Hi Ingrid!

Sounds like this birch log has really been an ordeal...

It is true that you can hear the sounds of many types of wood borers. 
Deathwatch beetles in particular, make quite an audible noise as they
'tap' their heads against the wood as a mating signal. 
I don't know if that's the type of pest you are dealing with, but if 
your birch log still has bark on it, and was at one time attacked by
fungi (very likely) then it could be your culprit.

Other wood borers can be heard as well, as they chomp their way out of
the wood. 

Hope this  helps...

Mike





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----------------------------------------------------------- 

Michael Schuetz
Collections Technician
Historic New England
Collections & Conservation Center
151 Essex Street
Haverhill, MA 01832
tel  978.521.4788 x720
fax 978.521.5172
 


 


>>> <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> 9/23/2008 2:04 PM >>>

I am hoping that someone out there will validate that it is actually
possible to hear insects eating the interior of birch logs? 
Unfortunately we appear to have several large green birch logs, with
existing bark, that are infested located inside a building.  The sound
is quite audible.  There is darker, pepper-like frass located under one
of the logs and a much lighter fluffier powder located on the log itself
in at least three exit hole locations.
Fortunately these logs are resting on a concrete floor with no other
organic material in their vicinity.  I am considering applying Bora-Care
to the logs as they can not be relocated until January.
I would love to hear from anyone who could comment on the audible
quality of the insect activity.
Thank you,
Ingrid Neuman




-----Original Message----- 
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] 
Sent: Sep 9, 2008 4:36 PM 
To: [email protected] 
Subject: Re: [pestlist] Cryptomeria japonica pests? 

Ingrid -

I agree with Hugh Glover; the hands may have been made of sapwood and
therefore susceptible to attack from wood-boring beetles.  The remainder
of the Buddha might be heartwood, which is immune from beetle
infestation.  Such an old figure may have lost its natural resin
protection to insect attack over the years through volatilization of the
resins.

OR 

the hands could be made of another wood during a repair many years ago.
 This wood may have had eggs or larvae already in the wood when it was
carved and took a few years to finally die out.  This scenario is fairly
common, especially with mountings and mounting repairs.

OR

if this figure is covered in gesso, someone has picked off the gesso or
it has fallen away over time, revealing old larval beetle galleries
centuries old (I've seen this several times in my career).

AND

discovery of larval galleries in such an old piece indicates it's
probably not active and there's no cause for concern with respect to
current activity.

Thomas A. Parker, PhD
President, Entomologist
Pest Control Services, Inc.
469 Mimosa Circle
Kennett Square, PA 19348
610-444-1765
www.museumpestcontrol.com 


-----Original Message-----
From: Hugh P. Glover <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: [email protected] 
Sent: Tue, 9 Sep 2008 3:36 pm
Subject: Re: [pestlist] Cryptomeria japonica pests?

Ingrid 
Is it possible that the hands are sapwood and have a higher starch
content.
Hugh Glover. Williamstown Art Conservation Center

 
On 9/9/08, [EMAIL PROTECTED] <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: 

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this list send it as an email to [email protected] To unsubscribe
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----------------------------------------------------------- 

I would like to ask if any other museum people have experience with the
type of wood called Cryptomeria japonica which we belive to be the
species used to carve a 17-18th c  Japanese Buddha figure that sits 9'
high.  There are parts of the Buddha which exhibit more wood boring
insect damage than other parts and I am suspicious that the hands, for
instance, which are more deteriorated were perhaps carved out of a
different type of wood other than Cryptomeria and are not in fact
deteriorated because of a previous deleterious storage arrangement for
instance.  Cryptomeria is listed as a type of wood which is resistent to
insects.
Any ideas?
Ingrid Neuman
Objects Conservator
RISD Art Mus eum
 


 


-----Original Message----- 
From: Helen Alten 
Sent: Aug 28, 2008 8:57 PM 
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED], [email protected] 
Subject: [pestlist] Cleaning course offered in September 

Pest infestations are deterred by good housekeeping. Starting Tuesday,
Northern States Conservation Center offers its new Museum Cleaning
Basics course, along with six other courses on museum topics.

