The NEDCC | Northeast Document Conservation Center is a nonprofit organization specializing in paper-based conservation, digital imaging, audio reformatting, and preservation services.
Founding
In the early 1970s, the increasing deterioration of paper-based materials at cultural institutions across New England raised alarms. Historical societies, universities, public libraries, and government archives all faced similar challenges: vital documents and artifacts in need of conservation, yet no regional facility existed to provide the necessary services.
In response, the New England Document Conservation Center (NEDCC) was founded in 1973 by six state libraries from New England, operating under the Interstate Library Compact. These libraries recognized the need for a collaborative effort and united to establish a shared conservation facility, aimed at supporting the preservation needs of nonprofit institutions across the region. The initiative was spearheaded by George Cunha, with initial funding provided by the Council on Library Resources, the New England Library Board, the Kresge Foundation, and other generous donors.
Regional to National Scope
In 1980, as NEDCC’s services expanded beyond New England, the organization incorporated as the Northeast Document Conservation Center to reflect its broader national reach.
For over five decades, NEDCC has expanded its services and tackled some of the most complex challenges in the conservation and preservation fields. Today, the Center continues to grow, offering cutting-edge conservation, preservation, and digitization services to collections-holding institutions across the country.
Today
NEDCC’s conservation labs treat a range of objects and materials of varying sizes and conditions—including books, maps, photographs, scrapbooks, architectural drawings, works of art on paper, wallpaper, parchment, and papyrus.
A distinctive aspect of NEDCC's services is its integration of Imaging Services with conservation efforts. Conservators work closely with skilled collections photographers who specialize in high-quality digital imaging of rare, oversized, and fragile materials. From X-ray film scanning to reformatting negatives and creating facsimiles of historic wallpaper and bound volumes, Imaging Services ensures that the most appropriate imaging methods are selected for each project while maintaining the careful handling of delicate artifacts.
In 2014, NEDCC expanded its services to include Audio Preservation, utilizing IRENE technology to digitize early grooved media. By 2017, thanks to funding from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, the Center had broadened its audio preservation capabilities to include magnetic and digital audio tapes. The Center’s audio engineers employ both traditional and optical-scanning methods, ensuring precise digitization with 100% quality control during fully-attended transfers.
Beyond its studio services, NEDCC offers a range of preservation and training resources through its Preservation Services department, providing online and in-person training, assessments, consultations, free resources, and a 24/7 Collections Emergency Hotline (1-855-245-8303) to support institutions in times of need.
Through its nearly 50-year history, NEDCC has continually evolved, expanding its services and advancing the field of conservation and preservation, ensuring the longevity of cultural heritage collections for future generations.
Highlights and Achievements
1973 |
The Council on Library and Information Resources (CLIR) awards a two-year matching grant to the New England Interstate Library Compact to establish the New England Document Conservation Center. |
1973 |
Founded by George Cunha, the New England Document Conservation Center is housed for a short time on his property in Topsfield, Massachusetts, then moves to the Merrimack Valley Textile Museum’s facility in North Andover, Massachusetts. |
1976 |
NEDCC moves to Abbot Hall on the campus of Phillips Academy in Andover, MA. |
1978 |
Ann Russell is appointed Executive Director. |
1978 |
NEDCC’s preservation microfilming service is introduced. |
1980 |
The NEW ENGLAND Document Conservation Center is incorporated as the NORTHEAST Document Conservation Center. |
1980 |
The Field Service Office, establishing the Preservation Services department, is created to provide training and expertise, supported by a 3-year grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities. |
