Preservation and Conservation Conference, UKZN Special Collections, 26-28 September 2017

Sonto Mabena, information specialist for Special Collections, attended and presented a paper at the 3-day Preservation and Conservation Conference held at the University of KwaZulu Natal (UKZN), 26 – 28 September 2017.  This conference was jointly hosted by UKZN and the South African Preservation and Conservation Group (SAPCON). It was attended by special collections librarians, archivists and museums curators.  

The topic of Sonto’s presentation was ‘Identifying challenges in the selection of material for digitisation’. The topics covered ranged from curriculum development and training to pest management, from air conditioning in the building and mould prevention to disaster preparedness & management. Other topics included digitisation, storage handling care, scientific techniques for preserving paper and the challenges of managing a personal archive.  Preservation and conservation focus on the ways in which to maintain and prolong the life of a collection.

Highlights of the conference:

The conference took place at the two UKZN campuses:  Durban on the 26^th and 28th September 2017 and Pietermaritzburg on the 27^th September 2017.