Survey Methodology for a Collection of Technical Drawings

The YAMP (Projects and Specifications Archive Department) historical collection is part of the collections of technical drawings owned by the Historical Archive of Athens Water Supply and Sewerage Company (EYDAP S.A.). The survey of the collection, which is presented here, was commissioned by the Company to the Department of Archival, Library & Information Studies, University of West Attica, Greece. The objectives of the survey were the documentation of the condition of the collection, the determination of the technical specifications, and the cost estimation for its conservation. Several aspects of the survey methodology are presented, mainly the documentation step, which was planned to collect all the essential data, and the process of the cost estimation. Automation and parameterization of the calculations necessary for the documentation and the cost estimation are discussed in detail. The results of the survey and the recommended best practices for the optimization of the management of the collection are briefly outlined.