KONS2061 – Understanding the Indoor Climate in Museums, Galleries and Archives
Course description
Schedule, syllabus and examination date
Course content
Environmental monitoring and control is an essential part of preventive conservation. This module will consider environmental agents of deterioration that contribute to the decay and loss of cultural heritage collections.
The course is aimed at students wishing to work within the cultural heritage sector - providing them with a basic understanding of the impact of the indoor climate within museums, galleries and archives and the preservation of objects. It introduces the student to:
- The nature of relative humidity, temperature, light, pollution and pests
- The sources of environmental agents of deterioration
- The type of damage these factors can do to museum collections
- How to monitor or detect
- How to prevent or mitigate damage
Learning outcome
On completion of this course, it is expected that students will be able to:
- Recognise environmental agents of deterioration and their impact on museum collections
- Explain the mechanism by which an agent of deterioration causes harm to museum objects
- Identify environmental sources of potential damage within the museum environment
- Use basic environmental monitoring equipment typically owned by museums
- Describe the nature of environmental agents and their impact on museum collections
- Select theoretically appropriate climatic conditions for the safe storage and display of cultural objects
Execute and report on simple experiments
Admission to the course
Students who are admitted to study programmes at UiO must each semester register which courses and exams they wish to sign up for in Studentweb.
If you are not already enrolled as a student at UiO, please see our information about admission requirements and procedures.
Formal prerequisite knowledge
KONS1000 – Introduction to conservation and collection care
Recommended previous knowledge
The course assumes a good proficiency in written and oral English.
Overlapping courses
- 5 credits overlap with KONS2021 – Forebyggende konservering (Konserveringsproblematikk II) - erstattet av KONS2061 (discontinued).
Teaching
The course consists of learningpaths in Canvas and 11 seminars
The qualifier consist of two parts:
Part 1:
During the course students have to submit 5 short obligatory assignments. Each assignment consists of 10 questions concerning defining, calculating and monitoring relative humidity, temperature, light and pollution levels in museums, galleries and archives.
The question sheets will be published in Canvas. In order to pass the assignment, the student needs to demonstrate that he/she has attempted to answer all questions. Filled out sheets are submitted in Canvas in the dedicated hand-in files. Questions will be discussed in the seminars and the answers posted in Canvas app. 1 week after the questions. Dates for submission will be published in Canvas.
Part 2:
Students will be divided in groups and execute a series of small mainly home experiments on specific material samples. The samples and exercises will be handed out in the first seminar. The results of the home experiment will be written up in a short report and presented at a mini conference online. Assignment approved by showing participation.
Both assignments need to be approved in order for the student to sit the exam. Notification of passing is given in Canvas. Once the course requirements have been fulfilled, they remain valid for the current and the two consecutive semesters when the course is given.
A student who has completed compulsory instruction and coursework and has had these approved, is not entitled to repeat that instruction and coursework. A student who has been admitted to a course, but who has not completed compulsory instruction and coursework or had these approved, is entitled to repeat that instruction and coursework, depending on available capacity.
Examination
The exam consists of two parts:
Part 1:
1 hour exam in Inspera consisting of 20 short questions similar to those of the obligatory assignment. Counts 40% towards the final grade.
Part 2:
Term paper.
The assignment will be handed out at the start of the course. The grade will count 60% towards the final grade.
?
The exam is held every other year, the same year as the the course is held.
Language of examination
The examination text is given in English.You may submit your response in Norwegian, Swedish, Danish or English.
Grading scale
Grades are awarded on a scale from A to F, where A is the best grade and F is a fail. Read more about the grading system.
More about examinations at UiO
- Use of sources and citations
- Special exam arrangements due to individual needs
- Withdrawal from an exam
- Illness at exams / postponed exams
- Explanation of grades and appeals
- Resitting an exam
- Cheating/attempted cheating
You will find further guides and resources at the web page on examinations at UiO.