To David Hay and all other readers:
The Conservation Register
I am sorry to hear that you have only been able to get the answerphone when
contacting the Register. The Conservation Register is manned from 10 a.m.
to 2 p.m. every weekday and UKIC's office is usually manned all day, except
when staff are on leave. If you are unlucky enough to get the answerphone,
please leave a message with a telephone number and a member of staff will
get back to you within a day. Please don't just put down the phone! It's
an excellent service and certainly the best and fairest way to get a list
of relevant conservators in your area.
For those of you unfamiliar with The Conservation Register, it is a
referral service originally set up by the now defunct Museums & Galleries
Commission. Since July last year it has been owned and operated by the
United Kingdom Institute for Conservation, in partnership with the National
Council for Conservation-Restoration and with Historic Scotland. Enquirers
contact the Register staff, tell them what type of item or collection that
needs conservation advice or treatment and an automatic search is carried
out by the Register database, resulting in a list of five conservation
practices, offering the relevant skills, within the immediate region of the
enquirer. The service is free to all public institutions, including
archives, and costs UKP 7.50 for private individuals and companies.
Conservators on the Register have completed an onerous application against
a set of criteria, which now include (for applicants registering after 1
July this year) accreditation by one of the accrediting conservation
professional bodies. From 1 April 2003 all Regsitered practitioners will
have to be accredited.
I hope you find this information useful. Any queries about The
Conservation Register should be addressed to UKIC at 109, The Chandlery, 50
Westminster Bridge Road, London, SE1 7QY or telephone 020 721 8246 or 020
721 8721.
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