1983 |
Photograph duplication is introduced as a new service. |
1986 |
A “Basic Preservation Packet” of 20 technical leaflets is released, providing a foundation for the Preservation Leaflets. |
1988 |
NEDCC developed a pilot disaster planning and recovery project for four NY regional library councils. |
1990 |
NEDCC relocated to the renovated mill building at 100 Brickstone Square in Andover, MA. |
1994 |
NEDCC founder George Cunha dies and a memorial fund is established. |
1994 |
NEDCC hosts visitors from the State Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg, Russia, for training and consultation. |
1995 |
The first School for Scanning: A Conference on Digitization, Microfilm, and Preservation is presented at the JFK Library, Boston, setting the foundation for Digital Directions. |
1996 |
NEDCC's Eastern European exchange program begins. |
1996 |
NEDCC's website goes live. |
1998 |
NEDCC presents the “International Conference on Preservation of Paper and Photographs” at the National Archives of Cuba. |
2000 |
NEDCC presents a workshop on managing preservation in Cape Town, South Africa. |
2001 |
NEDCC offers Preservation 101: The Free Online Introduction to Preservation. |
2003 |
NEDCC receives a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) to develop dPlan: The Online Disaster Planning Tool. |
2004 |
NEDCC receives an IMLS grant to produce the Preservation Education Curriculum for graduate schools of library and information science. |
2004 |
dPlan: The Online Disaster Planning Tool launch announced. |
2004 |
First Eastern European Photograph Conservation institute (2004-2008). |
2005 |
NEDCC’s Field Services offers Hurricane Katrina recovery support through workshops in Louisiana. |
2005 |
NEDCC’s new Digital Services announced. |
2005 |
First Persistence of Memory: Stewardship of Digital Assets conference presented in Tucson, AZ. |
2006 |
NEDCC collaborates with VT Museum and Gallery Alliance to present disaster preparedness workshops for ME, NH and VT, funded by the NEH. |
2006 |
NEDCC received an IMLS grant for “Lessons Learned: A New Model for Statewide Disaster Planning” later to become COSTEP, Coordinated Statewide Emergency Preparedness. |
2008 |
Executive Director Ann Russell retires. |
2008 |
The School for Scanning: A Conference on Digitization, Microfilm, and Preservation becomes Digital Directions: Fundamentals of Creating and Managing Digital Collections, addressing the growing need for managing digital collections and assets. |
2009 |
John Ott serves as Interim Executive Director. |
2009 |
Bill Veillette is appointed Executive Director. |
2009 |
NEDCC offers new X-Ray scanning service. |
2010 |
The Trust for Mutual Understanding (TMU) funds the first Eastern European Photograph Conservation Internship. |
2010 |
First Tectonics of Digital Curation conference, MIT Cambridge, MA. |
2011 |
NEDCC staff members travel to the Hemingway Museum at Finca Vigía, Cuba, to offer training and consultation on the conservation of the Museum’s paper, book, and photographic collections. |
2011 |
A new oversize Imaging Studio is announced. |
2011 |
NEDCC hosts Darya Smirnova, paper conservator at the State Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg, Russia, as the second Eastern European Photograph Conservation Intern, funded by the Trust for Mutual Understanding. |
2011 |
Deb Wender, Director of Book Conservation retires and Mary Patrick Bogan was appointed the new director. |
2012 |
NEDCC expands digital imaging service for color and black and white film. |
2012 |
NEDCC hosts Lidija Pajevik, project manager at the Macedonian Center for Photography in Skopje, Macedonia, for the Eastern European Photograph Conservation Internship, funded by the Trust for Mutual Understanding. |
2013 |
NEDCC is awarded an IMLS National Leadership Grant to develop a new service for converting rare and historic audio formats to digital format using the IRENE/3D technology. |
2013 |
Walter Newman retires after a 30-year career in conservation. |
2013 |
NEDCC celebrates its 40th Anniversary by releasing a refreshed and redesigned website. |
2013 |
NEDCC hosts Balázs Zoltán Tóth of the Hungarian Museum of Photography for the Eastern European Photograph Conservation Internship, funded by the Trust for Mutual Understanding. |
2014 |