MS 217:  Museum Cleaning Basics **NEW**
Instructor: Gretchen Anderson
Dates: Sep 2 - 26, 2008 (may run longer)
Price: $425
Location:  www.museumclasses.org 

 ( http://www.museumclasses.org/ )Description:
Museum Cleaning Basics explores everything you need to know about
cleaning your collections. Participants learn when to clean  and when
not to clean.  They also learn how to make those decisions.  Topics
range from basic housekeeping to specific techniques for specific
objects. You will learn why cleaning is important and how to prevent
damage when cleaning. We will look at specific techniques that minimize
damage while getting the work done. And we will discuss when to call in
a specialist, such as a conservator.  Students will create a
housekeeping manual for their institution.

Course Outline
1) Introduction 
2) Agents of Deterioration 
3 ) Health and safety for the object and for you 
4) Equipment and supplies 
5) Cleaning techniques 
6) Documentation
7) Spring Cleaning: Housekeeping Manual 
8) Conclusion

Logistics
Participants in Museum Cleaning Basics work through sections at their
own pace. Instructor Gretchen Anderson is available for scheduled email
support. Materials and resources include online literature, slide
lectures and dialog between students and online chats led by the
instructor. The course is limited to 20 participants.

The Instructor:
Objects conservator Gretchen Anderson learned her craft at the American
Museum of Natural History, the Smithsonian's Conservation Analytical
Lab, the Canadian Conservation Institute, Getty Conservation Lab, the
Los Angeles County Museum of Art, and the Minnesota Historical Society.
She established the conservation department at the Science Museum of
Minnesota in 1989. Ms. Anderson is a member of the American Institute
for Conservation and the Society for the Preservation of Natural History
Collections. She lectures and presents workshops on preventive
conservation, IPM, and practical methods and materials for storage of
collections. 


There is still room in these courses for students interested in
building their skills in each of these areas.  All are available at
www.museumclasses.org.  ( http://www.museumclasses.org.%c2%a0/ )
Please sign up and pay at http://www.collect ioncare.org/tas/tas.html (
http://www.collectioncare.org/tas/tas.html.%A0 ) .  (
http://www.collectioncare.org/tas/tas.html.%A0 )If you have trouble,
please contact Helen Alten at [EMAIL PROTECTED] or 651-659-9420.

September Online Classes   

MS108 (
http://www.museumclasses.org/http://museumclasses.org/training/trol_classes_ms108a.html
): Fundamentals of Museum Volunteer Programs ** NEW **  Sep 2 - Sep 26,
2008
              Instructor: Karin Hostetter (
http://www.museumclasses.org/http://museumclasses.org/training/trolinstructors.html#kh
)

MS109 (
http://www.museumclasses.org/http://museumclasses.org/training/trol_classes_ms109.html
): Museum Management ** NEW **  Sep 2 - Sep 26, 2008
              Instructor: Sue Near (
http://www.museumclasses.org/http://museumclasses.org/training/trolinstructors.html#sn
)

MS202 (
http://www.museumclasses.org/http://museumclasses.org/training/trol_classes_ms202.html
): Museum Storage Facilities and Furniture Sep 2 - Sep 26, 2008
              Instructor: Helen Alten (
http://www.museumclasses.org/http://museumclasses.org/training/trolinstructors.html#helen
)

MS205/6a (
http://www.museumclasses.org/http://museumclasses.org/training/trol_classes_ms205a.html
): Disaster Plan Research and Writin g  Sep 2 - Oct 10, 2008
              Instructor: Terri Schindel (
http://www.museumclasses.org/http://museumclasses.org/training/trolinstructors.html#terri
)

MS209 (
http://www.museumclasses.org/http://museumclasses.org/training/trol_classes_ms209a.html
): Collections Management Policies for Museums and Related Institutions
Sep 2 - Nov 14, 2008
              Instructor: Bill Tompkins (
http://www.museumclasses.org/http://museumclasses.org/training/trolinstructors.html#bt
)

MS217 (
http://www.museumclasses.org/http://museumclasses.org/training/trol_classes_ms217a.html
): Museum Cleaning Basics ** NEW **    Sep 2 - Sep 26, 2008
              Instructor: Gretchen Anderson (
http://www.museumclasses.org/http://museumclasses.org/training/trolinstructors.html#ga
)

MS002a (
http://www.museumclasses.org/http://museumclasses.org/training/trol_classes_ms002a.html
): Collection Protection - Are you Prepared? (short course)  Sep 22-26,
2008
              Instructor: Terri Schindel (
http://www.museumclasses.org/http://museumclasses.org/training/trolinstructors.html#terri
)


