B08_Solicitation_Attachment1_SOW.pdf

1 | P a g e

STATEMENT OF WORK

PAPER-BASED COLLECTION CONSERVATION

John Muir National Historic Site

The National Park Service, John Muir National Historic Site, has a requirement for paper-based collection conservation services.

I. CONFIDENTIALITY

The information developed under this Contract is the property of the United States government and shall be kept in strict confidence.

II. BACKGROUND

John Muir National Historic Site is composed of portions of the 2,600-acre ranch where

John Muir lived, raised a family, farmed, wrote, advocated for environmental conservation, and was buried. Established in 1964, and expanded through subsequent legislation, the park today consists of the 9-acre Strentzel-Muir house estate which includes the Martinez Adobe, the 370-acre open space lands of Mount Wanda and West

Hills Farm, and the Strentzel-Muir family gravesite where Muir was buried.

The main site contains the 1882 Italianate Victorian house where John Muir lived during the last 24 years of his life. On display in the house are objects owned by the Muir family and rotating exhibits allow visitors to see as much of the collection as possible.

Researchers can also access the collection for scholarly studies. The Strentzel-Muir house was listed as a National Historic Landmark in 1962 and was added to the National

Register of Historic Places in 1966.

Identified in the site’s Foundation Document as one of the fundamental resources and values, the John Muir National Historic Site museum collection is one of the world’s largest collection of artifacts, archives, and natural history specimens related to John

Muir. The collection is critical in providing a tangible link to Muir’s life and work through educational programs, research opportunities, and through both virtual and onsite/offsite exhibition. Furthermore, the collection documents the founding of the park, documents the administrative operations to maintain the park, and improves the visitor experience through furnishing the Strentzel-Muir house.

The park’s museum collection includes park history and scholarly research archival documents, historic photographs, oral history audio/visual materials and printed transcripts, blueprints and maps, and historic artifacts of varying materials including metal, wood, glass, and natural fibers. Period pieces which have been used to furnish the

Strentzel-Muir house in various configurations over the last 6 decades are part of the museum collection. The park also has collections of historic architecture samples and archaeological materials from both the Strentzel-Muir house and the Martinez Adobe.

2 | P a g e

The modern natural history museum collections include plant, lepidoptera, ant, and bee specimens.

A formal Collection Condition Survey was conducted in December 2023 for the John

Muir NHS collection, focusing on objects owned or used by Muir and Strentzel family members such as: ethnographic items collected by Muir in Alaska and Arizona; Muir’s saddle bells and binoculars; first editions of Muir’s published writings and books from his original library; Muir’s original plant press; Muir’s suitcase; letters and legal documents associated with Muir and his descendants; sheet music which belonged to

Muir’s wife, Louie; and historic photographs of the Muir property and family.

The survey conducted individual assessments on 292 objects and general group assessments on a further 745 objects. Objects assessed individually received itemized condition narratives, photographs, and treatment recommendations. Group assessments were organized into object types (manuscripts, publications, sheet music, photographs, etc.) which were then assessed for condition as a whole. Each object in the group assessments received specific treatment recommendations, but no condition narratives or photographs were completed for each object.

Treatment recommendations provided in the Collection Condition Survey focused on stabilizing and repairing already damaged areas or preventing imminent damage.

Treatments such as reducing silver mirroring or deacidification were only recommended in cases where damaged areas interrupted the viewing of the image or made manuscripts difficult to read.

The purpose of this contract is to perform professional conservation treatment, stabilization, and proper archival housing of 73 paper-based objects identified in the 2023

Collection Condition Survey as being Priority 1, Priority 2, and Priority 3 groupings for treatment.

Priority definitions used by the 2023 Collection Condition Survey:

Priority 1: The object or group of objects requires urgent treatment by a professional contractor to prevent serious damage or loss, or requires immediate improvements in storage or exhibit conditions.

Priority 2: The object requires major treatment by a professional contractor or the object is unstable and short-term deterioration can be expected if nothing is done.

Priority 3: The object requires minor treatment by a professional contractor, or the object is somewhat unstable and long-term deterioration can be expected if nothing is done.

