AN INTRODUCTION TO HERITAGE VOLUNTEERING

The majority of heritage projects fall roughly into two categories, care of the collections and knowledge and access.

 

Care of collections

The most effective way to care for a collection is to remove or reduce the threats to their survival. This is Prevention conservation.

Remedial conservation is the repair of an object which should be undertaken by trained personnel.

 

How can heritage Volunteers help?

Collections do not look after themselves, they need to be cared for. Curators, conservators, librarians and archivists do not normally have the time to carry out necessary routine tasks such as dusting, cleaning, packing etc. We can play a part by undertaking such projects under the guidance of professionals. They may be mundane or unglamorous but they are vital to ensuring the long-term preservation of our heritage and this in itself can be rewarding.

 

Knowledge and access

Britain’s Museums, Historic Houses, Libraries and Archives care for the very best and most significant works of art, archaeology, historical, scientific and natural history objects, artefacts, books and archives. 

These collections provide us all with a unique opportunity to both enjoy and learn. Their value to society is contained in both formal and informal learning but their importance is diminished if they are not accessible either physically or intellectually.

 

How do we help?

The documentation projects undertaken by Heritage Volunteers significantly improve access to collections and archives, allowing curators and researchers to find historic objects and the information associated with them more easily. 

Research Projects where they may increase the sum of knowledge of our history by revealing information about individual items and documents.

Stewarding and Guiding provides a link between the public, curators and collections, they provide history and knowledge for the public, and feedback to curators which could improve viewing for the public and - importantly - enjoyment of a visit.  

 

Whilst we provide guidelines for Stewarding and Guiding, we do not usually provide information on conservation of artefacts, as the training for working on these items is usually provided by the host organisation, and their guidelines should be followed. However, we do provide library training if it cannot be provided by the host organisation, we also like the library to be assessed by a professional book conservationist or archivist before the start of a project.

 

The ‘ICON’ organisation does provide a variety of leaflets with general information on the care of certain artefacts and these could be useful to a representative who would like to assess what work they could be doing before committing a team to a project. 

 

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Good Practice Guidelines for all Projects

Honour your commitment
When you agree to take part in a project you make a commitment not only to
the host organisation but also to the rest of the team of volunteers.
Be considerate
If you cannot take your turn on the rota, let the project leader know as soon as
possible.
Dress code
The host organisation may prefer you not to wear certain items e.g. large rings,
mohair jumpers etc as they may catch or damage an item. In such cases please
respect their wishes.
Rules and regulations
The host organisation will have health and safety rules - you should be aware of
them and follow them.
Follow the advice of the conservator
Please do not assume that prior knowledge from another project is transferable:
follow the project conservator’s advice.
Protective clothing
Certain projects may require the volunteer to wear protective clothing, please
follow this as these requirements are there not only for your protection but for
that of the artefacts as well.
(If you have breathing trouble with dust masks do mention it to the
conservator.)
Lifting Objects
Lift objects in the proper manner (training for this should be provided) do not lift
anything too heavy or you are unsure about, make sure you have clear route for
transporting the items.
Records
Keep proper records of your work - information could be lost if you don’t do this.
Conservation and documentation projects will have their own format for

recording, make sure you understand what is required and be careful how you
record. A work diary of the group’s work is a good idea.
Writing
It is usual when recording by hand to use pencils only - check what rating of
pencil is require e.g. 2B or 4B.
Temperature and Light
Artefacts may suffer if exposed to light, humidity or heat, so be careful about
opening windows or raising blinds.
Work Area
Make sure the work area is clean, secure and well lit.
Refreshment Breaks
Have refreshment breaks away from your work area, food debris will attract
pests, and liquids could damage documents or textiles.
The Work Environment
The place where you work should have a comfortable temperature to work in, if
it is too hot or cold please report this to your supervisor - don’t take it upon
yourself to bring in a room heater which would be hazardous, as well as possibly
causing problems with the artefacts.

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