HERM 339: Conservation introduces formative issues and approaches in conservation practice.
This course focuses on the principles and practice of preventive conservation as they relate to collections of movable objects. It deals with the characteristics of collection materials and how these characteristics can help identify potential conservation problems. Conservation issues specific to certain types of collections are addressed, including archival, archaeological, natural history, and outdoor collections. The conservation of buildings is not covered except insofar as it must be taken into account in the conservation of collections in heritage buildings. The conservation of heritage sites and landscapes is not described. (Building, site, and landscape conservation will be covered in HERM 342: General Principles of Planning Historic Places.)
HERM 339 emphasizes a universal approach that will accommodate the needs of different collections. It focuses on basic, practical solutions that can be implemented by small organizations as well as by larger ones. The course also introduces extensive print and web-based publications geared to the custodians of heritage collections. This course will provide you with a body of knowledge that is relevant and useful to any person working within the broad area of heritage resources management, from archaeologists and historic interpreters to site managers and archivists. It will also serve as a solid foundation for anyone wishing to pursue specialized training in conservation. The goal of this course is to bring conservation awareness and knowledge to those who work—or intend to work—in heritage resources management.
Outline
HERM 339 is made up of ten units:
Unit 1: Introduction to Conservation
Unit 2: Materials Characterization: Introduction and Organic Materials Overview
Unit 3: Materials Characterization: Inorganic Materials, Modern Materials, and Composite Artifacts
Unit 4: Agents of Deterioration: Introduction, Temperature and Relative Humidity
Unit 5: Preventive Conservation: Light and Contaminants
Unit 6: Preventive Conservation: Pest Management, Fire Protection, Security, and Emergency Preparedness
Unit 7: Preventive Conservation: Display, Storage, Handling, and Transportation
Unit 8: Preventive Conservation: A Multi-level Approach
Unit 9: Conservation Treatments
Unit 10: Managing Conservation: Planning, Training, Documentation, and Policy
Evaluation
To receive credit in Herm 339 you must complete all assignments and achieve a course composite grade of at least D (50 percent). The chart below summarized course activities and the credit weight associated with each assignment.
Activity
Weight
0. Ungraded Assignment
0%
1. Identifying Materials
15%
2. Agents of Deterioration
15%
3. Pests
20%
4. Identifying Conservation Problems
10%
5. Conservation Assessment
40%
Total
100%
To learn more about assignments and examinations, please refer to Athabasca University’s online Calendar.
Materials
This course either does not have a course package or the textbooks are open-source material and available to students at no cost. This course has a Course Administration and Technology Fee, but students are not charged the Course Materials Fee.
Robert Barclay. Introduction to Conservation. Athabasca: Athabasca University and Robert Barclay, 2008. (Print)
All course materials for HERM 339 will be accessed online.
Athabasca University reserves the right to amend course outlines occasionally and without notice. Courses offered by other delivery methods may vary from their individualized study counterparts.