Jessica Bitely is appointed Director of Preservation Services. |
2014 |
NEDCC signs a Memorandum of Understanding with the Nishio Conservation Studio in Washington D.C., defining a business agreement to partner in a common pursuit to conserve Asian artwork in the U.S., and to train conservators in the specialty. |
2014 |
NEDCC hosts Martina Bagatin, paper conservator at the Central Laboratory for Conservation and Restoration at the Croatian State Archives, for the Eastern European Photograph Conservation Internship, funded by the Trust for Mutual Understanding. |
2015 |
NEDCC launches the new IRENE Audio Preservation Service. |
2015 |
Terrance D'Ambrosio joins the staff as Director of Imaging Services. |
2015 |
NEDCC hosts Anna Seweryn, a paper and photograph conservator at the National Archives, Krakow, Poland and at the National Digital Archives in Warsaw, for the Eastern European Photograph Conservation Internship, funded by the Trust for Mutual Understanding. |
2017 |
Funded by a grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, NEDCC expands its Audio Preservation Services to include the digitization of magnetic and digital audio tape. Bryce Roe joins the staff as Manager of Audio Preservation Services. |
2017 |
Ann Marie Willer joins the staff as Director of Preservation Services. |
2017 |
NEDCC hosts Anna Aseeva from the ROSPHOTO State Russian Museum and Exhibition Centre in Saint Petersburg, for the Eastern European Photograph Conservation Internship, funded by the Trust for Mutual Understanding. |
2018 |
Bexx Caswell-Olson joins the staff as Director of Book Conservation. |
2018 |
NEDCC hosts Kristaps Latvis, a paper and photograph conservator at the Museum of History of Riga and Navigation in Latvia, for the Eastern European Photograph Conservation Internship, funded by the Trust for Mutual Understanding. |
2019 |
Bryce Roe is named Director of Audio Preservation Services |
2019 |
Croatian State Archives hosts NEDCC Professional Development Symposium on Photograph Conservation. |
2022 |
NEDCC hosts Barbara Líznerová, a photograph conservator at the Institute of Art History, Czech Academy of Sciences in Prague, for the Eastern European Photograph Conservation Internship, funded by the Trust for Mutual Understanding. |
2022 |
The updated dPlan℠ | ArtsReady℠ launches—an online tool for disaster preparedness and response that is designed with arts and cultural organizations in mind. In 2017, the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation awarded funding to combine and upgrade NEDCC's dPlan with South Arts' ArtsReady, creating an online preparedness tool serving a wider audience of cultural heritage and arts organizations. |
2022 |
The “Ready – Or Not” Cultural Heritage Disaster Preparedness project launches. Funded by the State of California, the three-year initiative assesses emergency preparedness at California organizations that care for cultural and historic resources. |
2022 |
This Old House (S21 E5) travels to the Franklin Pierce Homestead in Hillsboro, New Hampshire. The historic site built in 1804 has 200-year-old block-printed wallpaper manufactured by hand in France. The host talks with senior paper conservators Luana Maekawa and Suzanne Martin Gramly working to restore the scenic wallpaper, which is an edition of “Les Vues d’Italie,” made by Joseph Dufour and Co., Paris in the 1810s and 20s and shipped to New Hampshire in 1824. |
2023 |
NEDCC hosts Elvina Karosienė, a paper restorer at the Šiauliai “Aušros” Museum in Lithuania, for the Eastern European Photograph Conservation Internship, funded by the Trust for Mutual Understanding. |
2024 |
NEH awards funding for Preservation Services and Audio Preservation. The first grant of $350,000 will enhance Preservation Services' training programs, resources, and assessments. The second grant of $350,000 will support Audio Preservation in developing software and workflows for reformatting audio recordings on DAT tapes. These grants advance our commitment to education, training, and research in cultural preservation. View the press release here. |
2024 |
The implementation phase of the HBCU Radio Preservation Project begins. This collaborative initiative between WYSO Archives and the NEDCC promotes preservation efforts at HBCU radio stations to safeguard audio collections and bolster resilience by connecting and supporting the institution’s radio and archives staff. Learn more. |
