The Art of Saying 'No': Declining Collections Gifts Gracefully is an AASLH Continuing Education recorded webinar. This webinar is about how to say no gracefully, why a collections policy is their ally, and how to suggest alternative homes for the items. This event is presented by Aimee E. Newell and is part of the 2017 Online Conference recordings. Saying no to potential donations is a difficult part of collections work. Yet this skill is essential to maintaining relevance and sustainability. Participants will learn how to say no gracefully, why a collections policy is their ally, and how to suggest alternative homes for the items.

Chair: Aimee E. Newell, PhD, Executive Director, Luzerne County Historical Society, Wilkes-Barre, PA

This webinar was recorded as part of the 2017 Online Conference for the Annual Meeting in Austin, TX.

Field Services Alliance Tips: Caring for Collections on a Budget is an AASLH Continuing Education recorded webinar. This webinar is about budget-friendly practices for collections care, exhibition, and disaster planning. This event is presented by Karen DePauw, Samantha Forsko, and Janice Klein and is part of the 2017 Online Conference recordings. Every museum works within the confines of a budget.  We all know the best practices and what we should do for our organizations, but the question stopping us is usually: How?  Join us for a series of tips and tricks addressing budget-friendly practices for collections care, exhibition, and disaster planning.

Karen DePauw, Coordinator, Local History Services, Indiana Historical Society

Samantha Forsko, Preservation Specialist, Conservation Center for Art & Historic Artifacts (CCAHA)

Janice Klein, Executive Director, Museum Association of Arizona

This webinar was recorded as part of the 2017 Online Conference for the Annual Meeting in Austin, TX.

Cleaning House: A Guide to Deaccessioning and Abandoned Property is an AASLH Technical Leaflet. AASLH Technical Leaflets are brief, practical guides on how to do history. Technical Leaflet #278 by Alli Rico tackles discusses the needs and concerns associated with deaccessioning items from a museum. Museum collections must be constantly re-evaluated to make sure they are supporting the institution's mission and interpretive goals, as well as meeting the needs of dynamic audiences. Removing objects from collections can involve issues of ownership, provenance, and property law, and should be undertaken thoughtfully and methodically with plenty of supporting documentation.

Risk Assessment and Management for Collections is an AASLH Continuing Education recorded webinar. This webinar is about specific risks, both natural and man-made, facing cultural institutions and mitigation strategies for addressing those vulnerabilities. This event is presented by Dyani Feige and is part of the StEPs program. Identifying and preparing for potential threats is critical for reducing risks to collections. In this webinar, guest speaker Dyani Feige focuses on specific risks, both natural and man-made, facing cultural institutions and mitigation strategies for addressing those vulnerabilities. An institution’s history of incidents, location, building issues, environmental factors (temperature, relative humidity, light, and mold), pest control, fire protection, security procedures, available resources, and collections-specific hazards are all be discussed. Although the lab is targeted for organizations enrolled in StEPs, those not enrolled will find the presentation helpful as well. This is StEPs Lab 6.

Collections Care You Can Do and What to Leave to Conservators is an AASLH Continuing Education recorded webinar. This webinar is about specific preventive conservation practices you can perform and those you should leave for a conservator. This event is presented by Scott Carrlee. Museums hold collections in trust for the public. With that trust comes the duty of care. But with the duty of care comes the requirement that we not endanger collection items through improper care or treatment. Where, however, is the line between what we can and can’t do? In this webinar, guest speaker Scott Carrlee of the Alaska State Museum addresses specific preventive conservation practices you can perform and those you should leave for a conservator.

This webinar is part of the StEPs Lab series of online continuing education offered to both StEPs program participants and all others interested in collections care. This is StEPs Lab 8.