check them out!

Conservation Research and Tools

Notable Museum Conservation Departments

Professional Organizations and Associations

Conservation Research and Tools

Conservation OnLine: Resources for Conservation Professionals A full text library of conservation information, covering a wide spectrum of topics of interest to those involved with the conservation of library, archives and museum materials. It is a growing online resource for conservators, collection care specialists, and other conservation professionals and is operated by the Foundation of the American Institute for Conservation
The Getty Conservation Institute Provides a wealth of knowledge and resources for the education and advancement in the field of conservation, including the AATA database (abstracts of international conservation literature), scholarly full-text PDFs, newsletters, e-bulletins, and video resources.
Conserve O Grams Provided by the National Park Service for the Museum Management Program, Conserve O Grams are short, focused leaflets about caring for museum objects. They include an array of information on procedures, techniques and materials to care for museum objects, as well as lists of basic suppliers and bibliographies.
National Center for Preservation Technology and Training Geared towards historical, architectural and archaeological conservation, this site provides a vast collection of resources through articles, grants, programs, training opportunities, and product catalogs.
Graphics Atlas A comprehensive website that allows the user to identify and compare print methods, processes and materials used to create images and works of art.
The Iron Gall Ink Website A site purely devoted to information and research about iron gall ink and ink corrosion that includes how to make ink, treatments for corrosion, prognosis tools, conservation treatments, and supporting literature.
TermDoc TermDoc is a research organisation that aims to open up worldwide access to cultural heritage's vocabulary. This multilingual dictionary (MDCH) has been created to improve the existing languages and to add new ones (chinese, portuguese) with the cooperation of other organisations from multidisciplinary fields and as an open source.
Cameo A searchable information center developed by the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. The MATERIALS database contains chemical, physical, visual, and analytical information on over 10,000 historic and contemporary materials used in the production and conservation of artistic, architectural, archaeological, and anthropological materials.
Forbes Pigment Database Contains over 1000 colorants assembled by the late Edward Waldo Forbes. These colorants have been analyzed widely by most of the labs and thus the goal of this database is to provide one central, searchable, readily-accessible location for the compilation of any available information from all sources.
NARA Solvent Solver The Solvent Solver is a tool created for use by staff at the National Archives in conservation applications, and it is written for users with an existing knowledge of chemistry, solvents and related subject matter. The Solvent Solver uses calculations based on the Teas fractional solubility parameter system in conservation applications. The program also provides additional information that may be helpful in evaluating some aspects of the health risks associated with different solvents and solvent mixtures.
AIC Wiki The information presented on the AIC wiki is drawn from a number of resources created by the various AIC Specialty Groups and Commmittes. Several of the Specialty Groups had "AIC Conservation Catalogs," compendia of working knowledge on materials and techniques used to preserve and treat works of art and historic artifacts. The series, begun in 1985 in print format and still in active development, was intended to be updated on an ongoing basis as techniques, technologies, and modes of practice evolve.
Light Damage Calculator Created by the Canadian Conservation Institute, the CCI light damage calculator provides an estimate of the fading of colours exposed to light, based on the best available data. The calculator can show the wide sensitivity range of coloured objects and the influence of exhibitions on the future appearance of collections. Original and faded colours are presented as patches on the computer screen. Because some computer screens, and many computer projectors, do not distinguish small changes in colour, the height of the faded colour patch also changes in proportion to the amount of fading.

Notable Museum Conservation Departments

This list provides only a small sample of museum conservation departments; however, the following have information-packed websites with related resources that can be useful when doing research.

Ashmolean Museum: Conservation
British Museum: Department of Conservation and Scientific Research
J. Paul Getty Museum: Museum Conservation
Metropolitan Museum of Art:Conservation and Scientific Research
Museum of Fine Arts Boston: Conservation and Collections Management
Philadelphia Museum of Art: Conservation
Seattle Art Museum: Conservation
Smithsonian Institute: Lunder Conservation Center
Smithsonian Institute: Museum Conservation Institute
Victoria and Albert Museum: Conservation

Professional Associations and Organizations

American Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works (AIC)
Canadian Conservation Institute (CCI)
Conservation Center for Art and Historic Artifacts (CCAHA)
Heritage Preservation: The National Institute for Conservation
The Institute of Conservation (ICON)
Intermuseum Conservation Association (ICA)
International Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works (IIC)
International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property (ICCROM)
International Netword for the Conservation of Contemporary Art (INCCA)
Northeast Document Conservation Center (NEDCC)
National Park Service (NPS)
International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS)
National Center for Preservation Technology and Training

Art Babble

Conservation Channel

Check out the following links for great videos on art and conservation!