Announcements from IIC - Unlock Learning, Celebrate Growth!

IIC is launching an exciting offer to members of their Regional and Affiliated Groups - an exclusive access to the IIC Learning Platform for just £25 per person.

This special rate is a key benefit of being part of the IIC Regional and Affiliated groups and provides access to all our professional development programmes in one place. Whether your members are looking to build new skills, enhance your career, or stay updated with the latest conservation knowledge, the platform has something for everyone.

Do not miss out on this opportunity to invest in your growth. To sign up or learn more, please get in touch with Marina Herriges directly at marina.herriges@iiconservation.org

Announcements from AICCM 

More than Materials: Collaborative Approaches in Cultural Heritage Conservation 2025 AICCM Conference

From 12 to 14 November, the 2025 AICCM National Conference will take place at Kurilpa (South Brisbane) on the unceded lands of the Turrbal and Yuggera/Jagera peoples who we acknowledge as the Original Custodians of this Country. We pay our respects to Elders past and present. We recognise First Nations enduring connection to lands, waters, culture, and community and extend that respect to all First Nations peoples.

Find Out More

Kia ora whānau, we have an exciting news for you. 

Overturning a lifetime of misunderstanding – making the move towards passive climate storage of archive and library collections by Chris Woods (see bio below).

This is a call for expressions of interest in a one-day seminar on environmental management of documentary heritage to be held on Thursday 25th September 2025 in Wellington. The cost would be $150 per participant.

A major risk to archival collections is the environment in which they are stored. Understanding how archives interact with the climate inside a store, what environments are safe for archival materials (including in reading rooms and displays) and which provide a sustainable and affordable means of conserving collections, are key issues for conservators, librarians and archivists hoping to ensure the long-term conservation of collections. In recent times there has been a 'sea-change' in what we understand about the materials in archives, leading to a major shift in direction from tightly managed environments, using computer-controlled mechanical equipment, towards passive climate storage.

This in-person day course aims to help professionals understand how and why the sector has relied on engineering solutions hitherto, why these fail and do not provide what archival and library materials need and what we can do to change from wasteful, damaging and carbon-emitting methods towards sustainable and protective storage.

The course will be split into two halves - morning and afternoon session.

The morning session will examine:

 The standard guidance that developed in the 1970s and why it did not reflect the reality of archival and library materials and their needs

 how typical condensing air handling and air conditioning systems operate and why they cannot provide a safe environment for collections

 how archive and books interact with storage climates

 the significance of monitoring humidity and temperature appropriately in stores and what monitoring data can tell us.

The afternoon session will cover:

 how and why passive climate storage works and can protect collections and provide more stable and sustainable conditions than mechanically controlled environments

 the different approaches to building design and construction that are needed in contrast to previous approaches

 what forms of back-up control may be needed and why they can be used intermittently and safely

 how to test the environmental strengths and weaknesses of an existing store and whether it is suitable for passive climate storage

 what improvements may be needed to achieve a safe passive environment in existing stores

 the relationship between fire protection design and the storage environment

 how to define whether architects, engineers and builders have provided storage buildings that meet standards and the needs of collections, including handover processes and managing climate in the first years of a new store.

The session will refer to a range of conservation science research over the last 30 years and to the current standards BS 4971:2017 Conservation and care of archive and library collections, BS EN 16893:2018 Specifications for buildings intended for heritage collections and ISO 11799:2024

Document storage requirements for archive and library materials. It will use a range of positive and negative case studies of archive and library buildings in the UK in order to illustrate errors and successes.

About Chris Woods

Chris Woods is the current Director of the National Conservation Service, a UK based non-profit membership organisation for archives, libraries and museums without conservation staff, see www.ncs.org.uk. He is also chair of the British Standards Institution’s committee responsible for BS 4971, having led its review and drafting of the current, 2017 iteration, and was convenor of the working group responsible for drafting EN 16893:2018.

