Delaware County Heritage Commission to Hold Document Preservation Workshop at Redwood Community Center
Released: March 16, 2023
The Delaware County Heritage Commission will hold a specialized preservation workshop on Saturday, March 25 at 10 a.m. at the Redwood Community Center in Upland County Park in Brookhaven.
The workshop will educate attendees regarding a novel solution for proper document preservation, focusing on what is termed a “Four-Flap Enclosure,” a simple low-fi solution that provides professional preservation-quality housing that safely encases archival material, provides rigid support, and prevents mishandling.
The four-flap enclosure is simple to make, customizable to a variety of sizes and thicknesses, can be labeled and, most importantly, makes a significant impact on collections care.
Participants will fold, cut, and assemble a custom four-flap enclosure and learn about the appropriate materials, tools, and techniques required. Templates and additional resources will be available to ensure participants will be prepared to adapt skills learned in the workshop to the particular conservation priorities of artifacts in their own collections.
The workshop will be led by Heritage Commission member Stephenie Bailey, who has held museum curatorial positions at the National Gallery of Art and the Revs Institute for Automotive Research and Historical Study of Stanford University, served as the Education Program Manager & Preservation Consultant at the Conservation Center for Art & Historic Artifacts, and is currently on the Board of the Nether Providence Historical Society and Delaware County Heritage Commission.
Note: The two-hour workshop has been designed to appeal to institutional staff members and volunteers responsible for the preservation, housing, and storage of paper artifacts and archival material at Delaware County historic sites, museums, historical societies, and libraries. However, the workshop is open to the general public and anyone with an interest in learning something new is invited to attend and rub elbows with the local preservationist community.
$10 covers materials and tools which participants can keep for use at their institutions. Please email delawarecountyheritage@co.delaware.pa.us to register. Payment can be cash or check, payable at the workshop.
Space is limited. If required, a second session will be at 1 p.m.
For more information about the Heritage Commission, including their slate of upcoming events, visit their web page at delcopa.gov/heritage.
