SEPIA Workshop on management of photographic collections,Amsterdam, The Netherlands, 16-22 October 2003

["Ecpa" <Ecpa _at__ bureau.knaw.nl>]

With apologies for cross-posting. 
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Announcement

SEPIA Workshop on management of photographic collections
Amsterdam, The Netherlands, 16-22 October 2003

Introduction:
Librarians, archivists and curators in charge of photographic materials need to know about the role of new technology in collection management. Digital imaging offers unprecedented opportunities for access to historical materials. But how can it be combined with established preservation methods in an integrated strategy, to ensure optimal access today as well as in the future?

Three workshops on management of photographic collections in 2001, 2002 and 2003  will address this issue. The workshops will cover essentially the same topics and will take place in Amsterdam.
 
The characteristics of various photographic processes and the different materials encountered in photographic collections will be reviewed. Specific requirements for their handling and preservation will be related to the nature and function of different types of photographic collections. The workshops will explore the different methods for capturing images (especially for fragile or sensitive materials), technical requirements in relation to image quality, and long-term management of digital files. Issues will be approached as management problems, and due attention will be given to aspects like needs assessment, setting priorities, planning, budgeting and outsourcing, and project management
In the scope of the workshop, participants will acquire knowledge of technical issues that will enable them to make informed decisions about the role of digitisation in care and management of photographic collections.

The speakers include leading figures from the field of photographic conservation, preservation management, and digital imaging, who have first-hand knowledge of the challenges facing managers of photographic collections. They will present outlines of issues and practical cases, and a substantial part of the workshops will be spent on discussions and group assignments to develop participants' skills in finding their own solutions.


Topics and features:
The nature of photography: history of photography, identification of photographic materials and techniques, forms of deterioration 

Preservation: preventive measures, environmental issues, storage, packaging, handling, effect on life span; duplication: analogue or digital; financial and managerial aspects of preservation

Digital imaging: planning a digitization project, goals, selection criteria, technical specifications, scanning, color management, image enhancement yes or no? quality control; scanning & preservation, management of digital assets: long-term access to digital archives, descriptions & metadata

Collection management: photographic collections & institutions, users' requirements, defining preservation policies, storing and displaying photographs, digitization as one option in collection management

Case study : Participants will work in small groups on a digitisation project from a preservation point of view.
key words: planning, assessment, defining goals and priorities, workplan, budgeting, staffing


The course will be in English.

Daily sessions from appr. 9.30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Course ends Wednesday appr. 4 pm. 


Target group:
All those responsible for photographic collections in archives, museums, libraries. For this introductory course, no specific expertise of photographic techniques or digital imaging is required. Participants are expected to have a working knowledge of English in order to participate in discussions.


Workshop leaders:
Mattie Boom, Curator, Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam 
Franziska Frey, Assistant Professor, School of Print Media, College of Imaging Arts and Sciences, Rochester Institute of Technology
Hans de Herder, Head Conservation, Netherlands Photo Museum, Rotterdam 
René van Horik, Digital imaging specialist, Netherlands  Institute for Scientific Information Services, Amsterdam
Edwin Klijn, SEPIA project manager on descriptive models, European Commission on Preservation and Access, Amsterdam
Simon Tanner, Senior Digitisation Consultant, Higher Education Digitisation Service , University of Hertfordshire, UK
Clara von Waldthausen, Photo conservator, Amsterdam

Organisation:
Netherlands Photo Museum, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
European Commission on Preservation and Access, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
The workshops are subsidised by the EU as part of the SEPIA project

For more information contact the ECPA: 
P.O. Box 19121, 1000 GC Amsterdam, the Netherlands
Tel.: +31 20 5510839 
fax: +31 20 6204941
e-mail: ecpa _at__ bureau.knaw.nl

Location and scheduling:
The workshop will be held from 16-22 October 2003 at the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences, Kloveniersburgwal 29, Amsterdam.

Registration fee:
 500 euros, includes coffees, teas, lunches and a course pack with reading materials. Participants from institutes who are SEPIA partners or ECPA contributors will pay 450 euros. An invoice will be sent to those whose application has been accepted. Payment should be received by 1 September. In the event of notice of withdrawal from the workshop being received earlier than 1 month in advance of the workshop, i.e. before 16 September 2003, a cancellation charge of 25% will be made to cover administration costs. Refunds for withdrawals after that time cannot be made. 

How to apply:
For online registration go to: http://www.knaw.nl/ecpa/form.html
The registration deadline is 1 June 2003. By 1 July  you will be informed whether your application has been accepted. In view of the character of the workshops which require group work and active participation, the number of participants is limited. If the number of applications exceeds the number of available places a selection will be made. Preference will be given to those applicants who manage a photographic collection. A detailed programme will be mailed after confirmation.

Accommodation and travel:
Participants should make their own hotel reservations and travel arrangements

The SEPIA Project:
 Historical photographic collections are an essential part of the European cultural heritage both for their artistic as for their documentary value. Photographs speak a universal language, and as a record of past times appeal to a large audience. However, many of them are fragile and the preservation of the wide variety of photographic materials is a problem for all institutions. Digital imaging, offering new opportunities for access and care, is now widely explored for its role in management of photographic collections.

In 1999  the SEPIA (Safeguarding European Photographic Images for Access) project was set up aimed at the long-term preservation of all kind of photographic materials, and defining the role of new technology in collection management.  More partners and associate partners have joined, so that the group now consists of 19 institutions in 11 countries.
For more information see: http://www.knaw.nl/ecpa/sepia 

The project is subsidized by the Culture 2000 programme of the European Union.

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