[PADG:651] Re: outside work for conservator to be done gratis

["Drewes, Jeanne" <drewes@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

I said I would post all the comments to my earlier posting.  Thank you to everyone who contacted me and shared their thoughts.  

Outside work for pay when done by conservator during work time.  

We don't have a written policy in place, but repairs are done on 
request across the university. It is good PR for a little known unit 
in the library.  I've had perhaps half a dozen requests in 2 years.
(mostly from senior administration--in one case, a book that was 
borrowed from another institution)ILL sometimes asks for assistance too. Requests from community members  are referred to a list of area conservators and bookbinders.


A policy wouldn't work here because, there is always an exception that 
is "politick".   We haven't been overused in this area and it has 
brought only good will.  I explain the treatment plan, possible cost if 
they sent it to a conservation center, and suggest a donation to the 
library.  Several have donated, which has led our Development Office to 
create an Adopt-a-Book program to begin this fall.  We also repair books we borrow from ILL for missing pages as a courtesy (but nothing too time consuming/complicated).

We don't have a formal policy, but the increased frequency of this type 
of request is causing us to think we should.

We always investigate if the person is someone the Library or the 
university is "cultivating" for development purposes. We also ask if 
they have a collection or any materials the library is interested in 
having.  If so, there is little hesitation about doing the work for 
them, considering the materials will (likely) be ours at some point in 
the future.

Occasionally we have said "This amount of conservation work would have 
cost you $XXX if done at one of the regional conservation centers. We 
are happy to do the work for you. Would you consider donating a gift of 
this amount to our Preservation Endowment Fund?" It's up to them whether or not to give the gift.

It has been helpful to state the value of the conservation or repair 
work when presenting the finished material to the owner, in the form of 
a condition and treatment report, with the value of work included, 
especially noting the number of hours spent, and cost of supplies used.


Our policy is that the Conservation Lab works only on materials owned by The Libraries.  We explain that we have a small staff 
with no spare time for external work, discuss the work that is requested, and provide a list of appropriate free-lance conservators in the region.

Needless to say, this policy may go by the board if the requestor is very senior in the university hierarchy.


I question every request of this nature that comes along.  The short answer is that every case is judged on its own.  A policy cannot 
be fully rendered because there is always going to be something that will be politick to do, either for preservation or for the library.  Some requests are easy to politely decline; others provide you with no choice, as someone else has made the decision for you or you realize that there will be benefit (to someone) down the road.  In all cases where we have done conservation work, it was done gratis.


In terms of special requests for conservation work, people here have been very understanding that we only work on library materials.  We simply don't have the resources, insurance, etc. to take in "outside" work, even if it's university folk.  I also think the record-keeping involved in having two different work flows (Libraries and Other) would be quite time consuming.  

Many people are very grateful for information that can help them find help, so I have a list of local conservators, including regional centers, and binderies that I send them, and I also direct them to AIC's link for locating conservators.  If need be, I will look at the project to help them tailor where they might search for help.  We are very lucky here in because there are so many good options for people.  So we have a policy not to accept this type of work, its just not formally written down.

we are somewhat fortunate because there hasn't been an active bench working conservator here in-house in many years, so I think our constituents are aware that asking us to perform conservation work is something we cannot help them with directly. However, people still ask where they can turn to for treatment services. I've taken to providing people with a list of conservators in the region. The list contains the names, addresses, telephone numbers, web sites, and email addresses of not just book conservators, but also textile, painting, and artifact conservators. I arrange the list alphabetically and make notes about their specialities. This way we are not endorsing a particular conservator, but we are still providing people with information. So far this has worked out. Perhaps your institution can begin a referral-only policy.


We have a four part Guideline with contact, referral, resolution and
cost recover stage. 

"Cost recovery: 
* the department will schedule any accepted work
* the department will bill for cost recovery at the rate of $30 per hour or treatment of University materials or $60 for treatment of
non-University materials related to a University project."


We rarely do work for faculty or donors, but when we do we charge them
appropriately (unless the charge is waived by the director of the
Library) to help build an appreciation for the cost of preservation,
and consequently the need for gifts and donations to support the program.


Since we are a state school, I do not think it is appropriate to use
supplies and equipment on anything that is not state-supported. I
haven't yet had trouble with any of the faculty understanding that we
won't do their personal books. I do give out info on where work can be
done, how to do minor repairs yourself, and have always allowed anyone
(public or university) who wants to bring something in to get a free
consultation and I provide AIC brochures and our own brochure that lists basic care tips and URLs for more info and catalogs. 


I don't have a written policy, but we've developed a working policy over the years:

We'll do up to 1 hour (sometimes stretching that to 2 for university 
departments) consultation for free. Basically we try to tell the person 
what their options are for treatment and provide them a list of local 
conservators and binders. I've worked hard to produce and keep up-to-date a slate of truly helpful handouts.

I always say firmly that we don't do bench work for anyone except the 
library. Usually someone on staff is willing to take on the work as a 
moonlight job (I allow staff to use the lab after hours)--but I have to be very careful not to put the staff in a position where they are morally "forced" to take on the work. Occasionally we end up making good on a promise made by the director or the develpment officer.

Our microfilming/digitization operations have long taken in work from 
others for a fee, including from other departments in the university. 
Preservation Reformatting now has a formal recharge rate established.



Jeanne Drewes
Assistant Director for Access & Preservation
Michigan State University Libraries
100 Library, Room W 108A
East Lansing, MI  48824-1048
517 432 6123 ext 147
Fax 517 353 8969
drewes@xxxxxxx <mailto:drewes@xxxxxxx>
<http://www.lib.msu.edu/drewes>