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While collections care is a shared responsibility among all our staff, our care and conservation team offers advice and dedicated care for the wide range of objects within our museums and collections.
This proper care ensures the preservation of our unique collections for future generations and includes:
- Managing the condition of collections items in store and on display.
- Environmental monitoring and Integrated Pest Management across all the spaces that house our collections.
- Condition surveys across all our collections for targeted improvements to collections care.
- Condition assessments for acquisitions and loans.
- Advising on display, mounting, packing and transport requirements for exhibitions and loans.
- Conservation of objects in preparations for displays, exhibitions and loans.
- Safe handling, packing and transportation of collections items.
- Collection disaster recovery planning.
- Advising on destructive and non-destructive analysis.
- Managing the Human Tissue Act Public Display Licence.
Conservation labs
The Collections Care and Conservation team operates two conservation labs for our museums and collections: the main lab on UCL’s Bloomsbury campus, which includes a prep lab for wet specimen work and laser cleaning, and a second lab at the Royal Free Hospital in Hampstead, serving the Pathology Museum. Both labs are also used for teaching, continuing professional development activities, and facilitating placement opportunities for postgraduate students from the UCL Institute of Archaeology’s MA and MSc Conservation training programmes.
Collections Care and Conservation Strategy
The Conservation team has the responsibility for the five-year Collections Care and Conservation Strategy that outlines our roadmap for ongoing enhancements and improvements to the care and preservation of UCL's museums and collections.