Please get in touch with Vesna Živković at vesna.zivkovic@dia.govt.nz or Anna Whitehead at anna.whitehead@dia.govt.nz as soon as possible, so we can gauge interest and arrange a suitably-sized venue.

Please note: This is the same seminar/workshop that Chris will be giving at Bind25 in Auckland a week earlier. 

Kia ora e te whānau, sharing this Congress on behalf of IIC.

IIC is thrilled to invite paper and poster proposals for the 31st biennial IIC Congress Ghent, 8-11 September 2026, set to take place both in-person and online.

We are looking for new, original, unpublished work, relevant to the Congress theme and the conservation profession.

About the theme:

Ensembles: Conserving Interconnected Artworks, Artefacts and Collections

A significant proportion of the world’s cultural heritage comprises interconnected works or collections that gain increased value and significance when considered as a whole. These groupings, often referred to as ensembles, can be found in fine art, ethnographic or world collections, architectural complexes, archaeological sites, and many other forms of artistic and historical expression. The conservation of cultural heritage ensembles needs to consider not only the individual needs of each component, but also the relationship between multiple pieces and their historical significance. Approaching ensembles in this holistic manner, important insights are gained on the depth of cultural narratives, the evolution of artistic traditions, and the broader historical and social connections that these works represent.

Accepted papers will be published in the Congress Proceedings as a special digital supplement of Studies in Conservation with selected presentations and  posters featured in an interactive Congress platform.

Further details, including the full submission guidelines, can be found here:

https://www.iiconservation.org/announcements/iic-31st-congress-ghent-2026-call-paper-and-poster-proposals

We look forward to seeing you virtually or in person in Ghent in September 2026!

#IICCongress

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Amazing opportunity to learn more about repairing bound books

Louise James from The Binding Studio, based in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland is hosting a workshop about repairing cloth bound books. 

This workshop is a great starting place to learn about book conservation and repair. It’s a stepping stone to repairing at home and feeling confident with bookbinding processes.

Here is some info about the workshop, please contact Louise at thebindingstudio@gmail.com or check the link - Repairing Cloth Bound Books — The Binding Studio | Artisan Bookbinder

Tutor: David Ashman

Date / time: Two day workshop- Friday 6th & Saturday 7th December / 10am to 4pm

Skill Level: advanced

Workshop Length: 12 hours / over 2 days

Number of Participants: 6x

Nau mai, haere mai!

Come and join us 18th - 20th September at NZCCM 2024 - an excellent opportunity to connect and engage with speakers and diverse professionals across conservation sector and partners. The conference will be held this year at a vibrant community hub in Tauranga Moana, the Historic Village!

The first two days will feature keynote speakers, papers, and panels with an emphasis on the theme of “Navigating Conservation Challenges in Aotearoa New Zealand.” The theme of this year’s conference acknowledges our location and the interconnectedness of land, water, and people, emphasing the significance of both the environment and the well-being of the community. 

On the third day, there will be a field trip to sites between Tauranga and Waihi Beach, focusing on coastline changes and impacts to archaeology.

Conference dinner will be held at Macau, 50 The Strand Tauranga. Please note: Conference registration does not include the dinner.

Registration for the Conference and Conference dinner is open now!

For booking and more info please visit - NZCCM Conference 2024

Hurry up and secure your spot! Ka kite koutou kei te Tauranga Moana!

Don't miss this opportunity of whakawhanaungatanga. 

The Collection Care Company has dates scheduled for emergency management courses in Auckland for 2023

Website: www.collectioncare.co.nz

Eventbrite Course Information: https://www.eventbrite.com/cc/emergency-management-training-for-heritage-1540559?utm-campaign=social&utm-content=creatorshare&utm-medium=discovery&utm-term=odclsxcollection&utm-source=cp&aff=escb

The ICON Book and Paper Group have announced the agenda and ticket sales for the #IconBPG21 upcoming conference are live. The conference will take place over four afternoons, from October 4th to October 7th, 2021, and will be held online on Accelevents, an all-inclusive and interactive conferencing platform.

