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Job Opening: Executive Director CIAS Image Permanence Institute

The Image Permanence Institute, a non-profit organization located on the campus of Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) in Rochester, NY, is seeking an Executive Director. The Executive Director will provide leadership and strategic direction for the Image Permanence Institute (IPI) of RIT’s College of Imaging Arts and Sciences, a university-based laboratory devoted to preservation research and the development of sustainable practices for the preservation of images and cultural property. Through a balanced program of sponsored research, education, products, and services, and with annual operating income of $2M and 16 staff, IPI provides essential guidance and information, consulting and testing services, practical tools and preservation technology to libraries, archives, museums, and related industries worldwide. The Executive Director will guide IPI in supporting current initiatives and in developing new research and transformative paths to sustainable best practices. Candidates should have an Advanced Degree and 5+ years of leadership experience. Personal experience in the following areas will be considered: institutional management, preservation and/or conservation of collections; oversight of a multidisciplinary team; sustainable operations management; overseeing or conducting research; or other relevant professional experience.

How to Apply
To view the full job description and to be considered for this position, apply at: http://careers.rit.edu/staff/; click on "Search Openings". Enter "2588BR" in the keyword search.

Additional Details
The hiring process for this position may require a criminal background check and/or motor vehicle records check. Any verbal or written offer made is contingent on satisfactory results, as determined by Human Resources. RIT does not discriminate. RIT is an equal opportunity employer that promotes and values diversity, pluralism, and inclusion.  For more information or inquiries, please visit RIT/TitleIX or the U.S. Department of Education at ED.Gov.

NEW Publication: The Atlas of Water Damage on Inkjet-printed Fine Art

This atlas is intended to help readers become aware of the various ways that inkjet prints can be harmed during water emergencies. Each page highlights a different form of water damage that an affect inkjet-printed photographs and fine art. Every water emergency will be different, so prior familiarization with all potential types of damage will help disaster responders understand what has occurred to an object as well as how best to react to and recover their materials during the actual event. Funding provided by the Institute of Museum and Library Services. (Access the online version to look inside the book!) 53 pages, softcover, 8” x 8”. Price: $25.

Order The Atlas of Water Damage on Inkjet-printed Fine Art >>

New and improved Graphics Atlas identification pages have been launched!

Graphics Atlas was officially launched in 2010. In 2012 IPI received a three-year grant from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation to continue work on the site. Our first initiative under the Mellon grant was to survey Graphics Atlas users in order to better understand how the site was used and what areas needed the most improvement. The answer to both questions was the Identification pages. In response IPI developed a new, methodological approach to identification and conducted a complete overhaul of the individual Identification pages based on this methodology. Each Identification page begins with an Overview, which provides a description of each process, common use dates, key identifying features, alternate names, and other information. Identifying characteristics of the process are described in detail in three categories: object, surface, and magnification. The Object View includes characteristics that can be observed with even illumination, such as the nature of the support and the image tone. The Surface View includes surface characteristics of sheen and texture which can be seen with specular or raking light. Magnification describes characteristics like image and layer structure which are best seen with magnification. Lastly, every process includes a Variations section that describes important variations of the process. 

Each process is illustrated with high-resolution images from the IPI study collection and is accompanied by text that describes the connections between chemistry, technology, materials, and the aesthetic characteristics shown, providing the user with an informed approach to identification. The result of this three-year project is a sophisticated and comprehensive web resource with a broad scope of didactic information on graphic processes far surpassing that of any other print or web publication.

Check it out at: http://graphicsatlas.org/identification/

FilmCare.org has launched!

FilmCare.org, funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities, is a central resource for best practices in film preservation that provides guidelines for dealing with the preservation of all types and formats of film materials. It addresses the requirements for preserving black-and-white and color film and nitrate, acetate, and polyester-based film. It also addresses specific issues for motion-picture film, sheet film, still roll film, microfilm, and aerial film, as well as the management of collections containing a variety of media types (certainly the most common real-life situations encountered in the field). This approach focuses primarily on storage, condition surveys, and the development and implementation of best-fit environment-based strategies. Users can create a FREE account to evaluate their own collections and get specific guidance on next steps for best practices for film preservation.

Sign up today at http://www.filmcare.org to get a free account and learn more about film.

IPI Awarded $399,825 Digital Image Correlation Grant

IPI has received a grant from The National Endowment for the Humanities in support of Digital Image Correlation to Determine Shape Deformation of Paper Based Collections Due to Relative Humidity and Temperature Variation. This three year project will focus on defining the permissible limits of relative humidity for rare books and other library and archive materials that are critical resources for humanities research. Dr. Andrew Lerwill, Research Scientist at the Image Permanence Institute and a PhD physicist with prior experience in conservation science at the Tate Gallery and the Getty Conservation Institute, will lead the research project.

While the study of safe limits for relative humidity (RH) for fine and decorative arts has received considerable attention, the complex and diverse mechanical structures of bound volumes has not. Mechanical (physical) damage due to dryness or excessive dampness is the principal reason why rare book and special collection materials require controlled environmental conditions.

Click here to read the press release.

New Video: Effect of Humidity Fluctuation on a Rare Book

This new video shows an experiment conducted at IPI to illustrate the physical effects that occur on library and archive materials due to changes in humidity conditions. In this example, a vellum bound book (Johann Hübner "Kurze Fragen aus der politischen Historia biß auf gegenwärtige Zeit" printed in 1701) was studied. The experiment started at an equilibrated condition of 55% relative humidity, then conditions were altered to 25%, back to 55%, and finally to 75%. The duration of the experiment was 12 hours and conducted at room temperature.

Click here to watch the video to see the results.

Just Published: IPI Guide to Preservation of Digitally-Printed Photographs

This guide provides basic information on the storage and preservation of digitally-printed photographs in scholarly and cultural collections. While there are many printing technologies for output from computers, this guide focuses on the three most popular forms of image (i.e. pictorial) hardcopy:

• Inkjet
• Digital electrophotography
• Dye sublimation

Information on recommended storage conditions, selection of housing and framing materials, proper handling and display are included. Collection care personnel in cultural institutions are the intended audience for this guide, however, it will also be useful to photographers, artists, and the general public.

Click here to download a PDF of the new guide.

Poster Price Reduction!

We have lowered the price of both our posters from $50 to $10! Photographic Negatives: Nature and Evolution of Processes and Knowing and Protecting Motion Picture Film Poster. Act soon before they sell out!
 

Graphics Atlas Interesting Picture of the Week

If you haven't seen it yet, we are excited to officially announce the debut of a new weekly email called Interesting Picture of the Week that highlights various interesting pictures from Graphics Atlas.

We've already received really good response and the word is spreading. We have a lot of great things planned so don't miss out and sign up today!

Click here to sign up for Interesting Picture of the Week

The Albumen and Salted Paper Book by James M. Reilly has been reprinted as a second edition and is now available for purchase thanks to the RIT Press!

The Albumen and Salted Paper Book is a descriptive history of the major photographic printing processes that were used between the years 1840-1895. These first 50 years of photography established a tradition of individual experimentation and craftsmanship where each photographer participated in the manufacture of the printing materials that were used. Albumen print and salted paper print were the ordinary, all-purpose materials of the time—albumen print is the second most common type of photograph ever made. This book describes both the technical information of these historical materials and offers the reader a very organized approach to this interesting process. 188 pages, hardcover, 6” x 9”. Price: $34.99.

Click here for more info and to order a copy!