Society for the Preservation of Natural History Collections September 2016 - 13

Society Reports sincere thank you to all. Expenses incurred in FY2016 as of April 30 include $8,400 for changes to the online membership database, $6,919 for publishing and printing Collection Forum vol. 29, $5,500 to Burdette, Smith & Bish for the 2015 Financial Review, a $5,000 loan to the Denver Museum of Nature and Science who are hosting the SPNHC annual meeting in 2017, $3,520 for the Best Practices wiki, $1,300 for membership booth rental at meetings, $591 for reprinting the Storage: Ideas volume and $518 for online hosting of the fall 2015 newsletter. The Society anticipates expenses related to publications, travel grants, insurance premiums, the Best Practices wiki, the trade show booth, and 2016 online election. Please contact the SPNHC Treasurer for further details. For their help throughout the year, I would like to extend thanks to Andy Bentley (University of Kansas), Chris Norris, Susan Butts, and Tim White (Yale Peabody Museum of Natural History), Linda Ford (Museum of Comparative Zoology), Ann Molineux (University of Texas at Austin), and Christine Johnson (American Museum of Natural History). The American Museum of Natural History, Division of Paleontology provided general office support for the Treasurer. Respectfully submitted, Ruth O'Leary, Treasurer SPNHC Representative Reports American Institute for Conservation of Historic & Artistic Works The following is a report from the Canadian Association for Conservation and American Institute for Conservation Joint 2016 Annual Meeting: Emergency! Preparing for Disasters and Confronting the Unexpected in Conservation was the theme for the joint Canadian Association for Conservation of Cultural Property (CAC-ACCR) and the American Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works (AIC) annual meetings. Held at the Palais de Congrès, Montreal, Canada, from May 13-17, this was the 42nd annual conference for CAC-ACCR and the 44th annual meeting for AIC. This year marks the 50th anniversary of the 1966 Florence flood. The theme of the assembly focused on emergency planning and preparing for the unexpected in conservation. International in scope, presenters shared insights on how past and recent disasters had impacted cultural property, and addressed how emergency planning can help to lessen the risks of future disasters. Encountering the unexpected in either treatment of artifacts or during natural disasters was also discussed in many sessions. Examples of presentations include using heat and cold in the treatment of a Lakota Winter Count, examining preventive conservation in changing times, dealing with the aftermath of fire at the Glasgow School of Art, recovering from floods in Alberta, and documenting and protecting cultural heritage during armed conflict in Syria and Iraq. Five concurrent tracks at the general session helped attendees chart emergency preparedness and response. These tracks included: Confronting the Unexpected; Get Ready, Get Set: Emergency Preparedness; Go -Emergency Response; Hearing from a Group - Two Panels on Collaborative Efforts Following Recent Disasters; and Lead by Example, Models to Follow. Pre-conference workshops included IMLS Grant Proposal Consult Appointments with Connie Bodner; Gap-filling for Ceramics; STASH presentations; Identification of East Asian Paper for Conservation; Building Emergency Response & Salvage Decision Making Skills; Gellan Gum Applications for Paper-based Objects; Ferrous Attractions, The Science Behind the Magic; Digital Assessment Techniques for Video Works; and Respirator Fit Testing Lecture. Attendees participated in tours and business meetings, dinners and receptions, and "lunch & learns". The opening reception was held at Musée des beaux arts de Montréal, with a full array of food and drink, and the exhibit galleries open to all participants. This meeting hosted one of the largest North American gatherings of suppliers in the conservation profession, and attendees could view new products and equipment. There were a wide range of posters that attendees could read at their leisure or discuss with the author(s) at the Author in Attendance session. The General Closing Session included a shared recognition and congratulations to AIC and CAC-ACCR's 2016 award recipients. Many outstanding career achievements were honored in this award celebration, including several 'mud angels' who had traveled to Italy to assist with the recovery from the impacts of the 1966 Florence flood. Rob Waller was the recipient of an AIC lifetime achievement award. Next year, CAC-ACCR's 43rd annual conference will be held in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada, from June 6-10, 2017. AIC's 45th annual meeting will be held in Chicago, Illinois, from May 28-June 1, 2017. For more information about the 2016 conference and the upcoming 2017 meetings, please visit the following websites: http://www.conservation-us.org/ September 2016 * 13 http://www.conservation-us.org/

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