More details on each course follows:

-------------------------------------
MS 108: Fundamentals of Museum Volunteer Programs  ***NEW***
Instructor: Ka rin Hostetter
Dates: Sept. 2-26, 2008
Cost: $425
Location: www.museumclasses.org 

 ( http://www.museumclasses.org/ )Description:
Volunteers are essential for most non-profit institutions. But even
though they don't get paychecks, it takes time and money to have
effective volunteers. Fundamentals of Museum Volunteer Programs, new for
2008, is designed to teach the basics of a strong volunteer program. 
Topics include recruiting, training, and rewarding volunteers, as well
as preparing staff. Instruction continues through firing and
liabilities. Participants will end up with custom forms tailored to
their institutions, an understanding of liability issues and a nine-step
process to troubleshoot an existing volunteer program or create the best
one for a particular institution.

Course Outline
Week One
1. Introduction 
2. Laying the Foundation: preparing staff, job descriptions 
3. Determining Program Structure: who's in charge 
Week Two
4. Recruiting Volunteers 
5. Selecting Volunteers 
Week Three
6. Training Volunteers 
7. Evaluating Volunteers 
8. Saying "Thank You" 
Week Four
9. Keeping Records 
10. Communicating Information: including handling change 
11. Liability 
12. Conclusion

Logistics:
Participants in Fundamentals of Museum Volunteer Programs work at their
own pace through sections and interact through online chats. Instructor
Karin Hostetteris a vailable at scheduled times during the course for
email support. Fundamentals of Museum Volunteer Programs includes online
literature and student-teacher/group-teacher dialog. The course is
limited to 20 participants. 

The Instructor
Karin Hostetter, author of a series of articles for the National
Association for Interpretation's Legacy magazine, has worked with
volunteers for nearly 15 years.  She taught the National Association for
Interpretation's two-day volunteer management course for volunteer
coordinators and served on a panel about volunteer programs.  As the
first paid volunteer coordinator for the Denver Zoo in Colorado, she
designed an interview process, developed a progressive and comprehensive
recognition system, introduced interpretation into training, and
restructured the volunteer organization. Ms. Hostetter now consults with
organizations on structuring and improving volunteer programs. And she
volunteers herself.

-------------------------------------
MS 109:  Museum Management
Instructor: Susan Near
Dates: Sep 2 - 26, 2008
Price: $425
Location:  www.museumclasses.org 

 ( http://www.museumclasses.org/ )Description
Is your museum well run? Maybe, but few museums are so well run they
don't need help. And a museum manager who needs no improvement is a rare
commodity. Museum Management helps current managers improve and gives a
good foundation to those who want to enter management. Participants
learn requir ements for museum administration and processes used to run
a successful museum efficiently and effectively. Sound business
practices and public accountability are key. Class discussions cover
current concerns, such as how the changing cultural climate may effect
museum operations. Discussions solidify concepts and help participants
apply them to their own situations. Class discussions also build a peer
support network that extends beyond the course.

Course Outline
1.      Introduction
2.      Legal and Planning Documents
3.      Staff Responsibilities, Organization, & Personnel Management
4.      Strategic Planning
5.      Budget Management and Accountability
6.      Collections Management
7.      Facilities Management
8.      Marketing and Community Relations
9.      Development and Membership
10.     Public Programs and Evaluation
11.     Overview  Future Trends

Logistics
Participants in Museum Management work through sections on their own.
Instructor Susan Near is available for scheduled email support.
Materials and resources include online literature and references, slide
lectures, dialog between students and online chats led by the
instructor. The course is limited to 20 participants. Museum Management
runs four weeks. 

