An Introduction to Collections Preservation runs for four weeks. To reserve a spot in the course, please pay at http://www.collectioncare.org/tas/tas.html If you have trouble please contact Helen Alten at helen@collectioncare.org

Student Comments for MS104: An Introduction to Collections Preservation:
"An online course like this is very convenient for people who cannot attend classes in another city."

"I didn't really know what to expect because I had never taken an online class before, nor had a taken any sort of collections/preservation class. I definitely learned a lot; I now understand the overall goals and practices of collections preservation."

"I particularly liked seeing images in the PowerPoint slides. They really can add to the understanding of a topic."

"I really enjoyed the excellent course reading material. It has really helped me understand so much more about the work I do."

"I've been working as a collection manager for 10 years. I have no formal training in museum techniques …I thought this class would solidify everything I've learned. I didn't think I would learn anything new, but I did. Great course. I would recommend it to anyone starting out in the museum field."

"My experience with the MS104 online course has been exceptional, a 10! … Thank you! Thank you for such a high quality and demanding workshop!"

"I AM THE ONE WHO SHOULD THANK YOU! EUREKA! I REALLY GAINED ALOT AND REALLY ENJOYED STUDYING WITH YOU."

"It may have been an on-line course, but I feel like I've got a textbook. And one written by many different sources, two heads being better than one."


The Instructor:
Helen Alten, is the Director of Northern States Conservation Center and its chief Objects Conservator. For nearly 30 years she has been involved in objects conservation, starting as a pre-program intern at the Oriental Institute in Chicago and the University Museum of the University of Pennsylvania. She completed a degree in Archaeological Conservation and Materials Science from the Institute of Archaeology at the University of London in England. She has built and run conservation laboratories in Bulgaria, Montana, Greece, Alaska and Minnesota. She has a broad understanding of three-dimensional materials and their deterioration, wrote and edited the quarterly Collections Caretaker, maintains the popular www.collectioncare.org web site, lectures throughout the United States on collection care topics, was instrumental in developing a state-wide protocol for disaster response in small Minnesota museums, has written, received and reviewed grants for NEH and IMLS, worked with local foundations funding one of her pilot programs, and is always in search of the perfect museum mannequin. She has published chapters on conservation and deterioration of archeological glass with the Materials Research Society and the York Archaeological Trust, four chapters on different mannequin construction techniques in Museum Mannequins: A Guide for Creating the Perfect Fit (2002), preservation planning, policies, forms and procedures needed for a small museum in The Minnesota Alliance of Local History Museums' Collection Initiative Manual, and is co-editor of the penultimate book on numbering museum collections (still in process) by the Gilcrease Museum in Oklahoma. Helen Alten has been a Field Education Director, Conservator, and staff trainer. She began working with people from small, rural, and tribal museums while as the state conservator for Montana and Alaska. Helen currently conducts conservation treatments and operates a conservation center in Charleston, WV and St. Paul, MN.

MS104a: An Introduction to Collections Preservation               Jul 5 - Jul 30, 2010               Course Description & Info - Student Login               Price: $475     [Add to Cart]               Instructor: Helen Alten