Implementing the Collection Risk Assessment Framework requires collection analysis, curatorial decision making and project planning.
Workflow
1. Reporting from the collection
2. Content Analysis
3. Curatorial Decision Making
4. Develop the Preservation Projects
Reporting from the collection
Using the Urgency framework, detailed reporting is undertaken from the collection database, looking at the different formats and their Fragility, Longevity, Obsolesence, Holdings, and any conditions that affect longevity such as vinegar syndrome, decomposition and tape stock brands.
Content Analysis and Curatorial Decision Making
To assist in curatorial analysis and in making informed decisions about Heritage Value, Access Value and subsequent Consequence of Loss reporting is undertaken based on curatorial needs for information, for example, this could include information such as class and genre, dates, significant historical, political, AV industry figures, record labels and subject areas such as talk back radio or our holdings of Indigenous material.
Develop the Preservation Projects
Once the curatorial decision making informed by Importance has occurred, different preservation projects will be developed based on preservation capacity.
Preservation projects can be based on formats or particular facilities which are set up for different technical outcomes. See batching for more information on this aspect of the workflow. Detailed Project Management Plans may need to be written for complex projects, such as the reconstruction of an historic feature film.
A simple one page Preservation Project Pro-forma can used for straight forward ongoing preservation projects.
Tips for Success
- Keep a balance between material that requires treatment and relatively straightforward material. This means that staff can still achieve preservation goals, but have the time to nurture the difficult and damaged items through the preservation process.
- Maintain good relations between preservation and curatorial staff so that collaboration occurs.
- Be open to opportunities in technology that will help you do your job better. There might be a new piece of technology that could halve processing time.
- Be responsive to changes in preservation capacity and curatorial requirements. Perhaps there is now a requirement for radio series to be preserved rather than talk back radio.
- Celebrate your successes.