Bishop Museum's tapa (barkcloth) project was made possible by the National Science Foundation support in three intermittent phases from October 1978 to December 1985. Through research conducted by conservators affiliated with the Pacific Regional Conservation Center (PRCC), advances were made in understanding the nature of oiled and m maki tapa and in investigating alternative methods for their preservation. New adhesives and repair tissues were found that meet generally accepted criteria for conservation. Satisfactory methods of deacidifying m maki tapa were developed. Lining was shown to be successful in consolidating fragile specimens, but no satisfactory method was found to restore flexibility to brittle oiled specimens without altering their inherent characteristics. While good results were achieved in applying these various conservation techniques to oiled and m maki tapa on small, experimental scale, the logistics of treating large, multiple-sheet Hawaiian specimens present a new set of problems. This research revealed new materials and techniques that can be applied to conservation of tapa in the Bishop Museum and elsewhere.