A compilation of heritage conservation charters and conventions.

A compilation of important heritage conservation charters


<p>As an art lover, it's important to understand how to properly care for and preserve your beloved pieces. Here are answers to some of the most frequently asked questions about art conservation, based on Google search questions and some curated knowledge from reputable conservation sources. The following Q&#x26;A is being constantly updated. I am open to edits and corrections as long as they come from a place of kindness :)</p>
<ul>
  <li><a href="#what-is-art-conservation">What is art conservation?</a></li>
  <li><a href="#how-do-i-care-for-my-art-collection">How do I care for my art collection?</a></li>
  <li><a href="#what-is-an-art-conservator">What is an art conservator?</a></li>
  <li><a href="#what-is-an-art-conservationist">What is an art conservationist?</a></li>
  <li><a href="#how-do-i-find-an-art-conservator">How do I find an art conservator?</a></li>
  <li><a href="#what-is-a-preventive-care-conservator">What is a preventive care conservator?</a></li>
  <li><a href="#do-you-need-to-be-a-conservator-to-work-with-collections">Do you need to be a conservator to work with collections?</a></li>
  <li><a href="#can-all-art-be-conserved">Can all art be conserved?</a></li>
  <li><a href="#what-should-i-do-if-my-art-becomes-damaged">What should I do if my art becomes damaged?</a></li>
  <li><a href="#how-do-i-become-an-art-conservator">How do I become an art conservator?</a></li>
  <li><a href="#do-i-need-to-learn-other-languages-to-become-an-art-conservator">Do I need to learn other languages to become an art conservator?</a></li>
  <li><a href="#how-much-does-it-cost-to-study-art-conservation">How much does it cost to study art conservation?</a></li>
</ul>
<h2>What is art conservation?</h2>
<p>Conservation is the process of preserving and restoring works of art to their original condition. This involves a range of techniques, including cleaning, repairing damage, and stabilizing the piece to prevent further deterioration. Conservators are trained professionals who specialize in this field and work to ensure that art is preserved for future generations.</p>
<p>If you want to dig deeper, the term "art" conservator is highly misleading as it will mostly apply to conservators working in the fine arts - such as with paintings and sculptures.</p>
<p>However, conservators around the world specialise in a broad range of materials, each with its own difficulties and challenges. Thus, it is not uncommon for conservators to consult each other based on the materials they find on particular objects.</p>
<p>Some of the specialisations you may find (certainly not all) are:</p>
<ul>
  <li>Stone</li>
  <li>Architectural</li>
  <li>Natural history</li>
  <li>Photograph</li>
  <li>Book and paper</li>
  <li>Textiles</li>
  <li>Contemporary art</li>
  <li>Digital media and audiovisual</li>
  <li>Plastics</li>
  <li>Ethnographic (generally related to historical and indigenous collections from around the world)</li>
  <li>Archaeological</li>
  <li>Metals</li>
  <li>Preventive</li>
  <li>Wood (even just waterlogged wood)</li>
  <li>Glass and ceramics</li>
  <li>Murals and frescoes</li>
  <li>Mosaics</li>
  <li>Furniture</li>
  <li>Industrial machinery, trains, airplanes, tanks</li>
  <li>Things as niche as clocks, globes, and model ships</li>
</ul>
<h2>How do I care for my art collection?</h2>
<p>There are several steps you can take to properly care for your art collection:</p>
<ul>
  <li>Keep art out of direct sunlight, as UV rays can fade or discolor the piece.</li>
  <li>Use LED lighting to avoid exposing your art to Infrared radiation.</li>
  <li>Avoid placing art near sources of heat, humidity, or moisture, as these can cause damage.</li>
  <li>Dust and clean your spaces regularly using a soft, dry cloth or a feather duster.</li>
  <li>Handle art carefully and gently to avoid accidental damage.</li>
  <li>If at all possible, keep your spaces clean to avoid pests. Pests such as moths, various beetles and other insects like silverfish will damage your objects, and in some cases, eat them completely.</li>
  <li>If you need to move or transport art, do so with caution and use proper protective materials such as bubble wrap or acid-free tissue paper.</li>
</ul>
<h2>What is an art conservator?</h2>
<p>An art conservator, or just a conservator, is a trained professional who specializes in the preservation and restoration of works of art. They use a range of techniques and materials to clean, repair, and stabilize art, with the goal of preserving it for future generations. Art conservators work in a variety of settings, including museums, galleries, and private conservation studios.</p>
<h2>What is an art conservationist?</h2>
<p>Beware the term "conservationist" as it is not the correct term to describe professionals who work in the care of heritage and art - and it will annoy conservators greatly.</p>
<p>Generally speaking, a "conservationist" is a person who is concerned about the environment, climate change, and pollution.</p>
<p>
  <img src="/art-conservationist-conservator.png" alt="Conservationists versus Conservators"><br><em>Conservationists and conservators are not the same career. In fact, in 2022, conservators spent a significant amount of time cleaning up after conservationists.</em>
</p>
<p>Terms for conservators will vary depending on countries and general usage. In general, correct terms for conservators are:</p>
<ul>
  <li>Conservator</li>
  <li>Conservator-restorer</li>
  <li>Restorer (Although this term is sometimes shunned in some countries as it may denote a more liberal, and often frowned-upon, approach to removing original materials.)</li>
</ul>
<h2>How do I find an art conservator?</h2>
<p>When searching for an accredited conservator, it's important to do your research and ask for recommendations. Look for conservators who have received proper training and accreditation, such as those who are members of professional organizations like the <a href="https://www.culturalheritage.org/about-conservation/find-a-conservator">American Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works</a> or <a href="https://www.conservationregister.com/">ICON UK</a>. You can also ask for references from previous clients and check for reviews or testimonials online.</p>
<h2>What is a preventive care conservator?</h2>
<p>There is a specific branch of conservation these days which does not focus on a type of object or material, but rather on the conditions that surround objects.</p>
<p>You may also find it as Preventive conservation, also called preventive care, collections care, preventative conservation/care.</p>
<p>Preventive care and management focuses on evaluating and monitoring the <a href="https://www.canada.ca/en/conservation-institute/services/agents-deterioration.html">10 agents of deterioration framework</a> as developed by the Canadian Conservation Institute.</p>
<p>The 10 agents are:</p>
<ol>
  <li>Physical forces</li>
  <li>Thieves and vandals</li>
  <li>Fire</li>
  <li>WAter</li>
  <li>Pests</li>
  <li>Pollutants</li>
  <li>Light, ultraviolet and infrared</li>
  <li>Incorrect temperature</li>
  <li>Incorrect relative humidity</li>
  <li>Dissociation</li>
</ol>
<p>It is the job of a collections care professional to evaluate the ways in which the 10 agents may be causing damage to a whole collection in order to implement protective measures that minimise damage over time.</p>
<p>In the case of preventive care, a professional will not be directly treating objects, but rather improving the conditions in which those objects live.</p>
<p>For more guidance on how to apply preventive care, check out this resource from <a href="https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/learn/conservation/collections-advice-and-guidance/">English Heritage</a></p>
<h2>Do you need to be a conservator to work with collections?</h2>
<p>Nope, you most certainly don't have to be. People who work with collections may come from a diverse background and training programs. In Galleries, Libraries, Archives and Museums (GLAM), you may find:</p>
<ul>
  <li>Registrars and database specialists</li>
  <li>Conservators</li>
  <li>Archivists</li>
  <li>Librarians</li>
  <li>Preparators</li>
  <li>Exhibitions officers</li>
  <li>Curators</li>
  <li>Facilities management and operations</li>
  <li>Mountmakers</li>
  <li>Educators</li>
  <li>Biologists, chemists, physicists and other conservation scientists</li>
  <li>Etc.</li>
</ul>
<h2>Can all art be conserved?</h2>
<p>Not all art can be conserved, as some materials or techniques may be too fragile or unstable to be restored. In these cases, the focus may shift to preserving what remains of the piece and preventing further deterioration. However, with the right techniques and materials, many works of art can be successfully conserved and restored.</p>
<p>Some types of damage, such as fading due to light, are completely irreversible, so they once done, such damage cannot be undone even by the best practitioners.</p>
<h2>What should I do if my art becomes damaged?</h2>
<p>If your art becomes damaged, it's important to act quickly to minimize further damage. If the damage is minor, such as a small tear or scratch, you may be able to repair it yourself using conservation-grade materials.</p>
<p>This is not generally recommended and most conservators will discourage you from doing so as there are many physical and chemical reactions that you may not expect and which you will not be able to control. Many conservators in both private practice and museum jobs spend significant amount of time undoing previous treatments gone wrong. The damage is not always fixable.</p>
<p>If the damage is significant or you are unsure how to properly repair it, it's best to seek the assistance of a professional conservator who specialises in the material you have.</p>
<h2>How do I become an art conservator?</h2>
<p>For a more in-depth discussion on how to become an art conservator, please read this article <a href="https://angelicaisa.com/blog/where-to-study-art-conservation">Where to study art conservation - The ultimate guide</a>.</p>
<h2>Do I need to learn other languages to become an art conservator?</h2>
<p>Not really, no. Programs will only require either the local language of instruction, and in some cases, English as well. Other than that, you do not need to have foreign language qualifications to study conservation at post-graduate level.</p>
<h2>How much does it cost to study art conservation?</h2>
<p>In my article <a href="https://angelicaisa.com/blog/where-to-study-art-conservation">Where to study art conservation - The ultimate guide</a>, I have included a very long Excel table with over 70 programs around the world and as much information as we could get regarding pre-requisites, costs, location, etc.</p><br><br><br><br>If you liked this post, sign up for [my newsletter](http://bit.ly/3XYqzrt) so you can get the latest articles straight into your inbox.