Not all objects assessed within these groupings are included in this Scope; treatment priority has been given to objects with high intrinsic value and/or are likely to be exhibited in the next 5 years. See the following Appendices for a description of the objects, current condition, and images:

3 | P a g e

Appendix A: Priority 1 level items (25 objects)

Appendix B: Priority 2 level items (5 objects)

Appendix C: Priority 3 level items (43 objects)

III. LOCATION*

JOMU Collection:

John Muir National Historic Site

4202 Alhambra Avenue

Martinez, CA 94553

IV. PROJECT SUMMARY OF WORK

A. Treatment Proposals

The contractor shall review information in Appendices A, B, and C and submit Object

Treatment Proposals for each object or groups of similar objects per National Park

Service (NPS) Standards as described in the NPS Museum Handbook, Part I, Chapter 8, available on the web at https://www.nps.gov/museum/publications/MHI/Chap8.pdf.

Treatment Proposals shall include recommendations for appropriate housings. When completed, these reports are to be sent to the National Park Service Contracting Officer

Representative (NPS COR) via email attachment, for review and approval. The

Treatment Proposals may be in either Microsoft Word (.docx) or Adobe Acrobat (.pdf) file formats.

As an example, treatment proposals may include all or part of the following activities:

- Passivate mold

- Surface cleaning

- Reduce discoloration and appearance of staining where possible

- Remove old adhesive and desiccated tape residue

- Remove photographs from acidic enclosures

- Stabilize edges, tears, creases, and losses

- Repair tears, bindings, and/or hinges

- Deacidify paper supports

- Re-attach book covers or pages

- Humidify and flatten pages

- Reduce silver mirroring where visually disruptive

- Rehouse object in supportive, acid-free materials

B. Conservation Treatment, Treatment Imaging Documentation and Housings

The contractor shall take before and after treatment digital images of all objects including necessary details. All images shall be file named with the park acronym (JOMU) followed by the catalog number, component part if applicable, and an abbreviation for the stage of treatment. This naming shall also appear in the digital image. This shall either be

4 | P a g e on a card during image capture or added as a layer in Adobe Photoshop after the images are taken. For multiple images per object give each image a unique number inserted at the end of the filename separated by an underscore. All treatment images shall be saved to an external encrypted flash drive.

The images shall be captured to create preservation-quality Archival Master Images as

300 ppi TIFF files. Factors such as sharpness, color accuracy, and dynamic range shall be considered to obtain the best quality images. Technical metadata shall be embedded in each image.

A copy of each image captured shall also be created as a Use/Access Image. These shall be saved as 72 ppi JPEG files at 2400 (in width) pixels with an appropriate corresponding length.

The contractor shall complete treatment work as outlined in the approved treatment proposals. If there are any changes to the proposed treatment steps during treatment the contractor shall submit the changes in an email for review and approval by the NPS COR.

C. Treatment Reports

The contractor shall prepare and submit treatment reports. The reports shall include:

catalog number; a detailed description of the treatment methodology and materials;

results of any testing conducted; and further recommendations, if any. All reports shall be submitted via external encrypted flash drive and one printed hardcopy.

V. GOVERNMENT RESPONSIBILITIES

A. The Government will supply the contractor with condition assessments from the 2023

Collection Condition Survey (see the Appendices A, B, and C).

B. The Government will provide the necessary loan paperwork for objects while they are processed off site.

C. The Government shall answer contractor questions about such matters as existing environmental monitoring and control, preventive care of objects, uses of objects, and the park's pest management program.

D. The Government will provide access to relevant park library and archives materials for purposes of related research and collection background information.

E. The Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR) is empowered to inspect and evaluate all work of this Contract for compliance with terms of this Statement of Work.

F. Acceptance of the work of this contract and any changes to the terms of this contract shall be made in writing only by the Contracting Officer.

VI. CONTRACTOR RESPONSIBILITIES

A. Contractor shall accomplish the work in its own secure facility. Prior to execution of work, the contractor shall provide a description of the facility where activities are to be performed, including submitting to the NPS an American Alliance of Museum (AAM)

Standard Facility Report. The Contractor must demonstrate that the facility maintains

5 | P a g e adequate climate control, security, and fire detection systems, an has an emergency response plan in place.

