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Additional details regarding the construction, equipping, and operations of the Museum Support Center appear in the Special Programs chapter, the Facilities chapter, and Table 12.

[[underline]] Conservation Research, Training, and Information. [[/underline]] Substantial program and budget growth within the Museum Programs group will occupy the major portion of the 44,000 square foot conservation component of the Museum Support Center, in addition to the space currently occupied in the Museum of History and Technology. The new space will be used for conservation analysis and treatment, an information center, and for conservation training. It will be designed to assure full coordination of all essential institutional conservation functions. Conservation treatment presently performed by the Laboratory in the History and Technology Building will be transferred to the new center and the existing facilities will be modified for specialized analytical tasks, including archeometric research, requiring expanded use of equipment and services already installed there.

Proper utilization of the new facilities will require a significant increase in staff for the Conservation Analytical Laboratory. During FY 1979, data on the required staffing and specializations of conservators, scientists, technicians, and support staff were established. The phasing of this growth is tied closely to the planning, construction, and occupancy of the Support Center and takes into account the difficulty of recruiting highly qualified personnel. During the period FY 1981-83, the Laboratory will acquire equipment and instrumentation for its new facilities, develop information gathering and retrieval systems, and plan training and study courses for the future trainees. The Laboratory will also supervise the fumigation of all collections to be transferred to the storage areas of the Support Center. Equipment resources related to the Museum Support Center are presented in the Special Programs chapter.

Although these preparations will place heavy demands upon the Conservation Analytical Laboratory over the next several years, existing programs must continue. A number of areas have been identified requiring emphasis and attention in the interest of preservation and care of the Institution's collections. In FY 1979, the Laboratory began expansion of its program of monitoring environmental conditions throughout the Institution's museums as part of the effort to stabilize relative humidity in all areas housing exhibits and collections. This program will be fully staffed and equipped in 1981. The Laboratory accelerated its computerized system reports of analytical and conservation data and intensified its production of conservation guidelines which are used to respond to inquiries for conservation information. Also in 1979, the Smithsonian Conservation Council was reactivated and met regularly to discuss Institution-wide conservation matters.

Future projects of the Conservation Analytical Laboratory will include the making of video tapes of conservation processes while they are in progress; these tapes will provide a valuable record of Laboratory work and will be used for training and instrucitonal purposes. The Laboratory will expand its role of providing assistance and advice to