From preventing damage to finding a reputable art conservator, here are the answers you need to keep your beloved pieces in top condition. Frequently asked questions about art conservation.

Art Conservation - Frequently Asked Questions

Get a behind-the-scenes look at Ki Culture's progress since 2019 and learn more about financial sustainability and climate change activism in the heritage industry in this exclusive article.

Behind-the-Scenes with Ki Culture: Financial Sustainability & Climate Change

Is your job in heritage wearing you down? Are you starting to wonder whether you should be switching fields? Read this interesting take on mental health and happiness for coping mechanisms and exercises.

2023 Mental Health Tips for Heritage Professionals


<p>This article was last updated on: Dec 5th, 2022</p>
<p>Disclaimer: Please note that this article is not evergreen. Prices and program details may change over time. I will do my best to keep it updated, but please do your own research before making life decisions. Also note that I have obviously not attended or am personally familiar with all of these programs. Just because a program is on this list does not mean I can openly recommend them. <strong>Again, please do your own research. I am not affiliated with any of these programs and am not receiving anything from them to put them on this list.</strong></p>
<h2>How do I become a conservator?</h2>
<p>As you may or may not know, I am one of the moderators of the <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/ArtConservation/">subreddit for art conservation</a>.</p>
<p>One of the questions that we get most often is</p>
<blockquote>
  <p>How do I become a conservator or where do I study conservation?</p>
</blockquote>
<p>And every time, we have to try to remember which ones there are, in what countries they are in, what specialties they each give people, etc.</p>
<p>For this reason, I have decided to attempt to make a comprehensive list of as many programmes in conservation as I am aware of. Many of these have been taken from the list that we have in this Reddit group.</p>
<p>If I have missed any, please don't hesitate to let me know so that I can add them to this continuously updating list and I will also try to add as many programmes I'm aware of. In both the global North and South.</p>
<p>Wherever possible, I will actually also add how long the programme takes and how much it costs.</p>
<p>If you have attended any of these programmes and would like to be available to answer questions to potential students, please let me know so that I can note you down for being contacted.</p>
<p>As I mentioned at the beginning of this article, this is intended to be a comprehensive list of <strong>Masters programmes</strong>, so if I missed any, please do tell me that I did and I will happily add them and then hopefully we can use this as a future resource for everyone to decide where they want to study conservation.</p>
<p>Please note that I simply did not have the space to list every program's requirements so I have only added certain notes where I thought information was particularly salient.</p>
<h2>Do all conservators have masters degrees in conservation?</h2>
<blockquote>
  <p>No, they do not. <strong>What degree you have will depend a lot on what country you liv</strong>e in and how the profession has developed in that country. In some countries, you don't need to have studied conservation straight out of high school.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>You could have just a bachelors in conservation or a bachelor in something else and a masters in conservation, or you could have both degrees in conservation. It is also possible to become a technician in conservation, which, as the name states, is a technical degree - this may either not be available in all countries, or may be the only thing available in your country. It will vary by location. In some countries, there are also apprenticeship paths into conservation through training with a mentor.</p>
<p>This said, <strong>in most English-speaking places and the EU, you will most likely be required to have a formal post graduate degree in conservation (and several years of experience in the field even if it's internships) if you wish to work in a museum, library or similar institution.</strong></p>
<p>This does not mean that you can't open your own private conservation/restoration business. Not all freelance conservators have formal degrees. Some of them have just been doing it for a very very long time and know what they're doing very well without, as we say in Peru, the "cardboard" to prove it (i.e. the official degree).</p>
<p>Because of the different paths conservators may take to become conservators, and the huge number of technical and undergraduate level degrees around the world, <strong>this article focuses solely on Masters degrees that are directly related to conservation. I have not included courses that relate to heritage management or museum studies.</strong></p>
<h2>Unexpected (unpleasant) surprises when researching where to study conservation for a masters</h2>
<blockquote>
  <p>I will admit I began this article expecting to go into all these website pages and easily find the information a prospective student would want to know. Things like, PRICE or even whether I will come out with an MA or MSc or what and after how long. It turns out that this information is not easy to find and is not in just one place, but scattered all over the websites.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>In order not to end up with a 3 year research project as I am doing this in my little free time, <strong>I am just leaving ?? marks where I just couldn't find things after a fair amount of clicking around.</strong> I am not saying the information isn't there. I'm only saying I couldn't find it after several minutes searching.</p>
<p>Yes, I could guess some of these things by asking some colleagues, but it could still be wrong if it's not official info from the program and also, for now, I want to make the point that this information was not easily available.</p>
<p>If you are able to clear up this missing information snafu for a program you are related to, please let me know and I will update the info - and if you are associated with any of these programs, please tell them we really would like to be able to find these things.</p>
<h2>Brief note on financial support and other fees</h2>
<p>Since almost if not all programs provide some sort of financial aid, either in the form of fully funding the program, loans, scholarships, awards, etc. I have not noted this information because it would be too much. Be aware that rules for these different forms of financial support will vary by institution and also on whether you are an international student or not.</p>
<p>I have also not included other fees or costs such as materials or lodgings. Some programs will explicitly say everything is included while others will say additional costs are up to you.</p>
<h2>Brief note on exchange rates</h2>
<p>For the sake of simplicity and so that you can actually compare the cost of programs on the same footing, I have converted all prices to USD based on the exchange rate on Dec 3rd, 2022:</p>
<p>1 GBP - US$ 1.20<br>1 EUR - US$ 1.03<br>1 AUD - US$ 0.68<br>1 NZD - US$ 0.64<br>1 SEK - US$ 0.10<br>1 MXN - US$ 0.05<br>1 CLP - US$ 0.0011<br>1 COP - US$ 0.00021</p>
<h2>Other courses</h2>
<p>Some of these institutions offer not only masters level courses, but they also have diplomas or professional development courses. I have not included these for the sake of focus. If I find enough demand, I will make another article dedicated to Continuous Professional Development courses, certificates and diplomas.</p>
<p>Okay! Here we go then.</p>
<h2>Where can I study art conservation and how much does it cost to become a conservator?</h2>
<p>Apparently quite a lot depending on where you would like to study!</p>
<ul>
  <li>Unless otherwise specified, all program lengths and prices are for full-time students.</li>
</ul>
<iframe src="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/e/2PACX-1vRpLCTHINVRGyw7H8PiZQVnvFsslZx_Yy9UDb1n042vHr6heW9rhmRobI1JpfwxvJL4gyp2fK7SW96l/pubhtml?gid=0&#x26;single=true&#x26;widget=true&#x26;headers=false" style="width: 100%; height: 500px;"></iframe>
<p><a href="http://bit.ly/3gSkZ9D">Link to the full spreadsheet.</a></p>
<h2>Interesting things I found while researching</h2>
<ul>
  <li>
    <p>Pricing is really clear on UK programs, but extremely hard to find on American ones.</p>
  </li>
  <li>
    <p>UK programs have gotten insanely expensive since I got my degree in 2015.</p>
  </li>
  <li>
    <p>Asian programs were impossible for me to find, probably because of the language barrier. If you know about Asian programs, please reach out to me so I can flesh out this table.</p>
  </li>
  <li>
    <p>Most programs have no specific information with hard numbers about your chances of employability after you graduate.<sup><a href="#user-content-fn-1" id="user-content-fnref-1" data-footnote-ref="" aria-describedby="footnote-label">1</a></sup></p>
  </li>
  <li>
    <p>Pre-reqs are extremely varied globally and reflect the expected conditions of the local applicant pool.</p>
  </li>
  <li>
    <p>Many of the Latin American programs don't have anything online but expect you to send a request for information. Not even price.</p>
  </li>
  <li>
    <p>Latin American programs really tend towards monuments and buildings more than objects.</p>
  </li>
  <li>
    <p>Some of the Spanish-speaking programs only open if they get a minimum number of applicants.</p>
  </li>
  <li>
    <p>Colombia (Not ColUmbia) had an amazing system that ties the tuition fees to the national minimum wage.</p>
  </li>
</ul>
<h2>What did I miss?</h2>
<p>Did I miss any programs or got any information wrong? Have things changed since I first released this post? Please reach out to me through any of my social media or through my contact form on this website and let me know. I will happily update.</p>
<h2>A couple updates and acknowledgements</h2>
<p>Since this article came out on Sunday, December 4th 2022, I erceived so many positive comments and requests to update and add information to the table, that it became necessary for me to create a new <a href="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1m3x4a4TJXUoeeYZ3W-mq82BA9jAL0tEWH-UyFeCgE5s/edit#gid=0">editable Excel sheet</a> where you are free to add, edit, and update information for everyone's benefit. Please be aware that <strong>this is not the original file</strong>. I have done this to prevent the original information from being corrupted or accidentally deleted.</p>
<p>I will copy the information in this editable sheet to the master sheet presented above periodically - ideally once a year, so we can see how prices and programs change over time!</p>
<p>I want to explicitly thank all of you who have reached out to me in one way or another with encouraging comments about this article and its associated table. I am grateful for your patience where I may have got information wrong. I am happy to correct it where necessary. I am very pleased that this article will save a lot of you a lot of time and I feel proud of our profession - so many of you are selflessly offering me your time to add more programs to the table.</p>
<p><strong>So thank you again, and let's keep making resources for everyone!</strong></p><br><br><br><br>
<p>If you liked this post, sign up for <a href="http://bit.ly/3XYqzrt">my newsletter</a> so you can get the latest articles straight into your inbox.</p>
<section data-footnotes="" class="footnotes">
  <h2 id="footnote-label" class="sr-only">Footnotes</h2>
  <ol>
    <li id="user-content-fn-1">
      <p>It was recently pointed out to me that UK programs have vague employment figures because of marketing laws (consumer rights). If you want to know about employability for the UK, please contact the programs directly. <a href="#user-content-fnref-1" data-footnote-backref="" class="data-footnote-backref" aria-label="Back to content">↩</a></p>
    </li>
  </ol>
</section>


So you've decided you want to study art conservation but don't know where to start. Here's a brief article on how to get yourself going.

