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THE CONSERVATION REGISTER

Post of Development Officer

Supporting information

The Conservation Register is a national database of information on independent conservation and restoration practices providing specialist services and advice. Since it was initiated by the Conservation Unit of the Museums & Galleries Commission in 1988 the Register has grown to become the authoritative source of such information for owners of historic and artistic works, both private individuals and public institutions. It provides details of around 600 practices employing about 2000 people.

Although an increasing number of conservators in this country have been well trained and are now becoming accredited, it is still open to anyone to set themselves up as a conservator or restorer, making it difficult for owners and custodians to distinguish good quality services from bad, a situation which puts their possessions and the country’s heritage at risk. Because the Register focuses work on practices of quality, it has already done much to raise the level of care of cherished historic and artistic works.

In July 2000, with the replacement of the MGC by Resource as the government's strategic body for museums, libraries and archives, the Register was transferred to the UK Institute for Conservation, the main professional body, which now operates it in partnership with the Conservation Bureau of Historic Scotland and with the National Council for Conservation-Restoration, the umbrella organisation for the relevant professional bodies and trade associations.

By the time the Register was handed over in July 2000, its maintenance and marketing were beginning to be in need of attention. Furthermore, after twelve years' experience, and with developments in communications and information technology, it is high time to modernise its operation and introduce improved modes of access to the information. An Advisory Board has been established, representing all interested parties, to explore how the Register should be reinvigorated as a more significant and robust enterprise, and serve a much wider public than it does at present, so that its true potential can be fully realised.

Funding towards this development project is being provided by English Heritage (Heritage Grant Fund), Resource - Council for Museums, Archives and Libraries, Historic Scotland and the Clothworkers Foundation.

Proposed improvements

The main aims of this development project are to

(i) improve the operation of the Register, so that it more closely matches enquirers' needs to the services provided

(ii) strengthen the quality of the practices listed

(iii) raise consciousness of the importance of using only conservator-restorers of quality and market the Register effectively for this purpose to all those who could benefit from it.

(i) Operation of the Register

• To work with computer consultants to re-design the early 90’s database, so that it can be more flexibly searched than at present and to ensure that it is accessible on the Web; and to create a Register website
  
  
• To revise and re-design all the literature and documents: introductory and information leaflets, Notes of Guidance, Application Form, Referees Form, Print-outs to enquirers

(ii) Improving quality

• To revise the criteria for admission to the Register, with the help of the Advisory Board; and incorporate recently introduced professional accreditations.
  
  
• To carry out a total review of all businesses currently on the Register, to ensure that they still comply with their original conditions of entry, and that all their details (e.g. staff, qualifications, insurance, etc) are up-to-date; and to re-introduce an appeals procedure for practices which are rejected.
  
  
• To promote the Register to those business which are not yet on it, possibly up to another 500.

(iii) Raising consciousness and educating of users

• To market the Register actively among all those who would find it of benefit, using (paid) advertising and (free) editorial in relevant journals and other media. The aim will be to increase usage from the current c 1000 searches per annum (plus 450 in Scotland), to at least 6,000 per annum by year 3.
  
  
• To produce additional information leaflets, etc to accompany search print-outs and to be available on the website, which will provide helpful advice for clients, such as “How to care for your photographs”, “…pictures”, “…..ceramic”, “How to work with a conservator” etc; and to make these available on-line.

This work will be managed by the Conservation Register Development Officer for the duration of the project.

Appendix

How the Conservation Register currently operates

Admission to the Register

Conservation-restoration practices apply by completing a 12 page application form on which information is sought about all relevant staff, their training, experience and qualifications; about their documentation, their premises, security, insurance, and health and safety; and five projects carried out in the last two years. UKIC contacts the clients and seeks assurances from them on the quality of work carried out.

On receipt of satisfactory references, and only if the workshop satisfies twelve criteria is it admitted to the Register. As of 1st July last year, the lead person in a business which is applying afresh must already be accredited by one of the schemes currently available. In case of doubt, the application is considered by the Panel.

Service to enquirers

The purpose, criteria and operation of the Register are explained to enquirers who specify the type of object or material on which they require work. A search on the database produces details of five practices which should satisfy their requirements and which are geographically as close to the client as possible. This search is carried out for a fee of £7.50 and the print-outs mailed to the enquirer who is able to study the information and decide which conservators or restorer to approach. They are helped by a leaflet How to Choose a Conservator which is included with the print-outs. Recommendations are not made, only information supplied.

The service is currently requested by telephone, but it is planned to make it available also on the Internet. Partly because of the complication of making charges over the internet, but mainly because we wish to encourage greater use of the Register, we intend to offer this service free of charge in future, recouping costs instead from the practices which belong to the Register from which they gain business. The telephone enquiry route will be maintained because many enquirers need to discuss their problems directly, and will be helped towards the best choice of services; and many others still prefer to use the 'phone.

24th June 2002

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[Posted 1 July 2002]