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The British Library Centre for Conservation
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 06 June 2016
Extract
On May 16th 2007 the British Library Centre for Conservation (BLCC) was opened, providing Conservation staff and Sound Archive Technical Services staff with a new purpose-built base from which to operate. The new building allowed them to be brought together onto the same site as their colleagues and co-located them with the collections for the first time. A BLCC-based programme of professional development events, special interest group events and public tours is providing Collection Care, Conservation, and the Sound Archive Technical Section with a public profile and a voice for communicating key messages about the Library’s stewardship of its collections and about caring for collections generally. The Centre, already a milestone in the history of collection care at the Library, is continuing an existing and ambitious change programme, giving the perfect opportunity to examine all aspects of operations and make changes of benefit to the Library and its staff.
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- Research Article
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- Copyright © The Art Libraries Society 2008
References
1. Collection Care is made up of Preservation, Collection Storage and Security, Conservation, Digital Preservation, Conservation Research, Conservation Training and Development and Collection Care Support. There are about 200 people in Collection Care and 80 people in Conservation.Google Scholar
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3. The British Institute of Recorded Sound joined the British Library, in 1982, the same year as the India Office. The Sound Archive is internationally recognised, with the largest sound collection outside the US.Google Scholar
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6. The Diamond Sutra is the earliest example of block printing to bear a date: ‘the 13th of the fourth moon of the ninth year of Xiantong’ (i.e. 11 May 868). It was found in a cave in 1907 by the archaeologist Sir Marc Aurel Stein in northwest China. It had been hidden near Dunhuang on the Silk Road, with thousands of manuscripts and printed items. An electronic facsimile of the Diamond Sutra is accessible from http://www.bl.uk/onlinegallery/ttp/ttpbooks.html. A video showing conservators working on the manuscript is available at http://www.bl.uk/onlinegallery/whatson/blcc/videos.html.Google Scholar
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10. The Senior User Team was made up of the BLCC Change Manager, the Project Sponsor, the Heads of Conservation, Conservation Research, of Conservation Training and Development, Book Conservation, of Technical Services, Sound Archive, of Collection Care Support and two Book Conservation Team Leaders. These people have been assisted throughout with the hard work of a great many other staff. The Head of Collection Care and the Director of the Sound Archive were involved throughout the project, were on the Project Board, were founder members of the Senior User Team and have steered and championed the project throughout. The Head of Collection Care, Helen Shenton, now also heads up the Project Board. Helen deserves special mention for her determination to see the Centre built and for her vision of what we could achieve.Google Scholar
11. An internal questionnaire provided the mechanism for collecting data on the treatments being carried out. In the interview with each conservator their colleagues on the project team also sought to explore the reasons why the conservation staff used those treatments. At the same time, an external questionnaire collected information from across the world. An internal report has been prepared and a report bringing together all aspects of the review is currently being developed.Google Scholar
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14. Project partners are the British Library, the National Libraries of Wales and Scotland, Oxford and Cambridge University Libraries, the library of Trinity College Dublin, the National Archives (Kew) and the National Archives of Scotland. Academic partners are the Centre for Sustainable Heritage at University College London and the Department of Pure and Applied Chemistry at the University of Strathclyde. Velson Horie has been employed specifically to work on these projects. See also http://www.bl.uk/about/collectioncare/new.html.Google Scholar
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16. A full list of donors is given at http://www.bl.uk/onlinegallery/whatson/blcc/donors.html.Google Scholar