Where to study art conservation - The ultimate guide


<p><strong>Contents</strong></p>
<ul>
  <li><a href="#why-is-this-post-about-pivot-tables">Why is this post about pivot tables?</a></li>
  <li><a href="#where-to-find-pivot-tables">Where to find pivot tables</a>
    <ul>
      <li><a href="#excel">Excel</a></li>
      <li><a href="#google-sheets">Google sheets</a></li>
    </ul>
  </li>
  <li><a href="#what-are-pivot-tables-anyway">What are pivot tables anyway?</a></li>
  <li><a href="#how-to-make-a-basic-pivot-table">How to make a basic pivot table</a>
    <ul>
      <li><a href="#1-make-a-table">1. Make a table</a></li>
      <li><a href="#make-pivot-tables-from-your-basic-table">Make pivot tables from your basic table</a>
        <ul>
          <li><a href="#excel-1">Excel</a></li>
          <li><a href="#google-sheets-1">Google Sheets</a></li>
        </ul>
      </li>
    </ul>
  </li>
  <li><a href="#how-to-use-pivot-tables-for-integrated-pest-management">How to use pivot tables for Integrated Pest Management</a></li>
  <li><a href="#how-to-use-pivot-tables-for-manual-environmental-monitoring">How to use pivot tables for manual environmental monitoring</a></li>
  <li><a href="#how-to-use-pivot-tables-for-small-scale-collections-management">How to use pivot tables for small-scale collections management</a></li>
  <li><a href="#general-recommendations">General recommendations</a></li>
  <li><a href="#other-uses-for-pivot-tables">Other uses for pivot tables</a></li>
</ul>
<h2>Why is this post about pivot tables?</h2>
<p>Sometimes, you don't have <em>any</em> budget for nice collections management software of any kind. Or maybe you're just a volunteer, or for whatever reason, nice, <em>paid</em> software isn't an option.</p>
<p>In these cases, you have to make the best of what you have - and you should know that what you <em>do</em> have actually has the possibility of being more powerful than you thought.</p>
<p>For this reason, I am writing this post about pivot tables. You may or may not have heard of them before. If you have, you're probably using them already and love them. If you haven't, I envy you the moment of discovering them for the first time because, I kid you not <strong>pivot tables can be a total game-changer if you do preventive conservation or any kind of collections management without the benefit of dedicated software.</strong> Without further ado, let's get going.</p>
<h2>Where to find pivot tables</h2>
<p>Let's start with finding out where pivot tables live:</p>
<p>It is possible to work with pivot tables on both Excel and Google Sheets. The following two screenshots show you where they are.</p>
<h3>Excel</h3>
<p>
  <img src="/pivot-table-and-chart-location-in-excel.png" alt="Location of pivot tables and charts in Excel"><br><em>Location of pivot tables and charts in Excel under the Insert tab. I have also pointed out that there are pivot charts in Excel, which are charts that are based on pivot tables and are therefore responsive to pivot table changes.</em>
</p>
<h3>Google sheets</h3>
<p>
  <img src="/pivot-table-and-chart-location-in-google-sheets.png" alt="Location of pivot tables in Google Sheets"><br><em>Location of pivot tables in Google Sheets under the Insert tab.</em>
</p>
<h2>What are pivot tables anyway?</h2>
<p>According to <a href="https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/create-a-pivottable-to-analyze-worksheet-data-a9a84538-bfe9-40a9-a8e9-f99134456576">Microsoft</a>, "A PivotTable is a powerful tool to calculate, summarize, and analyze data that lets you see comparisons, patterns, and trends in your data."</p>
<p>When I first came across this idea, I didn't understand the point - isn't this what Excel does already? Well, in a way, yes. But also no.</p>
<blockquote>
  <p>Pivot tables allow you to take a general table full of unorganised data and automatically summarise or filter it in order to make comparisons that are more useful to you than a huge table of information. Don't worry if this still doesn't make sense, we will get there.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>One of the cool thing about pivot tables is that you don't have to worry abour organising your information from the beginning. <strong>All you have to do is make sure you have a column for every possible type of information or filter which you will be needing to analyse your data and then just start populating the information.</strong> Pivot tables will then do all the organising, summarising and filtering for you.</p>
<p>If you look for how to use pivot tables on YouTube, most of the (really good) examples have to do with sales or profits, so I thought I'd write this post to show you how pivot tables can be used for conservation and collections management.</p>
<p>If you still want to check out those videos, here are a couple links that helped me get my brain around the possibilities of pivot tables:</p>
<ul>
  <li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UsdedFoTA68">Excel Pivot Tables EXPLAINED in 10 Minutes (Productivity tips included!)</a></li>
  <li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m0wI61ahfLc">Pivot Table Excel Tutorial</a></li>
</ul>
<h2>How to make a basic pivot table</h2>
<h3>1. Make a table</h3>
<p>I've been an Excel user since I was taught to use it in school, some 20 years ago. <strong>And it turns out I've been using tables all wrong for 20 years.</strong></p>
<p>I don't know if you knew this, but it has come to my attention that just putting data into the Excel grid and formatting it with nice lines into something that <em>looks</em> like a table does not, in fact, make it a table.</p>
<p>
  <img src="/pivot-table-no.jpg" alt="Basic Excel table with made-up names, surnames, countries and ages"><br><em>Ceci n'est pas une table. It looks like a table, but officially, it is not.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <img src="/pivot-table-insert-table.png" alt="Basic Excel table with made-up names, surnames, countries and ages"><br><em>To make a real table, you have to select your not-table and either press the Table button under the Insert tab in Excel, or you can hit Ctrl+T.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <img src="/pivot-table-how-to-insert-table-gif.gif" alt="Basic Excel table with made-up names, surnames, countries and ages"><br><em>Watch this quick GIF on how to make your not-table into a real table. Note that this is not necessary in Google Sheets.</em>
</p>
<p>Notice that your real table now looks different. The header has changed colours (in my case it becomes shaded in blues), it automatically shows you filter arrows next to each column, and if you happen to scroll down a lot, you will notice that your header row becomes grey and replaces the A,B,C... names of the columns so that no matter how far you scroll down, you will always be able to see the title of your headers. You are now ready to make pivot table.</p>
<h3>Make pivot tables from your basic table</h3>
<h4>Excel</h4>
<p>Now that you have a basic pivot table, all you need to do is select it and click to create a pivot table. In both Google Sheets and Excel, you will find this button under the <strong>Insert</strong> tab. See the section at the top of this article to find the screenshots.</p>
<p>
  <img src="/pivot-table-creation.png" alt="Create a pivot table from a regular table"><br><em>Choose the base table by either selecting the data or typing in the name of your table. Then choose the location for where your new pivot table will show up. In this example, I have chosen a cell (G2) next to the original table.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <img src="/pivot-table-field-list.png" alt="Choose the fields you will use for your pivot table in Excel"><br><em>Once you have created your pivot table, two intimidating looking things will appear. One is a strange box with the name of your pivot table (pink) and instructions. The other is a right side menu bar. At the top (yellow), you will see a list of all the columns in your original table. Below that (green), you will see four boxes called Filters, Columns, Rows and Values. Don't be afraid, watch the video below for how to use them.</em>
</p>
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/JL1M9THDF8E" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
<p><em>As you drag fields from the yellow section to the green sections, your pivot table will automatically appear, pulling data from your original table. Note that in the Values box, you can change whether you want the number to be a count, a sum, an average, or many other types of numbers.</em></p>
<p>
  <img src="/pivot-table-excel-refresh-button.png" alt="Data refresh button in Excel"><br><em><strong>Important note:</strong> Google sheets will automatically update pivot tables as you add information to the base table. However, Excel will require you to fo to the Data tab and press the Refresh all button to update the information.</em>
</p>
<h4>Google Sheets</h4>
<p>Creating a pivot table in Google Sheets works exactly the same as in Excel with the exception that you do not need to "create" a table. You can just select the table you have and create the pivot table from there.</p>
<p>As you will see in the very short video below, the main difference between the Excel and Google Sheets interface is that Excel shows you four squares to drag fields into while Google Sheets gives you a column with subtitles to drag into.</p>
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/oRNpwIRjRiY" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
<h2>How to use pivot tables for Integrated Pest Management</h2>
<p>Now that you have seen the basics of how pivot tables work for random data, let's use it for Integrated Pest Management.</p>
<p>Here is a <a href="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/15bgBDtzyXRA4_96FMu_WfUTO21gBf7Xz/edit?usp=sharing&#x26;ouid=118036011024670616453&#x26;rtpof=true&#x26;sd=true">fake table of Integrated Pest Management information</a> you can download from Google Sheets to play with.</p>
<p>
  <img src="/pivot-table-example-base-table-ipm.png" alt="Basic table for IPM tracking in Google Sheets"><br><em>Basic table for IPM tracking in Google Sheets. These are the columns that I have created which help me use this table as the main database for a made-up IPM tracking exercise. Note that the Pest Occurrence Index (POI) column is a calculated number based on <a href="https://museumpests.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/17-Baars_and_Henderson_2021.pdf">Baars &#x26; Henderson.</a></em>
</p>
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/7wqE5RuTb6M" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
<p><em>Watch this video on how to create a pivot table from the base table on Google Sheets. The process will be exactly the same in Excel with the exception that for Excel you first need to turn your not-table into a table using Ctrl+T. In both cases, you are just dragging and dropping fields into the right places.</em></p>
<p>If you use Excel for your pivot charts (and I strongly recommend it over Google Sheets), you will be able to create all kinds of charts and graphs to illustrate your IPM results. Go ahead and check out the <a href="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/15bgBDtzyXRA4_96FMu_WfUTO21gBf7Xz/edit?usp=sharing&#x26;ouid=118036011024670616453&#x26;rtpof=true&#x26;sd=true">fake table of Integrated Pest Management information</a> where I have even left you some example charts you can make.</p>
<h2>How to use pivot tables for manual environmental monitoring</h2>
<p>Pivot tables will also help you manage environmental monitoring data if you regularly go around with a manual hygrometer. Yes, we know this is a bore, but hey, for some of us, that's all we've got.</p>
<p>For this, I have made you this <a href="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1YKdsjt3OSytbXknjFnmzQbhtSZIAojHJKkhWRd_J6QY/edit?usp=sharing">fake table of environmental monitoring information</a> you can download from Google Sheets to play with.</p>
<p>
  <img src="/pivot-table-base-table-for-environmental-monitoring.png" alt="Basic table for manual environmental monitoring in Google Sheets"><br><em>Notice that just inputting the information of the manual readings you take each day will be enough to give you a table which you can use to create pivot tables specific by spaces, seasons, and any other filters you may decide to use. All you have to do is put the information you will want to filter by as a column in your base table.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <img src="/pivot-table-for-environmental-monitoring.png" alt="Basic pivot table for manual environmental monitoring in Google Sheets"><br><em>This pivot table was easily made by dragging the temperature and relative humidity readings into the Values field, using the Spaces and Seasons as rows. Make sure you check out the <a href="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1YKdsjt3OSytbXknjFnmzQbhtSZIAojHJKkhWRd_J6QY/edit?usp=sharing">Google Sheet with environmental monitoring information</a> to see it in detail.</em>
</p>
<h2>How to use pivot tables for small-scale collections management</h2>
<p>By now, you're probably getting the hang of pivot tables. Check this out. Yet another use for pivot tables is to help you sort your collections. Naturally, this is only the case for those of us who do not have a bespoke software for collections management or who are just managing small collections - even your own books at home or any personal collections will benefit greatly!</p>
<p>I have made you this <a href="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1x--fJiJK0rbL2ZHfZDfWE6kAjCg9-9aEEK0ZFfDQ8VU/edit#gid=0">fake table of object movement information</a> you can download from Google Sheets to play with.</p>
<p>
  <img src="/pivot-table-base-table-for-collections-management.png" alt="Base table with imaginary objects and locations"><br><em>This fake table of imaginary objects in a collection shows some basic ID information for each object plus a location history and a yes/no column to indicate whether the location is the most updated one.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <img src="/pivot-table-for-basic-collections-management.png" alt="Base table with imaginary objects and locations"><br><em>Look at the yellow sections. This particular pivot table allows you to filter out the latest location for an object while allowing the original table to maintain information on object history. Additionally, note that it is possible to identify objects with unknown locations. If you so wished, you could play with the filters available to find objects on loan, or even which objects move around the most.</em>
</p>
<h2>General recommendations</h2>
<p>In general, if you intend to use pivot tables to their fullest, I strongly recommend that you stick to Excel. Google Sheets is very finicky when you start creating cool charts - in short, it's a bit of a nightmare.</p>
<p>For this reason, I only recommend Google Sheets for pivot tables if you want something that is on the Cloud and can be easily shared among a lot of users. It is also fine if you will only be creating pivot tables and not pivot charts. I do not recommend it for intense data analysis or for data visualisation.</p>
<p>Remember that all you need is a base table with all the important information. Once you have that, the world is your oyster. You can make as many pivot tables as you want to show as many things as you require. All you need to do is put them on different tabs and let them pull the information for you from the main table.</p>
<p>When you are first starting out, I recommend just playing around and moving fields around to the Rows, Columns, Values and Filters boxes to see what they can give you. Then push the Make a Chart or Pivot Chart button and see what that gives you. You'll be amazed at the results.</p>
<h2>Other uses for pivot tables</h2>
<p>Initially, I used to find pivot tables a bit intimidating. I had seen them on Excel but had no idea what they did,and that big fields box that showed up when I clicked "insert pivot table" looked hella scary.</p>
<p>However, since I learned to use pivot tables, I've gone absolutely crazy over them. I now use them at work for collections-related issues such as following up on object locations, Integrated Pest Management interpretation, manual environmental monitoring and even collection surveys. <strong>The time saving introduced by this kind of basic automation is absolutely amazing.</strong></p>
<p>I imagine that now you may feel more comfortable with pivot tables, you can think of a million ways they could be useful for you. Maybe for facilities stuff, or any other thing you need to keep track of! In my personal life, I have even introduced them into my personal finances and, believe me, they have made my life so much easier.</p>
<p>Let me know if this blog post helped you out and if you are also a pivot table fan like me! Please share any other amazing uses for pivot tables you may have found for collections care.</p>
<p>If you liked this post, you can follow me on <a href="https://twitter.com/ConservaLlama">Twitter</a> where I'll be posting more content on how to make it easier to manage collections with few resources and free tools.</p>