Course Book
Museum Administration: An Introduc tion By Hugh H. Genoways (University
of Nebraska State Museum) and Lynne M. Ireland 
(Nebraska State Historical Society), Series: American Association for
State and Local History, AltaMira Press, 2003

The Instructor
Susan Near, director of museum services for the Montana Historical
Society for 18 years, recently became the Society's special projects
coordinator. A graduate of the Getty's Museum Management Institute and
the Museum Studies Program at the University of Delaware, Ms. Near's
extensive administrative experience includes successful grant-writing,
heritage tourism, educational outreach, public relations, marketing, new
museum construction, personnel management, and project and event
management. She is an accreditation visiting committee member for the
American Association of Museums, conducts peer reviews for the Museums
Assessment Program, and reviews and serves on grants panels for the
Institute for Museum and Library Services and the National Endowment for
the Humanities. Coming from a curatorial background, Ms. Near started
her museum career as a research specialist at the Valley Forge
Historical Society in Pennsylvania and spent her first 7 years at the
Montana Historical Society as Registrar and then Curator. She curated
over 20 major art exhibitions and co-authored Montana's State Capitol:
The People's House, Montana Historical Society Press, 2002. 

-------------------------------------
MS202: Museum Storage Facilities and Furniture
Instructor: Helen Alten
Dat es: Sep 2 - 26, 2008
Cost: $425
Location: www.museumclasses.org 

 ( http://www.museumclasses.org/ )Description:
Museum Storage Facilities and Furniture concentrates on building
systems and furniture for storing and protecting collections. Topics
include environmental controls, insulation, floor coatings and
predicting space requirements. Museum Storage also compares commercial
and homemade furniture and provides a blueprint for planning the
redesign of your facility. Storage philosophy, construction
requirements, safety and security and planning. A new unit details how
commercial museum-quality cabinetry is constructed. Blueprints are
provided for high-quality, homemade cabinets.

Course Outline:
1.      Storage Philosophy 
2.      Agents of Deterioration and Preservation Planning 
3.      Storage Facilities 
4.      Storage Furniture 
5.      Conclusion

Logistics:
Participants in Museum Storage Facilities and Furniture work at
individual paces through five sections. Instructor Helen Alten is
available at scheduled times during the course for email support.
Resources include forums and scheduled online chats, PowerPoint
lectures, reading materials and lecture notes and links to relevant web
sites.

The Instructor:
Helen Alten is an objects conservator and owner of Northern States
Conservation Center, St. Paul, Minnesota. She has been an educator,
conservator and trainer since 1 986. Ms. Alten received her master's
degree in archaeological conservation and materials science at the
Institute of Archaeology, University of London in 1986. She began
working with small, rural, and tribal museums as conservator for Montana
and Alaska.

-------------------------------------
MS205/6: Disaster Plan Research and Writing
Instructor: Terri Schindel
Dates: Sep 2 - Oct 10, 2008
Price: $475
Location: www.museumclasses.org 

 ( http://www.museumclasses.org/ )Description:
Every museum needs to be prepared for fires, floods, chemical spills,
tornadoes, hurricanes and other disasters. But surveys show 80 percent
lack trained staff, emergency-preparedness plans for their collections,
or both. Disaster Plan Research and Writing begins with the creation of
disaster-preparedness teams, the importance of ongoing planning,
employee safety, board participation and insurance. Participants will
learn everything they need to draft their own disaster-preparedness
plans. They also will be required to incorporate colleagues in
team-building exercises.

A written disaster-preparedness plan is not only a good idea, it's also
a requirement for accreditation. In the second half of the course,
instructor Terri Schindel reviews and provides input as participants
write plans that outline the procedures to follow in various
emergencies. The completed plan prepares museums physically and mentally
to handle emergencies that can harm vulnerable and irreplaceable
collections. You will have a completed institutional
disaster-preparedness and response plan at the end of the course.

Course Outline:
1.      Introduction to Disaster Planning
2.      Disaster Team
3.      Risk Assessment and Management
4.      Health and Safety
5.      Insurance
6.      Documentation
7.      Prioritizing Collections
8.      Writing the Disaster Preparedness Plan
9.      Emergency Procedures
10.     Disaster Response
11.     Emergency Procedures  Recovery
12.     Emergency Procedures  Salvage
13.     Emergency Procedures - Salvage Techniques and Guidelines
14.     Emergency supplies and location of regional resources
15.     Appendices:  What to put in them
16.     Next steps: planning drills and further resources
17.     Conclusion

Logistics:
Participants in Disaster Plan Research and Writing work at their own
pace. Instructor Terri Schindel is available at scheduled times for
email support. Opportunities for interaction include forums and
scheduled online chats. Each section includes a written assignment that
becomes support material for drafting an actual disaster preparedness
plan. Materials include readings, lecture notes, links to relevant web
sites and handouts.20The course is limited to 20 participants.

