NEDCC is a nonprofit center that specializes in serving municipal clerks, providing conservation treatment, digitization, free resources, and professional advice on caring for historic town records. Below are resources for conserving and preserving unique historical records and collections that require special care and handling.
- 'PRESERVATION' vs. 'CONSERVATION': What's the Difference?
LEARN MORE HERE
- Free Advice from NEDCC Professionals
NEDCC’s Preservation Services department provides free preservation advice to Town, Municipal, and County Clerks and other government record keepers. The Center’s Directors of Paper, Photograph, and Book Conservation can also offer guidance on planning your conservation treatment project.
- Free Preservation Leaflets Relevant to Municipal Clerks:
- Preservation Assessment and Planning
- Priority Actions for Preservation
- Basic Guidelines for Preservation: Temperature, Relative Humidity, Light, and Air Quality
- Emergency Planning
- Storage Methods and Handling Practices
- Choosing and Working with a Conservator
- Preservation Training
Browse our current training schedule to find programs that can help government record keepers preserve their valuable collections for the long term. (Topics include "Coping with Mold Outbreaks," "Care and Handling of Paper-Based Collections," "Digitizing Collections," and "Disaster Planning.")
Watch this free webinar on "Long-term Preservation for Early Record Books."
- Training on YouTube
For training webinar recordings and brief videos, NEDCC's Conservation and Preservation Shorts playlist offers tips and techniques to care for records and collections. Visit the NEDCC YouTube Channel.
- Preservation 101 Course
NEDCC’s free Preservation 101 course is free, online, and self-guided. The course offers a basic introduction to preservation and includes texts and resources that can help local government record-keepers build an effective preservation program. Learn how to identify deteriorated materials, properly care for collections, and set priorities for preservation.
- Schedule Assessments and Consultations
NEDCC's Conservators and Preservation Specialists provide consultation services on many conservation and preservation issues, as well as several types of assessments to evaluate collections. Learn more about preservation needs assessments, collection-level assessments, and item-level assessments.
- Funding Opportunities
A number of funding agencies make grants available for preservation assessments, conservation treatment and digitization. NEDCC can help plan and carry out these grant-funded activities and can offer advice on developing proposals.
Attn: Massachusetts Cities and Towns - Learn more about Community Preservation Act funding for the conservation and digitization of documents, maps, books, and other historical artifacts, as well as preservation needs assessments or collections assessments.
LEARN MORE ABOUT THE CONSERVATION TREATMENT OF HISTORICAL RECORDS
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- WATCH A VIDEO produced by Insider Magazine on the Conservation Treatment of an 1850s Town Record Book. Start to finish - see how book conservation treament happens. View on YouTube. |
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- VIEW A PHOTO GALLERY showing the steps in the Conservation Treatment of a Town Record Book. |
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- READ THE NEDCC STORY about the successful conservation and digitization project for the town of Billerica, Massachusetts, funded by CPA. |
NOTE:
WHEN PLANNING A TREATMENT PROJECT FOR YOUR HISTORIC RECORDS
You should always discuss a conservation treatment plan with your conservator before proceeding in order to:
- consider and discuss the record book's value as a key historic artifact for your town
- decide what your goals are for future access to the records
- discuss what treatment options are appropriate or necessary for each item
- fully understand what conservation treatment steps will be taken and why
- learn about the qualifications and experience of the individual(s) who will be working on your material
- be sure that your vendor provides full disclosure about products and methods used, and does not use proprietary processes or materials.
LEARN MORE about working with NEDCC to ensure the preservation of your most valued historical records.
What Makes NEDCC Different?
DIRECT CONSULTATION:
You will speak directly with a professional conservator or preservation specialist who can advise you on all aspects of your conservation treatment or preservation project.
EXPERIENCE:
Founded in 1973, NEDCC has conserved some of the nation's most significant historic materials.
SECURITY:
NEDCC's facility has sophisticated security and climate control systems.
PROFESSIONAL ETHICS:
NEDCC adheres to the Code of Ethics and Guidelines for Practice of the American Institute for Conservation, and a majority of the Center's conservators have gained "Professional Associate" or "Fellow" status through AIC | The American Institute for Conservation.
MEET OUR STAFF:
Get to know NEDCC's conservators, collections photographers, audio preservation engineers, and preservation specialists. See the NEDCC Staff List.
NEED A QUOTE?
Work with NEDCC to:
- Obtain a Digitization Estimate
- Obtain a Conservation Treatment Estimate
- Schedule an Assessment or Consultation
Other QUESTIONS?
Contact NEDCC Preservation Services at [email protected], or call 978.470.1010
Our specialists can get you an answer ASAP!