Excel pivot tables are an amazing tool you can use to make your collections management easier

How to use Excel pivot tables for collections care


<p><strong>Contents</strong></p>
<ul>
  <li><a href="#why-make-plastic-sleeves-for-your-books">Why make plastic sleeves for your books?</a></li>
  <li><a href="#materials">Materials</a></li>
  <li><a href="#video-examples">Video examples</a></li>
  <li><a href="#step-by-step-instructions">Step-by-step instructions</a>
    <ul>
      <li><a href="#1---measure">1 - Measure</a></li>
      <li><a href="#2---fold">2 - Fold</a></li>
      <li><a href="#3---make-windows">3 - Make windows</a></li>
      <li><a href="#4---fold-in-windows">4 - Fold in windows</a></li>
      <li><a href="#5---close-the-sleeve-at-the-back">5 - Close the sleeve at the back</a></li>
      <li><a href="#6---close-the-sleeve-at-the-front">6 - Close the sleeve at the front</a></li>
      <li><a href="#7---final-result">7 - Final result</a></li>
    </ul>
  </li>
</ul>
<h2>Why make plastic sleeves for your books?</h2>
<p>If you live in a place like I do, you'll be sick and tired of dust and dirt. It seems like all you have to do is look away, and there is a thin layer of dust on everything even though you just cleaned. How are you supposed to care for books this way?</p>
<p>Not only is this annoying, but it is also bad for books. Dust is hygroscopic. This means it attracts moisture. Since dust is also made up of small bits of organic matter (among other things), it means that between the moisture and the organic debris, dust will encourage mould growth.</p>
<p>You might have seen it too. The tops of all your books get these tiny brown, reddish or black dots over time. Sometimes, even the side edge. But the bottoms look the cleanest. You can blame a mixture of dust, oxygen, moisture and book composition for these.</p>
<p>
  <img src="/Sleeves-Sides.jpg" alt="Three images of the top, side and bottom of a book showing differential damage."><br><em>Differential book damage on a book I own and never wrapped. Top (left), edge (centre) and bottom (right) of the book. Notice the top has gone darker and has spots. The edge has lots of foxing spots. The bottom still retains original colour and has almost no spots.</em>
</p>
<p>You might not be able to do much about book composition, but you can at least protect the surface of your books from dust settling on them directly and setting off these ugly spots.</p>
<p><strong>Important note:</strong> Ventilation is always important when trying to keep things mould-free. So keep in mind, as we learn about these book sleeves, that they should not be wrapped too tight as this can compromise ventilation.</p>
<p>
  <img src="/Sleeves-Tight.jpg" alt="Shrunken plastic wrap has pulled back the front cover."><br><em>Additionally, look at at how plastic shrinkage over time could pull at your book covers and damage them. This cover is now less wide than the rest of the book. This is easily solved by making sure you don't tighten up your wrapping right against the covers when you fold. Try to make sure you buy polyethylene or polyester only, which are the best to use from a conservation perspective.</em>
</p>
<p>I am aware that there are somewhat expensive, commercial, automatic machines that will make cool sleeves for books and that some archives and libraries use them. However, this is aimed at the rest of us for whom it would make no sense to spend that kind of money just for our own personal use.</p>
<h2>Materials</h2>
<ul>
  <li>Stable plastic (polyethylene or polyester) <strong>non-adhesive</strong> film</li>
  <li>Scissors</li>
  <li>Box-cutter (just for cutting out the piece of wrap you will need)</li>
  <li>Acid free tape or regular scotch tape if you're not that bothered</li>
  <li>The book you want to wrap, obviously</li>
</ul>
<p>
  <img src="/Sleeves-Materials.jpg" alt="Materials needed: Plastic wrap, tape, box cutter, scissors and book"><br><em>Materials you will need. Do <strong>not</strong> buy self-adhesive plastic film. Remember that this process is meant to be entirely reversible and is not intended to affect your book directly in any way. Keep in mind that regular adhesive tape can be acidic and that even the non-sticky side of it against the back of your book could, after many years, leave a tape-shaped stain. If this is something you definitely don't want, make sure you opt for acid-free tape instead.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Important note:</strong> Choosing the right materials is extremely important.
  
