User:Jboigen1/sandbox/ Agents of Deterioration

Registrars and Collection Managers
Registrars and Collection Managers are the first line of defense for collections of all types against the Agents of Deterioration.

Agents of Deterioration
The agents of deterioration are 10 primary environmental threats specific to museum collections.
 * 1) Physical Forces
 * 2) Theft
 * 3) Fire
 * 4) Water
 * 5) Pests
 * 6) Pollutants
 * 7) Light, Ultraviolet and Infrared
 * 8) Temperature
 * 9) Relative Humidity
 * 10) Dissociation

The Role of Registrars and Collection Managers in Preventative Conservation and Risk Management
Registrars and Collection Managers are museums staff that manage the documentation and physical storage, transportation, and display of cultural objects. As a part of the continuing collection care management team with Conservators and Curators, Registrars and Collection Managers perform several tasks that act to mitigate deterioration and damage to cultural objects as a part of Preventative Conservation or Risk Management.

Some of these tasks are:

1. They maintain and record the environmental factors in storage and gallery areas to ensure they remain within safe levels for the collection and provide documentation of any fluctuations, which can inform future conservation needs.
 * Registrars and Collection managers need to be aware of Environmental condition standards and risks in storage and gallery spaces because it is through long-term exposure to some environmental conditions that damage can occur.
 * Environmental condition management is a long-term battle requiring the involvement of Registrars and Collection Managers on site in order to prevent the need for Conservator intervention.

2. Registrars and Collection Managers oversee the proper handling, packing, transportation, and use/display of collection objects in order to protect the object from physical damage that would require conservator intervention.
 * Working with preparators and conservators in the development of proper crating and packing materials and methods.
 * Working with curators, exhibition designers, security and preparators to insure objects are displayed safely and securely.

3. Registrars and Collection Managers work with the Board of Directors, Curators and other staff to develop Emergency Preparedness plans and response formats which account for the security and recovery needs based on the collection.

4. Registrars and Collection Managers manage their museum`s IPM (Integrated Pest Management) program which seeks to protect cultural objects from pests through preventative inspection and sanitation and the use of minimally toxic treatments, such as freezing and traps.
 * This program aims to only use chemical based treatments as a last resort, because some generic pesticides and fumigation methods can cause damage to sensitive collection objects.
 * Registrars and Collection Managers are the first line of defense again pest born deterioration to collection objects through regular inspections, sanitation methods, and maintaining clear records, because it is through these steps that deterioration by pests can be mitigated and corrected properly if need by a conservator.

Registrars and Collection Managers are key to the long-term preventative conservation and risk mitigation for collection objects through their vigilant monitoring, documentation and maintenance of the environments that surround and affect the long term condition of collection objects.