B. Contractor will provide archival supplies that adhere to NPS standards and is responsible for all tools and materials necessary to perform the conservation work and appropriate archival enclosures for long-term preservation.

C. The Contractor will not undertake any treatments of the objects until the Object

Treatment Proposals are reviewed and approved by the NPS COR. Once a plan is approved, object treatment may commence. The Contractor will perform no actions without NPS COR approval.

D. In completing the Object Treatment Proposals and Object Treatment Reports the contractor will conform to the standards set forth in the NPS Museum Handbook and

Appendices. These standards are available on the web at: Chapter 8: Conservation

Treatment (nps.gov).

E. The Contractor shall keep close contact with the NPS COR at all times. Any deviations from the treatment proposal plans shall be presented to the COR in writing and work shall not proceed until alternatives are determined and agreed upon.

F. Contractor shall accomplish the work using contractor-owned or -leased hardware and software. Standard software programs appropriate to this project are Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Word, and Adobe Acrobat.

G. Contractor is responsible for shipping materials to/from NPS site or picking up/delivering if within the local area. At minimum, packing, handling, and transportation of the Government collection shall be executed in accordance with Museum Handbook

II, Chapter 5: Outgoing Loans, https://www.nps.gov/museum/publications/MHII/mh2ch5.pdf. Arrangement for pickup and drop off will be made with the NPS COR and will occur during regular curatorial staff hours, Monday through Friday, 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM.

H. The contractor must comply with the Code of Ethics and Guidelines for Practice of the American Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works (AIC) in all work performed.

I. Work of the contractor will be performed in accordance with all applicable

Occupational and Safety Health Administration (OSHA) regulations.

VII. DELIVERABLES AND PAYMENT SCHEDULE

Deliverables:

The following reports will be delivered to the NPS:

1) “Object Treatment Proposal” for each object, or group of similar objects

2) “Final Treatment Report” for all objects (digital and one printed copy)

3) Individual pre and post treatment digital photo files

4) Completed conservation treatment and return of 73 paper-based objects

Each report shall be §508 compliant and delivered as either Microsoft Word (.docx) or

Adobe Acrobat (.pdf) file formats, which shall be compatible with Microsoft Word for

Microsoft 365 or Adobe Acrobat DC. Final Treatment Report cover page with photograph will include project title, date submitted, name and address including phone number of Contractor. Examples of pre and post treatment photo-documentation should https://www.nps.gov/museum/publications/MHI/Chap8.pdf https://www.nps.gov/museum/publications/MHI/Chap8.pdf https://www.nps.gov/museum/publications/MHII/mh2ch5.pdf

6 | P a g e be included in the final treatment report as well as all of the individual digital images files provided on a flash drive. See Section IV.B above for image file requirements.

Work and Payment Schedules:

Work shall be initiated within 10 days of the Notice to Proceed.

All work shall be completed on or before 12/31/2026 and deliverables delivered by that date.

The Contractor is responsible for contacting the NPS COR to coordinate an initial onsite inspection if desired. This initial site visit will occur within 15 days from award of the contract, at a time agreeable to the Contractor and the COR. During the onsite inspection, the Contractor will be responsible for all photographs and measurements necessary to document his/her work and recommendations. The contractor may also complete the initial inspection at their own facility after objects are transported or shipped there (within 15 days of the award).

The Contractor will provide the COR with the “Object Treatment Proposal,” in digital format within 21 calendar days of completion of the initial inspection either on-site or at the contractor’s facility. The report should include all supporting documentation, photographs, illustrations and any accompanying drawings. The NPS will have 14 days to approve the documents after receipt.

Schedule of Partial Payments:

Partial payments will be made upon successful completion of each successive phase of the work, as outlined below:

Completion & approval of “Object

Treatment Proposal” reports

30%

Completion of conservation of all objects

& approval by the NPS COR

50%

Objects returned to NPS and submission of all deliverables

20%