  <img src="/Sleeves-Damage.jpg" alt="Old book with marks from bad plastic and tape."><br><em>Look at this old book in my personal library. It was probably wrapped back in the 60s, 70s or 80s. The plastic (probably PVC) and tape used were not acid free and even though the tape is not stuck directly on the book (which would be worse), it has still managed to stamp it. It is interesting to note how the damage seems to have acumulated on the edges, where dirt must have accumulated due to the edges of the adhesive.</em>
</p>
<h2>Video examples</h2>
<p>Here are a couple videos I made to show the whole process. They completely unintentionally came out as ASMR bookwrapping videos, so do enjoy if that's something you like. I apologise for the quality, but I'm still figuring out the video aspects of all this.</p>
<p>Book 1 example</p>
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/EqvqyvUOqJA" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
<p>Book 2 example</p>
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/MyFpxMIpfhE" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
<h2>Step-by-step instructions</h2>
<h3>1 - Measure</h3>
<p>Know the measurements you need. Make sure you know the size of your book in all 3 dimensions: Length, width and height. Make sure you add a few inches in every direction so that the sleeve is not a tight fit and allows your book some space to move.</p>
<p>
  <img src="/Sleeves-Measure.jpg" alt="Book over plastic wrap"><br><em>Make sure you have enough wrap on all sides to cover the book. Give it a good 2-3 inches (8cm or so) for the bottom and sides while for the top use the thickness of your book plus another 2in (5cm). You can also make the sides wider if you want the book covers to be more protected.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <img src="/Sleeves-Measure2.jpg" alt="Book over plastic wrap"><br><em>Make sure you have enough wrap on all sides to cover the book. For the top edge, in particular, make sure the extra goes completely over the thickness of your book plus an extra inch (3cm) or so. This is necessary for the final top flap that will protect the top of the book.</em>
</p>
<h3>2 - Fold</h3>
<p>
  <img src="/Sleeves-Fold.jpg" alt="Plastic wrap folded over the edges of the book."><br><em>Place your book over the flat, open wrap and fold the edges over the end flaps in the same way commercial book sleeves cover books. This will leave you with edges on the top and bottom sticking out.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <img src="/Sleeves-Wrap.jpg" alt="Plastic wrap folded over the edges of the book.">
</p>
<h3>3 - Make windows</h3>
<p>Since it would not be possible to bring up the wrap on the covers of the book with the plastic edges coming all the way around, you will need to make little "windows" close to the spine which will be folded in so we can get them out of the way.</p>
<p>
  <img src="/Sleeves-CutBottom.jpg" alt="Bottom windows being cut"><br><em>On the bottom edges of the book, make a small cut in the plastic up towards the edge of the book. Make it about an inch away from the spine. Repeat the procedure for the bottom back flap.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <img src="/Sleeves-CutTop.jpg" alt="Top windows being cut"><br><em>On the top edge of the book, the window will be slightly different. Since we intend to use this top part to make a flap to protect the whole top edge of the book, align your front small cut in the plastic with the front corner of the book. Make the back flap cut about an inch away from the spine as you did for the bottom of the book.</em>
</p>
<h3>4 - Fold in windows</h3>
<p>Once you have cut in your top and bottom "windows," open up the plastic wrap and fold the windows in.</p>
<p>
  <img src="/Sleeves-FoldinBottom.jpg" alt="Fold in the bottom window"><br><em>You should be able to see how that "window" I mentioned is being folded up and will end up inside the wrapping.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <img src="/Sleeves-FoldinTop.jpg" alt="Fold in the bottom window"><br><em>Note that the top window (right) being folded in is smaller than the bottom one (left). This is to account for the full flap that will protect the book at the top.</em>
</p>
<h3>5 - Close the sleeve at the back</h3>
<p>Once you have folded in both top and bottom "windows," bring the wrapping back like a book sleeve.</p>
<p>Now we can start closing the sleeve.</p>
<p>
  <img src="/Sleeves-FoldInBackEdge.jpg" alt="Folding in the back bottom of the sleeve."><br><em>Folding in the back bottom of the sleeve. Make a little triangle fold at the corner and fold the whole flap up. Secure it to the sleeve with a small bit of tape. <strong>Do NOT allow your tape to touch the actual book.</strong> Remember you are only taping the plastic wrap to itself, and not to the book. This will allow you to remove the wrap in the future if it ever became necessary without damaging or touching the book at all.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <img src="/Sleeves-FoldInBackEdge2.jpg" alt="Folding in the back bottom of the sleeve."><br><em>Repeat the same process with the top edge at the back of the book.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <img src="/Sleeves-Back.jpg" alt="How the back of the book should look"><br><em>This is how the back of your book should look at this point.</em>
</p>
<h3>6 - Close the sleeve at the front</h3>
<p>For the front of the book, you will repeat step 5 for the bottom part.</p>
<p>
  <img src="/Sleeves-FoldInFrontEdge.jpg" alt="How the front of the book should look"><br><em>This is how the bottom of the front of your book should look at this point.</em>
</p>
<p>However, for the top part, just fold the whole top in, without any triangle folding. Don't tape it. You're just generating that fold so it will sit nicely on top of the book.</p>
<p>
  <img src="/Sleeves-TopFlap.jpg" alt="How the outside of the back of the book should look"><br><em>Open the top flap back up, close the book, and bring the flap over the outside of the book and to the back. You may now decide to put a small bit of tape here to close up that flap if this is a book you don't often use, or you may leave it sitting there just like that.</em>
</p>
<h3>7 - Final result</h3>
<p>Habemus plastic book sleeve!</p>
<p>
  <img src="/Sleeves-Final.jpg" alt="Finished wrapped book"><br><em>This is your finished wrapped book. Thanks to that top flap we made, even when you stand it in the bookshelf, the top will be protected from superficial dust and will make cleaning much easier.</em>
</p>
<p>Make sure you watch the videos up at the top in case the photo instructions were not entirely clear.</p>
<p>If you liked this post, you can follow me on <a href="https://twitter.com/ConservaLlama">Twitter</a> where I'll be posting more content on how to improve your collections at home.</p>


Find out how to care for books in your personal library by using this book-wrapping technique.

Caring for Books: Using Plastic Sleeves for Home Collections


<p><em>Image of a globular spider beetle, Trigonogenius globulus.</em></p>
<p>You want to be able to keep a nice record of the insects you catch or of other wonderful things like textile fibres or stains or grains. Things that are too small to be caught on regular camera, but you don't have a microscope with a nice attachment or any other fancy equipment to do it.</p>
<p>Read this post and despair no more.</p>
<p><strong>Contents</strong></p>
<ul>
  <li><a href="#pictures-i-have-taken-on-my-phone">Pictures I have taken on my phone</a></li>
  <li><a href="#what-you-need">What you need</a></li>
  <li><a href="#what-it-looks-like">What it looks like</a></li>
  <li><a href="#step-by-step-process">Step-by-step process</a>
    <ul>
      <li><a href="#1---attach-the-magnifier">1 - Attach the magnifier</a></li>
      <li><a href="#2---use-the-magnifier-app-on-your-phone">2 - Use the magnifier app on your phone</a></li>
      <li><a href="#3---take-the-photo">3 - Take the photo</a>
        <ul>
          <li><a href="#android">Android</a></li>
          <li><a href="#apple">Apple</a></li>
        </ul>
      </li>
    </ul>
  </li>
  <li><a href="#acknowledgments">Acknowledgments</a></li>
</ul>
<h2>Pictures I have taken on my phone</h2>
<p>
  Yes, believe it or not, all of the following photos have been taken using nothing but my Samsung A30s (see specs
  <a href="https://www.gsmarena.com/samsung_galaxy_a30s-9796.php">here</a>) and a generic, £5 clip-on 4x magnifier that I bought in some cheap place in the UK a long time ago. For those of you unfamiliar with the broad Samsung offer, the A30s is basically not dirt cheap but it doesn't even get up to what you could call the start of the fancy ranges.
</p>
<p>
  <img src="/Zoombugs-1.jpg" alt="Unknown bug"><br><em>Unknown bug. If you know what this is, send me a DM on Twitter as I'd love to know!</em>
</p>
<p>
  <img src="/Zoombugs-2.jpg" alt="Book louse"><br><em>Liposcelis spp. - Booklouse</em>
</p>
<p>
  <img src="/Zoombugs-3.jpg" alt="Case-bearing clothes moth larva"><br><em>Tinea pellionella - Case-bearing clothes moth larva out of its case. Yes, those pellets are what you think they are.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <img src="/Zoombugs-4.jpg" alt="Cricket and silverfish"><br><em>Unspecified cricket and a small, dried up silverfish - Lepisma saccharina</em>
</p>
<p>
  <img src="/Zoombugs-6.jpg" alt="Fly pupaa"><br><em>Fly pupa and what seem to be the cannibalised remains of said fly.</em>
</p>
<p>Like what you see? Look no further to see how to take these yourself!</p>
<h2>What you need</h2>
<ul>
  <li>Any mid-range smartphone with good camera</li>
  <li>Clip-on phone magnifier</li>
  <li>Head magnifier</li>
</ul>
<p>My head magnifier looks like <a href="https://www.ifixit.com/Store/Tools/Head-Magnifier/IF145-172?o=1">this one</a>, and I have to say I am amazed at how good it is considering how cheap it looked when it arrived.</p>
<p><strong>Note:</strong> You don't need the head magnifier to take the photos, but you might need it at first to find some of the smaller insects you'd like to photograph.</p>
<p>
  If you don't know what I mean by clip-on magnifier, they look like this:
  
