Consultations

Consultations

Consultations provide members of the public opportunity to meet with conservators who will examine paper-based artifacts and answer questions about how to preserve documents, prints and photographs.

If items require specific treatment, we’ll provide recommendations along with the names of regional labs that work within that specialty. We can also make suggestions for appropriate housings to preserve your collection, all of which are conveniently available from the Basile History Market.

Appointments allow one-on-one discussion in a private setting and are required for all consultations. The fee is $20 for IHS members and $25 for nonmembers. Schedule an appointment today.

Collection Assessment Surveys

Since 1990, IHS conservators have compiled written assessments and surveys for nonprofit organizations with historic collections.  Assessments involve a site visit and provide information to help prioritize preservation needs.

Conservators are also available for project assessments dealing with specific preservation strategies or concerns. The reports may be used to communicate concerns to board members, community fundraisers and for regional and state grant funds.

Preservation Workshops

Learn how to preserve your historical collections and keep them from harm at IHS’s preservation workshops. Discussions focus on storage and collection environmental issues, undertaking preservation efforts and exploring conservation techniques.

We’ll teach you how to understand essential issues in preserving historical collections, recognize different types of material and how their preservation varies, learn how to humidify, surface clean and provide housings for paper materials and give you answers to your most perplexing problems. For a taste of what you can get from a Conservation workshop, download the Preservation Workshop For Museums handout.

Preservation workshops are offered through IHS’s Local History Services Program. For more information, contact localhistoryservices@indianahistory.org or call (317) 232-4591. 

Our preservation workshops travel around the state. Please contact us at (317) 232-4591 if your organization would like to serve as a host site. 

Find other resources for your small museum or historical society.