The Preventive Conservation Department provides a range of services for non-profit institutions to improve and enhance collections care in ways designed to positively impact the largest number of artifacts.
General Preservation Assessment Surveys
A General Preservation Assessment Survey is a broad-based, on-site survey that covers all aspects of your collection and is a first step for many institutions seeking to implement improved preservation planning and to apply for funding for more specific conservation projects.
Object-by-Object Surveys
This is a targeted survey that looks at a collection, or a portion of a collection, in order to provide specific and prioritized conservation recommendations. Conservators examine each artifact in-person during the site visit and assess its condition, treatment history, conservation needs, and maintenance requirements as appropriate. This type of survey is an excellent tool for curatorial decision making, budgeting, and determining priority care. Many federal and state granting agencies require an Object-by-Object Survey as part of a successful application for conservation treatment funding.
Environmental Monitoring Equipment Loans
MACC has temperature and relative humidity dataloggers and light/UV meters available for your institution to borrow. Please contact us for more information.
24-Emergency Response Services
In the event of an emergency to your collection, such as a flood or fire, a member of our team will respond to assist you in the next steps for salvage and recovery.
Design Phase Assessments
Our staff provides design phase assessments for artists completing public art projects. This assessment reviews a project from the design phase to completion and provides the artist and the owner of the artwork with a reasonable expectation of the lifetime of the materials selected, as well as long-term maintenance recommendations. Contact us for more information.
Grants
MACC can review your application and provide feedback to make your proposal stronger. See available Grants that support conservation, preservation, and collections care activities. MACC provides free consultation, training, and online resources for preventive conservation activities that your institution can implement today.
Bailey Kinsky, Preventive Conservator
Bailey Kinsky joined MACC as Preventive Conservator in 2025 after working with the Minnesota Historical Society. Trained and active as a book conservator, she also coached collections staff in preventive conservation techniques. Bailey received her MA in Art Conservation with a specialization in library and archival materials from SUNY Buffalo State College. She served as an Advanced Rare Book Intern at the Library of Congress, with additional internships held at the University of Iowa Libraries, Panther Peak Bindery, and the National Park Service’s Western Archaeological Conservation Center. In addition to her institutional work, Bailey operated a private book conservation practice. Bailey has a wide variety of experience working with archival paper and library collections, with a particular interest in 19th century materials and the impact that industrialization had on the manufacture of books and print culture. She is an active member of the American Institute for Conservation and the Guild of Bookworkers.