  <img src="/Zoombugs-Clips.png" alt="Clip-on phone magnifiers"><br><em>This is just a random screenshot. You can find whichever you like at the price range you wish. Mine was quite cheap (~$10), so don't feel the need to go expensive unless you want to. Make sure you're buying a set with the zoom and not just the other fancy lenses.</em>
</p>
<h2>What it looks like</h2>
<p>This is my magnifier phone clip next to an ant stuck on some tape and a ruler just to show you what it looks like:</p>
<p>
  <img src="/Zoombugs-Ant.jpg" alt="Magnifier clip next to ruler and ant"><br><em>This is what the ant looks like on a regular phone photo.</em>
</p>
<p>After you use the clip and the magnifier app, the ant will look like this:</p>
<p>
  <img src="/Zoombugs-AntZoomed.png" alt="Magnifier clip next to ruler and ant"><br><em>This is what the ant looks like with the clip and the magnifier app.</em>
</p>
<h2>Step-by-step process</h2>
<h3>1 - Attach the magnifier</h3>
<p>Clip on the magnifier against the main back camera of your phone. Make sure you have the right lens on. Many of these will come with twist-on/off lenses and include fish-eye, panoramic, zooms, etc.</p>
<h3>2 - Use the magnifier app on your phone</h3>
<p>Open up the Magnifier app. You might have to look for it a bit.</p>
<p>
  <img src="/Zoombugs-Android.jpg" alt="Magnifier app on Android"><br><em>Android: My phone was in French at the time, but you can see it's the green app with a + on a magnifying glass called Loupe.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <img src="/Zoombugs-Apple.jpg" alt="Magnifier app on Apple"><br><em>Apple: You might have to hunt for the app, but it should be there.</em>
</p>
<h3>3 - Take the photo</h3>
<p>Zoom in and take your picture. Here, proceedings will be different depending on whether you have Apple or Android.</p>
<h4>Android</h4>
<p>The download button is in the middle of the photo to the right after you take it. <strong>You have to hit that button or your photo will not be saved.</strong></p>
<p>
  <img src="/Zoombugs-AndroidSave.jpg" alt="Save photo on Android"><br><em>Make sure you press this button to save the picture before you hit the left arrow to leave or it will not save the image.</em>
</p>
<p>The app will save the magnifier photos in a separate folder in your phone under <strong>Files > Images > Magnifier</strong></p>
<h4>Apple</h4>
<p>Unfortunately, the Apple app does not save or download magnified photos. You will just have to take a screenshot.</p>
<h2>Acknowledgments</h2>
<p>I would like to thank Eliana Quispitupac, entomologist, for the ID on the globular spider beetle.</p>
<p>If you liked this post, you can follow me on <a href="https://twitter.com/ConservaLlama">Twitter</a> where I'll be posting more content on how to improve your collections at home.</p>


Thanks to modern technology, all you need to run your integrated pest management might just be a phone microscope adapter.

Checking traps with phone microscope adapter


<h2>What is this?</h2>
<p>When I first started working, I didn't have dataloggers or any way of monitoring some of the spaces where we were storing collections. I also don't have an HVAC system or any sort of automatic or even semi-automatic way of controlling the environment in spaces. All control requires a person turning something on or off, opening or closing a door, etc.</p>
<p>I needed to make decisions about placement of shelves, furniture, collections and dehumidifiers, but I didn't really know what was going on in these spaces. A datalogger could tell me general information, but I needed detailed knowledge about different areas within the same space, so I came up with a simple environmental monitoring solution that can be applied when you have no budget at all.</p>
<h2>Why this model works for me</h2>
<p>I have run this model 3 times. Once in 2016, and twice in 2017 - in the summer and in the fall. I believe I should probably run it a few more times in different weather conditions to see how things change over the changing seasons in the year. It will not look the same throughout. However, knowing how the humidity looks in my spaces has helped me decide on where to place my dehumidifiers and what to do about opening and closing doors at different times of the year.</p>
<p>Keep in mind that this is a basic modeling tool I came up with. It may not necessarily work for you. It might not be worth doing if you have more sophisticated systems for monitoring and controlling the environment. However, if you ever find yourself in a situation similar to mine, let me know if you tried it out and if it worked for you!</p>
<h2>What you need</h2>
<ul>
  <li>A small step ladder (to take the higher readings)</li>
  <li>A handheld thermohygrometer</li>
  <li>A bit of time to take your measurements. It does take a while if you do a lot of spaces.</li>
  <li>Microsoft Excel</li>
  <li>This <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1oM3SRanaAIO0iop56KxlkZ5wvfK4aOtI/view?usp=sharing">template</a> if you don't feel like making your own from scratch. You can mess with it however you wish for your own personal use, but please download it first. Don't change the original.</li>
</ul>
<p>Obviously, this method will be hindered by unmoveable furniture in your way depending on how your spaces are set out, but you can probably figure out if this is still possible working around the obstacles.</p>
<h2>The basic concept</h2>
<p>The idea behind this model is extremely simple.</p>
<p>
  <img src="/HRmodeling-example.png" alt="Square room divided into a 3x3 grid"><br><em>Figure our your space and divide it into a grid. The more measurements you take, the more detailed your final model will be. Be aware that less than 9 grids will not give very satisfactory results. I know from personal experience that just four or five points (corners and centre) does not work at all.</em>
</p>
<ol>
  <li>Map out your space. To make it easier, think of it as a square. Naturally, if your space is rectangular, use a rectangle and more grids. Know the location of your doors or other openings such as ventilation systems or windows to help you with later interpretation.</li>
  <li>Take temperature and relative humidity measurements at 3 different heights (ground level, 1m/3ft and 2m/6ft off the ground) at each different grid of your space. If you have really high ceilings, you might have to take more measurements heightwise. Make sure you step away from your sensors while the measurement is being made so your breathing and body temperature do not affect it and that you have a standardised way of taking the measurements. For example, waiting x number of seconds before reading or resetting the equipment in between reads. <strong>Note: I have mapped temperatures too but the variations were so small, they didn't really give a useful model for me, so unless you're particularly concerned about temperature, it might not be worth doing a model for that.</strong></li>
  <li>Turn the information you get into a <strong>3D surface chart</strong> in Excel.</li>
</ol>
<h2>Making your 3D surface charts in Excel</h2>
<p>
  <img src="/HRmodeling-3Dsurfacechart.jpg" alt="Screenshot of 3D surface charts in Excel"><br><em>Screenshot of 3D surface charts in Excel. This is the one you will have to use, although you can play around with the contour or 2D versions if you prefer.</em>
</p>
<h3>1</h3>
<p>Copy over your data into an Excel table that replicates the room grid you made. Make a table for each height level. I am using metres.</p>
<p>
  <img src="/HRmodeling-Exceltables.jpg" alt="Excel tables"><br><em>Excel tables replicating the spaces measured. Note that I have coloured in the wettest and driest numbers for my own benefit.</em>
</p>
<p>I am using the cardinal points to name the different areas in the room. I have also pointed out where the door is. You can basically equate these tables to the square of the grid you made.</p>
<p><strong>Important:</strong> Please note that when the graph gets drawn, <em>the column names at the top of your tables will actually show up at the bottom of your graph as the X-axis</em>, so don't put the names of the top locations on those columns. This is why I have left them empty. If you don't think it will confuse you, you can put the names of the bottom locations of your room in the names of the columns.</p>
<h3>2</h3>
<p>Organise your graphs so that you can see the highest at the top and the ground level at the bottom.</p>
<p>
  <img src="/HRmodeling-Models.jpg" alt="Screenshot of 3D surface chart results in Excel"><br><em>3D surface chart results in Excel. Make sure that you colour code your graph consistently and that you are using the same axis formatting so that you can compare across graphs.</em>
</p>
<h3>3</h3>
<p>Interpret your data and make your decisions.<br>Some of the things you can see in the above results for an imaginary space are:</p>
<ul>
  <li>In the winter, humidity seems to be coming in through the door and is highest at ground level.</li>
  <li>In the summer, for some reason, the NW corner of this room is quite humid, particularly at ground level.</li>
</ul>
<p>Decisions you can make based on this:</p>
<ul>
  <li>Close the door in the winter</li>
  <li>Place dehumidifiers in the NW corner in the summer and near the door in the winter. Try to find out why that corner is more humid than the rest of the room, so you can take action.</li>
  <li>Avoid placing humidity-sensitive objects close to the ground.</li>
</ul>
<h2>Pros and Cons</h2>
<ul>
  <li>These are not fool-proof graphs, nor are they comprehensive. It is best if you do the exercise several times at different times of the year to refine your results.</li>
  <li>Obviously, you are missing out on areas where you didn't take measurements.</li>
  <li>The graph does not cover the whole space seamlessly.</li>
</ul>
<h3>However</h3>
<ul>
  <li>The graphs can still give you a rough visual guide for what's going on in a space regarding relative humidity and will enable you to rethink your decisions coming from a place of at least some knowledge rather than just educated guesses.</li>
</ul>
<p>If you liked this post, you can follow me on <a href="https://twitter.com/ConservaLlama">Twitter</a> where I'll be posting more content on conservation tidbits and how to improve your collections at home.</p>


A simple environmental monitoring solution using Excel.

