Conserv Monthly — January 3, 2023
TOPIC
Preservation Labor
NYC Salary Transparency Law Exposes Art World’s Lowest Wages
Museums, galleries, and other employers are now obliged to disclose salaries — but that doesn’t mean they’re high.
Do You Know How Your Salary Stacks Up Against Your Peers?
In 2019, the Art + Museum Transparency group of arts and museum workers created open, editable Google Docs spreadsheets to collect information on salaries at arts organizations in order to break down taboos about openly discussing compensation. The original salary sheet has over 3,200 entries, and the group followed up with similar sheets on internships and unionization efforts.
Negotiating for a Higher Salary is Scary - Here's a resource to help
Navigating employment offers can be intimidating to conservation professionals at all stages of their careers. What is appropriate to negotiate in a contract? What are the tools and tactics we can apply in negotiating positions? This free online self-study course, presented by Ariel O'Connor and Caitlin Richeson, is based on a live virtual workshop presented at the 2020 AIC Virtual Annual Meeting.
TOPIC
Big Questions
Ki Culture, your go-to resource for cultural heritage and sustainability
In early December 2022, Ki Culture hosted an international conference about climate control and sustainability in cultural heritage. Guest speakers from around the world discussed the current state of climate control globally, the scientific data behind less rigid controls and a pilot program to implement energy efficient solutions.
What does it mean to be a caring person in a professional context?
Recommended by LinkedIn
This new podcast is an exploratory project hosted by WhatIsConservation.com and supported by the Winterthur/University of Delaware Program in Art Conservation and the Society of Winterthur Fellows. It explores ethical decision making in the context of heritage labor.
Who created our conservation standards? How can we change them?
Special guest hosts Dr. David Leigh and Dr. Isobel Griffin join hosts Jenny Mathiasson
and Kloe Rumsey to delve into the world of conservation standards: what are they, how do they come into being, and how are we using them? Kloe also talks to Jane Henderson about the importance of having many voices in the room and when people might start waving pitchforks around, and Jenny reviews ‘Greener Solvents in Conservation.’
TOPIC
Communities
Struggling to identify that pest in your collection? Check out Pestlist
The Integrated Pest Management Working Group’s PestList is an international e-mail distribution list for discussion of IPM-related topics. This forum allows members to ask questions and receive answers from members of the museum, library, archive, preservation, and pest control community.
Dismantle Preservation, a space to explore the ethics of preservation
Dismantle Preservation is an ongoing educational initiative that seeks to elevate conversations that help the cultural resource field reconsider both the work place and work practices; Dismantle Preservation hosts in person/virtual learning opportunities, organizes advocacy campaigns, and has a Discord. The Dismantle Preservation Discord provides an informal virtual space, where preservationists of all backgrounds can have conversations on ethical quandaries, job opportunities, and more.
The Conserv Community is for preventive conservation professionals
The Conserv Community is an online community for any preservation professional to gather around the topic of preventive conservation. It’s an active group with diverse backgrounds (conservators, students, collections managers, registrars, framers, mount makers, facilities staff, etc.). The community hosts regular events, and it’s an excellent place to field your preventive conservation questions.