Required Textbook:
Disaster Plan Research and Writing uses the required textbook Steal
This Handbook! A Template for Creating a Museum's Emergency Preparedness
Plan, which is available for purchase at
http://www.collectioncare.org/tas/tas.html .

The Instructor:
Terri Schindel graduated from the Courtauld Art Institute, University
of London with a concentration in textile conservation. She has assisted
small and medium sized museums in writing disaster plans for more than a
decade and helped develop national standards for disaster-preparedness
materials. Ms. Schindel specializes in collection care and preventive
conservation and works regularly with small, rural and tribal museums.

-------------------------------------
MS209: Collections Management Policies
Instructor: William (Bill) Tompkins
Dates: Sept 2 - Nov 14, 2008
Price: $425
Location:  www.museumclasses.org 

 ( http://www.museumclasses.org/ )Description:
Acquiring and holding collections impose specific legal, ethical and
professional obligations. Museums must ensure proper management,
preservation and use of their collections. A well-crafted collections
management policy is key to collections stewardship. Collections
Management Policies for Museums and Related Institutions helps
participants develop policies that meet professional and legal standards
for collections management. 
Collections Management Policies for Museums and Related Institutions
teaches the practical skills and knowledge needed to write and implement
such a policy. The course covers the essential components and issues a
policy should address. It also highlights the role of the policy in
carrying out a museum's mission and guiding stewardship decisions.
Participants are expected to draft collections management policies. 

Course Textbook:
John E. Simmons, Things Great and Small: Collections Management
Policies, American Association of Museums, 2006, $40 non-member, $30
member, 208 pages, ISBN: 1-933253-03-7, available from the AAM bookstore


Course Outline:
1. The Principles of Collections Management 
2. Collections Stewardship: The Role of a Collections Management Policy

3. Policy Versus Procedure 
4. Issues to Consider When Developing a Collections Management Policy 
5. Essential Components of a Collections Management Policy 
· Statement of Purpose 
· Statement of Authority 
· Definition and Scope of Collections 
· Acquisition and Accessioning 
· Deaccessioning and Disposal 
· Preservation 
· Collections Information 
· Inventory 
· Risk Management and Security 
· Access 
· Loans 
· Intellectual Property Rights Management 
· Staff Responsibility / Ethics 
6. Monitoring and Revision 
7. Potential Problems 
8. Emerging Issues 
9. Drafting a Collections Management Po licy

Logistics:
Participants in Collections Management Policies work through sections
at their own pace. Instructor Bill Tompkins is available for scheduled
email support. Materials and resources include online literature,
textbook readings, slide lectures and dialog between students and online
chats led by the instructor. The course is limited to 20 participants. 

The Instructor:
William G. (Bill) Tompkins is the national collections coordinator for
the Smithsonian Institution. Bill serves as a principal advisor to
senior Smithsonian management and staff on collections-management
policies, procedures and standards. He develops, implements and
interprets Smithsonian collections management standards. This includes
reviewing and approving the policies of the Smithsonian's individual
museums to make sure collections are maintained according to policy,
professional standards and legal obligations. Previously, Bill was
assistant director of the Smithsonian's Office of the Registrar. He is
also a former collections manager at the National Museum of American
History. With nearly thirty years experience in the museum profession,
Bill regularly speaks at professional meetings, workshops and university
programs.

-------------------------------------

MS 002:  Collection Protection  Are You Prepared?
Instructor: Terri Schindel
Dates: September 22 through 26, 2008
Price: $75
Location: www.museumclasses.org 

 ( http://www.museumclasses.org/ )Disaster planning is overwhelming. 
Wh ere do you start? Talk to Terri about how to get going. Use her check
list to determine your level of preparedness.  What do you already have
in place?  Are you somewhat prepared?  What can you do next?Participants
in Collection Protection will read literature and complete a checklist
before joining two one-hour chats to discuss disaster preparedness at
their institutions. This is a short seminar and takes no more than 10
hours of a student's time.  


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VERSION:2.1
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FN:Schuetz, Michael
TEL;WORK:978-521-4788 x720
ORG:;Collection Services
TEL;PREF;FAX:978-521-5172
EMAIL;WORK;PREF;NGW:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
N:Schuetz;Michael
TITLE:Collections Technician
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