In response to Angie Palmer's question about conservation costs, you should
find it helpful to go to the Conservation Register website:
www.conservationregister.com
In addition to providing guidance about commissioning conservation, the
site allows you to search by practice or by discipline, and by post-code
region, for businesses offering services. The information contained in the
listed practices usually includes charges/hourly rates etc. Using the
Register, you should be able not only to get a picture of likely charges,
but also specifically the charges you can expect from businesses within
your region, or willing to work in your region, and specifically for the
types of collection or objects that you are hoping to preserve.
You should also be able to identify through the Register names of
consultants who would offer to review the wide ranging needs of your
collections and build a likely project cost.
The Register is a computerised system for searching and referral in a fair
manner, thus avoiding the risks of litigation associated with less
objective 'favourite' lists. All practices on the Register are required to
meet specific rigoruous criteria and their lead conservators must be
accredited professionals. For these reasons, the Register is supported and
advocated by English Heritage, The National Trust, Council for the Care of
Churches, Historic Scotland, CyMAL, MLAC, the National Preservation Office
and professional bodies . The Register is owned and run by the Institute of
Conservation (Icon), the lead body for conservation in the UK.
(www.instituteofconservation.org.uk) Web searches are free of charge.
I hope that you find what you are looking for.
Best wishes
Chris Woods
Head of Conservation & Collection Care
Oxford University Library Services
Bodleian Library
Broad Street
Oxford OX1 3BG
Tel: (01865) 277075
Fax: (01865) 277182
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