Excel for Environmental Monitoring: Modeling Humidity


<p><em>Photo by Monstera on <a href="https://www.pexels.com/photo/illustration-of-woman-analyzing-financial-line-graphic-6289065/">Pexels</a>.</em></p>
<h2>Why we send our sensors to be calibrated</h2>
<p>All of us who work in museums or heritage and run environmental monitoring programmes know the answer to this.</p>
<p>It's pretty basic. If your datalogger sensors are not working properly, they could really affect your decision-making process for those areas where you keep important, sensitive objects.</p>
<p>So we know it's important to have the sensors working properly.</p>
<p>The thing is, I only recently discovered that the extent of my knowledge on this was limiting the results I was getting. The following is information that lab analysts and engineers may consider very common and obvious, but it's something that I had never seen before and was certainly not included in my (otherwise excellent) training in conservation. Are you in the same boat?</p>
<p><strong>What I was told:</strong></p>
<blockquote>
  <p>Just send your loggers off to calibration service every now and then to fix them up.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>That sounded straightforward enough. However, here are the things I <em>didn't</em> know and nobody ever told me...</p>
<ul>
  <li>Time in between calibrations should not necessarily be standard. Just because you're used to sending your loggers of every 'x' years, doesn't mean that's the correct time for your loggers.</li>
  <li>If you're not applying the results that come back in the calibration report, there's a chance you might as well not have done anything.</li>
  <li>For the most important bit, I will let <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calibration">Wikipedia</a> give you the following because it's the clearest way of saying it:</li>
</ul>
<blockquote>
  <p>In measurement technology and metrology, calibration is the comparison of measurement values delivered by a device under test with those of a calibration standard of known accuracy. Strictly speaking, the term "calibration" means just the act of comparison and <strong>does not include any subsequent adjustment.</strong></p>
</blockquote>
<p>Did you know that when you send your sensors off to a "calibration" service, that does not necessarily mean they're fixing them? I certainly didn't!</p>
<p><strong>First important conclusion:</strong> Make sure you know what service you are requesting and whether your service includes actual sensor <strong>adjustment</strong>. If your service does not include adjustment, then I'm afraid you can't just put your reports away and forget about it. Turns out I had sorely misunderstood the meaning of the technical term "calibration". What about you?</p>
<p>In this post, I will only talk about temperature and humidity for the sake of brevity and simplicity, but you can probably extrapolate the information to all other sensors. <strong>Please note that the following is normally applied to laboratory or commercial or auditing analytical equipment that requires high accuracy for various commercial and legal reasons.</strong> If you're just monitoring environments, you will have a bit more leeway regarding acceptable errors in your numbers.</p>
<h2>What information do calibration certificates give you?</h2>
<p>First of all, if you are in charge of getting these services, remember that it should be conducted by a provider accredited under the <a href="https://www.iso.org/ISO-IEC-17025-testing-and-calibration-laboratories.html">ISO/IEC Standard 17025</a>.</p>
<p>There are a number of different types of information which your calibration certificate should contain. If you want to look at those details, check out this <a href="https://www.omega.com/en-us/resources/calibration-certificates#:~:text=A%20calibration%20certificate%20is%20a,measurement%20accuracy%20of%20the%20device.">page</a> by the Omega company in the United States.</p>
<h2>Ok, I sent it off and the numbers look small, so it's... fine? Can I put it away and forget about it?</h2>
<p>I certainly did for a while! But the answer is maybe. Let's do a mini-checklist.</p>
<ol>
  <li>My service included adjustment. ---> Brilliant, you can put it away, but you should still look. If the numbers were big, you will want to keep an eye on it over time.</li>
  <li>My service did not include adjustment ---> Do not just put it away without looking. You will need to adjust your results.</li>
</ol>
<h2>Sigh. What am I supposed to be looking for?</h2>
<h3>1. The errors of your sensors</h3>
<p>It is normal to do 3-point calibrations for three different temperatures and three different humidities. They will show a positive or negative number based on how they differ from the standard used.</p>
<p>If your sensors have not been adjusted in the service, you will have to add or subtract these numbers from all your readings in order to get the accurate measurements. This will be important if you have very sensitive spaces and/or if the numbers obtained will make a significant difference in your readings.</p>
<p>
  <img src="/Calibration-Error.jpg" alt="Adjusting readings with calibration information"><br><em>Adjusting readings with calibration information.</em>
</p>
<h3>2. The deviation of the measurements</h3>
<p>These will also affect the accuracy of your measurements. The number provided alone might be within your acceptable ranges, but it might push you out of them if you take the deviations into account. The following is a table with arbitrary numbers just to show you a visual example of how deviations can mess with your data.</p>
<p>I have coloured the dots blue where all is in order, red where they are out of range, and orange where they are within range on their own but out of range if the deviation is considered.</p>
<p>
  <img src="/Calibration-Deviation.jpg" alt="Deviations change your expected measurements."><br><em>Deviations may be enough to cause doubt about whether your numbers are within range or not. If you were to look at these numbers without deviations, you'd be within range 70% of the time (7 out of 10 measurements). With deviations, this changes to 30% ok with 40% being potentially not, and 30% out of range. Not quite the same, is it!</em>
</p>
<h3>3. The period of use for your results</h3>
<p>Your results will be applicable until the next time you run the calibration. This time can vary between a number of months or a few (1-3) years. This means that you will need to apply the adjustments in your calibration certificate until the next time you run the service.</p>
<h2>I get it. I probably should look at these things. What else am I missing?</h2>
<p>Remember I mentioned that time in between measurements should not necessarily be standard? I will add to this another question. How do you know when it's time to replace your sensors entirely? The answer, as I have come to understand it, is bullseye charts.</p>
<p>
  <img src="/Calibration-BullseyeCharts.jpg" alt="How bullseye charts look."><br><em>As the name implies, bullseye charts look like... well... bullseyes. These have been made in Excel. As you map your calibration results on, you will start to see where the dots place themselves in the bullseye, and this will help you decide what to do next.</em>
</p>
<p>You can make your own decision regarding where to draw the circular lines in your bullseye charts, but I like 5°C and 5% because they are nice, round numbers and 5% humidity is the lowest acceptable variation within a day as presented in this <a href="https://www.icom-cc-publications-online.org/1199/Predicting-risks-to-artefacts-from-indoor-climates">paper</a> by Boris Pretzel.</p>
<p>You are welcome to download my Excel template <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/13Gg-1GPtjafEsZSnSMu1q7BFKr1M0I6x/view?usp=sharing">here</a>. Keep in mind that the circles have already been drawn for you in the BullseyeCircles tab and that you should only mess with it if you want to change their sizes.</p>
<h2>How to add info to the bullseye charts</h2>
<p>I think the image above and Excel provided are pretty clear, and I'm sure you can reverse engineer the information based on the provided Excel, but here are a couple pointers:</p>
<ul>
  <li>Make a row for every calibration point run. In these made-up examples, the four sensors shown have been run through three points for three consecutive years. The points used will depend on the standards used by the service provider you hire. You can ask them what they are, and they might even tell you what points they have so you can choose which ones you want. Try to pick some that your logger normally encounters when in service.</li>
  <li>Make a bullseye chart per sensor over the years or over the calibration services. Don't put different sensors on the same graph.</li>
  <li>You can keep adding information to the tables below if you have more results and just add the selected cells necessary to the graphs as you go.</li>
</ul>
<h2>How to interpret the bullseye charts</h2>
<p>As shown in the image above, there are four potential results. You should be looking for <strong>reliability</strong>. Here is a brief breakdown of the four types shown above:</p>
<ol>
  <li>Valid and reliable (top left): Results are great. Your sensors are working well and giving accurate results. You can trust them. You can check how often they get sent out for calibration and if the results keep coming back the same, you can lengthen the time in-between services.</li>
  <li>Not valid but reliable (top right): Results are fine. Your sensors are working well, but they're a bit off. This can easily be corrected by applying the error adjustments given by your calibration certificate. This will bring the results back into the middle for valid results.</li>
  <li>Valid but unreliable (bottom left): Your sensors seem okay, but the dots are a little too spread out for comfort. Consider reducing the in-between time for calibration services and maybe find a service that includes adjustments if you haven't already.</li>
  <li>Not valid and not reliable (bottom right): Your sensors are all over the place and should not be trusted. Check with a provider if they can be adjusted at all or just consider replacing them altogether.</li>
</ol>
<h2>Benefits of knowing all this stuff</h2>
<p>Yes, it's not all just hassle - although I will admit it feels like a big hassle.</p>
<p>Guess what? If you're low on budget, running these graphs might help you reduce the number of calibration services you do. If you notice that, over time, your sensors are just fine, then maybe you don't need to run the service as often as you thought. On the contrary, if you notice your sensors are all over the place, maybe you should get new sensors instead of using up your precious budget on calibrating equipment that should be let go.</p>
<p>If you liked this post, you can follow me on <a href="https://twitter.com/ConservaLlama">Twitter</a> where I'll be posting more content on conservation tidbits and how to improve your collections at home.</p>


It turns out calibrating sensors is not something you can necessarily do yourself. Find out what the real meaning behind your sensor calibration certificates.

