Cultural Heritage Technical Analysis Dataset

This README describes a technical analysis dataset for cultural heritage materials that are in the collection of New York University Libraries and were examined by the NYU Barbara Goldsmith Preservation & Conservation Department. For more information about this object or its FTIR spectra, please contact the Barbara Goldsmith Preservation & Conservation Department: lib-preservation@nyu.edu

Description and methods

The dataset includes a conservation report, FTIR (Fourier Transform Infrared) spectra and, if applicable, a standard visible light image of the object.

Conservation report

The conservation report is in a PDF/A file format and is named according to the following convention:

ConservationID_Report.pdf

Cultural heritage FTIR spectra

The FTIR spectra were collected using a Thermo Scientific Nicolet iSTM5 spectrometer with an iD7 Attenuated Total Reflectance (ATR) accessory, and with OMNIC software version 9.11.745. The spectra are in a JCAMP-DX file format, and are named according to the following convention:

ConservationID_FTIR_Description.jdx

Matching spectra from FTIR libraries

If there are matching spectra from FTIR libraries that are important supplements to the object's conservation report, they are named according to the following convention:

ConservationID_FTIR_Description_LibraryMatch##.jdx

Image files

Lastly, if this dataset contains an image of the cultural heritage object, it will be in a TIFF file format and will be named according to the following convention:

ConservationID_bt/dt/at.tiff

The abbreviations “bt,” “dt,” and “at” stand for Before Treatment, During Treatment, and After Treatment, respectively.

Folder structure

  • ConservationID_Report.pdf (Conservation report)
  • ConservationID_FTIR_Description.jdx (Cultural heritage FTIR spectra)
  • ConservationID_FTIR_Description_LibraryMatch##.jdx (Matching spectra from FTIR libraries)
  • ConservationID_bt/dt/at.tiff (Visible light image)
  • README.md (This document)