Preservation Management

The term Preservation Management encompasses many different aspects of caring for a collection. To ensure that the City’s past is kept safe for future generations, it is crucial that the Archive’s Team adopt a holistic approach to managing the Council's archival collections.

The Archives’ preservation management strategy includes conservation treatments, integrated pest management, strict environmental controls, disaster preparedness, safe handling procedures and an electronic records management system.

Preservation of the Council’s archives and Civic Collection is the Archives Team’s prime responsibility. These collections encompass a diverse range of materials. They include textual records, photographs, maps, architectural plans, audiovisual media, sculptures, works of art and artifacts. The potential hazards to these materials are many and varied and require continued monitoring and maintenance.

Conservation treatments are one of the most distinctive features in this comprehensive preservation strategy. The specialized conservation treatments are carried out in the Archives’ purpose built conservation laboratory. The Adelaide City Council employs a Conservator who is trained in the theory and specialized practice of materials conservation.

» View the Conservation Treatment of a Town Clerk Document.

» Learn how to Care for your Photographs (Source Sheet number 41 on the Source Sheets page.)
» Learn how to Make an Archival Scrapbook (Source Sheet number 40 on the Source Sheets page.)