This is the first of a monthly series on conservation by Mrs. Keck, conservator and professor, Cooperstown Graduate Programs, New York State Historical Association, Cooperstown, N. Y. In answer to a call for conservation assistance from a collection which has been neglected or improperly treated in the past, Mrs. Keck recommends the establishment of priorities, the selection of a competent conservator for each category of objects, the maintenance of records and documentation.