Lisa Duncan, Art Conservator, LLC consults on preserving collections. This often encompasses a survey or on-site assessment. The survey can be set up to address general collection needs or can be an item-by-item survey.
General surveys address several topics encompassing pest management, climate control and environment, collections and collections policies, exhibitions, storage, emergency preparedness, security and safety, and staffing. The survey usually involves a 2-day on-site visit to the collection and also includes 3-days of off-site report writing. The outcome is a final report that can be used to apply for grant funding or other purposes.
There are several granting organizations in the United States funding small and medium institutions. One granting agency is the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS). Follow the link below to learn about their granting process and accepted projects. The IMLS website is also located in the Blogroll at the right.
http://www.imls.gov/applicants/grants/conservProject.shtm
An item-by-item survey is usually done after an initial general survey has been completed. This addresses the collection on a more personal level. It can cater to the needs of the collector or institution. These surveys are often longer in time-frame and involve individually surveying each item in a collection. The current condition of the objects and recommended housing and storage are compiled in a database. Statistics can be gleaned from the database and used to better preserve a collection. This service can also include the digital documentation of each object. A final report is submitted upon completion of the survey.