Subject: Conservation of materials and data
Course: Conservation of library and archival materials
ECTS credits: 6
Language: Croatian
Duration: 1 semester
Status: compulsory elective
Method of teaching: 1 lecture hour and 1 hour of seminar
Prerequisite: none
Assessment: oral exam

Course description:
Purpose of conservation. Optimal conditions for keeping library and archives materials.
Materials on which library and archives materials are recorded: traditional materials (paper, parchment, skin etc.) and machine-readable records materials. Writing devices. Causes of deterioration: physical-chemical (humidity, temperature, light, polluted air, acids), biological and mechanical. Natural disasters (fire, flood, earthquake etc.) and wars as deterioration causes.
Role of the building in conservation of materials. Buildings constructed for specific purpose, adapted buildings. Organizing space within the building. Stacks, reading rooms, offices and other rooms. Equipment.
Protection from various kinds of damage. Protection during exhibitions. Planning of safety measures, planning for natural disasters and wars. Conservation by transporting to other media (photocopy, microfilming, scanning). Importance of protective packaging in conservation of materials. Types of protective packaging. Materials for making protective packaging. Conservation of various kinds of materials: individual records, seals, documents with attached seals, books, newspapers, prints, maps, blueprints etc. Conservation of machine-readable records.
Role of binding in conservation. Types of binding. Role of restoration in conserving materials. Restoration methods. Methods of mass restoration in conservation of materials: mass disinfection, neutralization and restoration by cleaving. Criteria for founding restoration workshops and photo-laboratories. Role of documenting restoration proceedings.
Conservation priorities.

Course objectives:
Students are acquainted with types and causes of deterioration of materials, properties of materials and media the documents are created with, as well as with the influence of causes of deterioration on them. They are qualified to recognize types of damage and to take measures to prevent and remove them, as well as to take preventive measures of conservation of archival materials and to plan and manage the protection system.

Quality check and success of the course: Quality check and success of the course will be done by combining internal and external evaluation. Internal evaluation will be done by teachers and students using survey method at the end of semester. The external evaluation will be done by colleagues attending the course, by monitoring and assessment of the course.

Reading list:
1. Mušnjak, T. Uloga zgrade u zaštiti pisane baštine. Arhivski vjesnik, 44 (2002),183-194.
2. Mušnjak, T. Arhivi: Između digitalnih zapisa i ubrzanog propadanja gradiva na kiselom papiru. Masovna neutralizacija zapisa na kiselom papiru. Arhivski vjesnik, 44 (2001), 61-70.
3. Arhivistički standardi i postupci Državnog arhiva Québeca. Hrvatski državni arhiv. Zagreb, 1994. (chapters D and F)
4. Priručnik iz arhivistike. SDARJ. Zagreb, 1977. (poglavlja: VII, XV, XVI i XIX)
Additional reading list:
1. Plathe, A. Unescov program hitnih mjera za zaštitu vitalnog gradiva u slučaju oružanih sukoba. Arhivski vjesnik, 43 (2000),  77-90.
2. Mušnjak, T. Zaštitna ambalaža za pohranjivanje arhivske građe. U: Sodobni arhivi XIV. Maribor, 1992, str. 142-146.
3. Ritzenthaler, M.L. i dr. Upravljanje fotografskim arhivima. SAA Serija temeljnih priručnika. Chicago, 1994.
4. Maria Guercio, La conservazione. Metodi e standard, u Archivistica informatica. I documenti in ambiente digitale. Carocci editore 202: 97-128.
5. La conservation des documents: Conditions, moyens et technique, Les metodes de protection, de restauration et de substitution i Le bâtimen d'archives, u: a pratique archivistique française, Paris, 1995: 467-572.