Understanding sensor calibration


<p><em>Photo by Erik Karits on <a href="https://www.pexels.com/photo/food-nature-dirty-animal-6482827/">Pexels</a>.</em></p>
<p><strong>Contents</strong></p>
<ul>
  <li><a href="#why-make-your-own-sticky-traps">Why make your own sticky traps?</a></li>
  <li><a href="#materials">Materials</a>
    <ul>
      <li><a href="#for-the-sticky-bit">For the sticky bit</a></li>
    </ul>
  </li>
  <li><a href="#step-by-step-instructions">Step-by-step instructions</a>
    <ul>
      <li><a href="#1---cut-your-cardstock">1 - Cut your cardstock</a></li>
      <li><a href="#2---fold-into-shape">2 - Fold into shape</a></li>
      <li><a href="#3---close-the-trap-with-tape">3 - Close the trap with tape</a></li>
      <li><a href="#4---secure-the-base">4 - Secure the base</a></li>
      <li><a href="#5---final-result">5 - Final result</a></li>
    </ul>
  </li>
</ul>
<h2>Why make your own sticky traps?</h2>
<p>Maybe you want to start learning how to run your own Integrated Pest Management programme at your small institution or even at home. Maybe you can't buy commercial sticky traps for whatever reason. Maybe you just want to learn how to make sticky traps.</p>
<p>This option allows you to recycle old card stock or cardboard in order to make your own traps with household items.</p>
<p>However, make sure that the cost of buying the traps balances out vs. the amount of time you need to make your own. Make sure that you are not creating false economies by making your own traps to save a few pennies at the expense of your time.</p>
<p><strong>Important note:</strong> Because these are homemade traps, they will depend on the strength of your adhesive or the adhesive tape you pick. These traps will never be as strong as commercial traps and are meant only as a last resort.</p>
<h2>Materials</h2>
<p>
  <img src="/HacerTrampa0.jpg" alt="MaterialsNeeded"><br><em>Materials you will need to make your own traps.</em>
</p>
<ul>
  <li>Card stock / recycled, thick paper</li>
  <li>Box cutter or scissors</li>
  <li>Ruler (ideally metallic - save your fingers)</li>
  <li>Protected surface for cutting on</li>
  <li>Pencil and eraser</li>
  <li>Regular adhesive tape</li>
</ul>
<h3>For the sticky bit</h3>
<ul>
  <li>2in / 5cm wide adhesive tape<br>Make sure it is transparent enough for you to be able to look at the insects later. The choice of tape is a trade-off between visibility and adhesive power. Duct tape will be very strong, but it will make it harder for you to look at the insects caught.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>OR if you can spend a bit</strong></p>
<ul>
  <li>Any goo that will not dry up over time. Please make sure it is safe for use. I have seen <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Tanglefoot-300000684-Tree-15-Tub/dp/B000BWY3AA">this</a> being sold, but I have not used it myself. When you use commercial products, please follow all instructions. I am not earning any money from this link.</li>
  <li>You could go for <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Olson-Products-Inc-Yellow-Sticky/dp/B005BR6PI8/ref=sr_1_12?dchild=1&#x26;keywords=insect+sticky+roll&#x26;qid=1622937560&#x26;s=lawn-garden&#x26;sr=1-12">sticky rolls </a>too if you want to make tons of traps.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Note on animal cruelty</strong><br>Sticky traps in IPM as used in museums and heritage institutions are used in order to monitor and keep track of different pests that may affect organic collections - namely different types of beetles and moths. These counts are important for institution-level management of pests that could destroy important collections. If you will be using traps at home or for any other personal reason, please be aware that the insects trapped will most likely die.</p>
<p>Take note that regular, commercial sticky traps are <strong>not</strong> considered humane, particularly when small rodents or other small non-insect animals become trapped. Commercial sticky traps are <strong>never</strong> endorsed by any organisations concerned with animal rights.</p>
<p>These DIY traps will not be strong enough to trap a mouse or other small animal. Even some larger insects will probably be able to get away. As such, this should be taken into account if you are running numbers or doing serious monitoring. This all depends on the strength of the tape you use.</p>
<p><strong>Please be mindful when/if you use sticky traps if animal cruelty is an important concern to you.</strong></p>
<h2>Step-by-step instructions</h2>
<h3>1 - Cut your cardstock</h3>
<p>Cut your piece of card into rectangles of about 9 x 3 inches (8 x 24cm).</p>
<p>
  <img src="/HacerTrampa1.jpg" alt="Initial card"><br><em>This is a big card that I cut in half down the middle.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <img src="/HacerTrampa2.jpg" alt="Initial card"><br><em>Rectangles ready.</em>
</p>
<h3>2 - Fold into shape</h3>
<p>Fold your rectangle into thirds and make a triangle shape. Do not close it yet. Label your trap by putting the name and date on one of the outside edges. In the area in the middle that will become the base of your trap, place some of the wide tape, sticky side <strong>up</strong>.</p>
<p>
  <img src="/HacerTrampa4.jpg" alt="Place sticky tape in the middle of the trap."><br><em>Place sticky tape in the middle of the trap. If you are using goo or any other adhesive, add it here. I was using transparent tape here.</em>
</p>
<h3>3 - Close the trap with tape</h3>
<p>Close up your triangle shape with a bit of tape where the card ends meet.</p>
<p>
  <img src="/HacerTrampa5.jpg" alt="Close up the trap with some tape."><br><em>Close up the trap with some tape joining up the top and bottom edges of your rectangular card.</em>
</p>
<h3>4 - Secure the base</h3>
<p>Secure the base tape with two small pieces of tape at the bottom, on the underside of your trap. Make sure the large adhesive tape remains taut against the card or the insects will walk under it in the space left between the card and the non-stick side of your wide tape.</p>
<p>
  <img src="/HacerTrampa7.jpg" alt="Secure the base tape with a bit of tape."><br><em>Use the regular tape to secure the edges of the large tape overflowing from the top of the trap. In this picture, I have used the brown wide tape for the base of the trap.</em>
</p>
<h3>5 - Final result</h3>
<p>
  Habemus bespoke insect trap!
  
  <img src="/HacerTrampa6.jpg" alt="Finished trap."><br><em>Finished trap.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <img src="/HacerTrampa8.png" alt="Diagram showing constructed trap."><br><em>Diagram showing trap construction.</em>
</p>
<p>If you want, you can always cut out little windows on the (wall) sides of your triangle.</p>
<p>Also, if your card is thick enough and you are careful, you can even reuse these traps, just changing out the tape in the middle. You can kind of see I've done this in the photo in Step 4 above, where the card looks a bit worn where the old tape was pulled off.</p>
<p>If you liked this post, you can follow me on <a href="https://twitter.com/ConservaLlama">Twitter</a> where I'll be posting more content on how to improve your collections at home.</p>


If you don't have the funds for sticky traps at your institution, here's how to make sticky traps with basic office supplies.

How to make sticky traps


<h2>Why make your own boxes?</h2>
<p>Sometimes, you won't be able to find the exact size of the box you need for an object or set of objects.</p>
<p>The acid-free boxes available commercially will be either too big or too small for your shelves or for your objects and getting bespoke sizes can be a bit pricier.</p>
<p>In these cases, it's best to just make an archival box yourself. It's not difficult! Below, I give you some basic instructions to make your own boxes.</p>
<h2>Materials</h2>
<ul>
  <li>Archival board / acid-free board</li>
  <li>Box cutter</li>
  <li>Ruler (ideally metallic) and right angle ruler</li>
  <li>Protected surface</li>
  <li>Pencil and eraser</li>
  <li>Linen tape</li>
  <li>Brass pins</li>
  <li>Awl or something to make small holes</li>
</ul>
<h2>Step-by-step instructions</h2>
<h3>1</h3>
<p>Know the measurements you need. Make sure you know the size of your object in all 3 dimensions: Length, width and height. Make sure you add a few inches in every direction so that the box is not a tight fit and allows you to put in other packing material to cushion your object (polyethylene foam or acid-free tissue paper). Make sure your corners are 90° or your box will not come out straight.</p>
<h3>2</h3>
<p>Draw the basics of your <strong>lid</strong>. You basically need 2 squares (or rectangles), one inside the other, with the lines going all the way to the edges to denote where the flaps will bend.</p>
<p>
  <img src="/Boxmaking-1.DrawLid.jpg" alt="Lid drawing"><br><em>Lid drawing. Make sure the corner squares/rectangles formed by your drawing all have the same length or they will not fold accurately.</em>
</p>
<h3>3</h3>
<p>
  Cut only <strong>one</strong> side of each of the corners that will make up the flaps. Make sure you don't accidentally leave a side without its corresponding flap.
  
  <img src="/Boxmaking-2.CutOutLid.jpg" alt="Lid with cut edges"><br><em>Lid drawing with cut edges</em>
</p>
<h3>4</h3>
<p>
  Repeat the steps to make the base of your box. Remember that the size of the outer square will determine the <strong>height</strong> of your box. <strong>Make sure you make the inside square 5mm smaller on each side to ensure a tight fit with your lid.</strong>
  <img src="/Boxmaking-3.DrawBase.jpg" alt="Base drawing"><br><em>Base drawing. Note the thicker outside square for box height.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <img src="/Boxmaking-4.CutOutBase.jpg" alt="Base with cut edges"><br><em>Base drawing with cut edges. Again, make sure each side has its flap.</em>
</p>
<h3>5</h3>
<p>
  Abuse all the folding lines a bit by passing over them with a blunt point. Then, fold up the flaps and use an awl to make small holes that will hold the lid and base together. Make sure the holes align. Insert brass pins.
  
  <img src="/Boxmaking-5.PinsLid.jpg" alt="Lid with pins"><br><em>Lid with brass pins.</em>
</p>
<p>Purposefully place your pins on different side corners in the lid and box to avoid double thickness of brass pins when attempting to close the box.</p>
<p>
  <img src="/Boxmaking-6.PinsBase.jpg" alt="Base with pins"><br><em>Base with brass pins. Note that they do not align with the location of the pins on the lid.</em>
</p>
<h3>6</h3>
<p>
  Reinforce the lid and base edges with linen tape.
  
  <img src="/Boxmaking-7.BrassPinsLid.jpg" alt="Reinforced lid"><br><em>Outside of the lid reinforced with linen tape. Note again, in comparison with the base below, that the pins are located in different corners so they will not line up when the box is closed.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <img src="/Boxmaking-8.BrassPinsBase.jpg" alt="Reinforced base"><br><em>Outside of the base reinforced with linen tape. Note that some tape is also holding down the edges of the brass pins.</em>
</p>
<h3>7</h3>
<p>Habemus bespoke box!</p>
<p>
  <img src="/Boxmaking-9.FinishedBox.jpg" alt="Finished closed box"><br><em>Finished closed box.</em>
</p>
<p>If you liked this post, you can follow me on <a href="https://twitter.com/ConservaLlama">Twitter</a> where I'll be posting more content on how to improve your collections at home.</p>


Find out how to make an archival box to keep your valuable objects safely stored.

Make an archival box at home


<p>Useful resources for art conservators, conservation students, emerging conservators and care of collections professionals.</p>


Useful resources for art conservators, conservation students, emerging conservators and care of collections professionals.

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