Exploring

Conservation Treatment

Principles of Treatment

Special Collections Conservation

The primary goal of conservation treatment for special collections is twofold: to stabilize the item in the collection so that it survives over the long term and is available for use, while at the same time changing its physical characteristics as little as possible. All repairs should be obvious to the trained eye (although they should not clash aesthetically with the item). It is important not to mislead the researcher into thinking the item was never damaged.

Conservation treatment must maintain the integrity of the object to the extent possible; thus, conservators follow the principle of minimal intervention. Specifically:

• Do no harm—Use stable materials, and, in the event that the treatment turns out to be damaging over time or improved treatment options become available in the future, use reversible treatments wherever possible. This caution arises in part because some conservation treatments used in the past (e.g., the use of silking, soluble nylon, and lamination to reinforce brittle paper) have caused unforeseen damage to collections.
• Less is better—Consider the effect that treatment will have on the aesthetic and physical characteristics of the object. Sometimes limited treatment, or even no treatment, may be the best choice.

Ultimately, it is important to remember that compromise is unavoidable; a conservator must weigh all factors before making a treatment decision and then work with the institution to make the best decision.

General Collections Conservation

While collections conservation shares the goal of stabilizing an item so that it can be accessible in its original format, there is less emphasis on maintaining the integrity of the object and more emphasis on lengthening the useful life of the item (e.g., producing a durable item that will withstand heavy use). The need for relatively quick and low-cost treatments is a factor, as is the need for an organized workflow and the ability to treat materials in batches. Thus, compromises in treatment techniques are sometimes made that would not be acceptable in special collections conservation.