The Conference theme is Mod Cons: Modern Conservation. Modern Constraints. Modern Conveniences. 

To view the conference agenda and ticket sales click here

2022 Congress Announced!

IIC is thrilled to announce the 29th IIC Biennial Congress 2022 will be located in New Zealand, in partnership with the New Zealand Conservators of Cultural Materials (NZCCM) in Wellington, NZ. Also thanks to 100% Pure New Zealand and Business Events Wellington.

RACHAEL COLLINGE and RANGI TE KANAWA—Valerie Carson, Textile Conservator, passed away on Tuesday 21 January surrounded by her family in Whanganui. Valerie was so much more to us than just a colleague, we loved her dearly and will miss her terribly. Her presence is still felt in the lab, her hand writing still visible on our scissors and in our conservation files. Valerie Carson, Textile Conservator, lover of textiles, travel and tassels. She gave so much to us she is now part of our DNA. Valerie we thank you with all our hearts. Valerie was New Zealand’s first textile conservator and worked at the Museum for more than 27 years before her retirement in 2007. Her first contact with the museum’s textile collection was as a volunteer with the Wellington Embroiders Guild. Valerie also taught embroidery at Wellington College. She believed these practical skills and those of an ex-dental nurse gave her the hand skills required for textile conservation. She liked to say she went from conserving teeth to conserving textiles. While working with the textile collection to improve the storage conditions, she recognised that further conservation training was required. In 1979 she travelled to the UK, completing the textile conservation course run by Karen Finch OBE at the Textile Conservation Centre, then based at Hampton Court Palace. Her application to study was supported by Dr John Yaldwn and she received funding from the Interim Conservation Council, Historic Places Trust, The federation of University Women and a grant from the Mobil Environmental Scheme. Valerie spent a year away from her family and three children to complete her conservation studies. On her return to New Zealand she worked at the Conservation Unit at the National Art Gallery and Museum working alongside Jack Fry until the establishment of Te Papa. She worked across the collections caring for textile items in the social history collection, Pacific collection and taonga Māori. She particularly loved the kakahu collection and recognised the importance of this collection and the challenge of preserving the black paru dyed textiles. For this, she made possible, and supported the entire career, of a Māori textile conservator. She worked with volunteers, community groups and museum staff sharing her knowledge and passion for textiles. As a consequence textiles across the county have benefited from improved storage and awareness of conservation practice. Valerie recognised the importance of growing conservation and mentored many of us. She was so generous with her skills and time. Her mentoring was not just confined to conservation and the academic study of textiles. She was always concerned with our wellbeing. She was loving, kind and compassionate and so much fun. Valerie loved to travel and combined this with her textile interests leading a number of textile tours through India and following the Silk Route. Valerie developed a personal textile collection and many of the textiles were collected on these travels. More details on Valerie’s life and career can be seen at https://blog.tepapa.govt.nz/2020/02/17/valeriecarson-1936-2020-the-pioneer-of-new-zealand-textile-conservation/.

Photo credit: Valerie Carson in the Elgar room of the Colonial Museum, 1992. Photo by A. Marchant. Te Papa

Anna Whitehead: Wellington Regional Rep

Anna has been your Wellington rep for 1.5 years. This year is seeing a large part of her role being involved in the Conference Planning Committee. Originally from Sweden and the UK, Anna is a book and paper conservator with many years in private practice. Since 2015 she has been conservator at Archives New Zealand in Wellington, with responsibilities for the care of the records of government including the  constitutional documents in the He Tohu exhibition. In her spare time Anna enjoys her rural living, her 11 sheep, 8 ducks and 4 hens, and is involved with the local Birds NZ group for which she writes a monthly column in the local paper about the awesome birds to be seen in the Wairarapa.