Central Laboratory for Conservation of Archival Record

Head of the laboratory - Anna Czajka MA

  The Central Laboratory for Conservation of Archival Records began to function at the end of 1948. Among the first of a kind in the country, the laboratory was planned as a preservation and conservation division of the Central Archive of Historical Records. The laboratory was also designed to be a research center specialized in developing restoration techniques and biological pests control methods.

Presently, tasks of the laboratory include:

• Restoring and preserving historical records such as parchment and paper documents, wax seals etc. (The laboratory team treats objects from the Warsaw archival collections, various archives in Poland and from overseas Polish archives),
• Introducing modern conservation methods and coordinating activities of the several restoration laboratories in Polish state archives,
• Supervising and assisting state archives in maintaining proper preservation conditions of the archival collections,
• Providing archival collections libraries and other institutions with microbiological expertise and gas disinfection services,
• Organizing training workshops for archivists and restorers in the field of preservation and collection maintenance

The laboratory receives interns from the restoration schools in Poland and abroad.
It collaborates with local and international institutions and with professional organizations promoting preservation of archival heritage.
CLKA teams up with the Warsaw National Library in the governmental research project called "Acid paper".

What's new

10.10 -11.10. 2003
Open days AGAD : CLKA staff will advise everybody who would be interested on preserving and safeguarding the family documents and photos.

14.10. - 17.10. 2003
"SEPIA" workshops - the conference and workshops on restoration, preservation and digitalization of historical photographic collections organized by the State Archive in Kraków and international project SEPIA (Safeguarding European Photographic Images for Access)

November 2003 - June 2004
Workshops "Preservation of the historical archival collections and training the staff of the cultural heritage institutions for a function of conservation assistants" - six training sessions prepared in cooperation with the Dutch National Archives.