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Characteristics of the Profession

1 Leave a comment on paragraph 1 2 The digital needs of the conservation profession arise from a set of characteristics that are unique to the discipline. These characteristics are summarized here because they frame other findings and recommendations in this report.

3 Leave a comment on paragraph 3 1 Conservation has a distinctive role in the cultural heritage community because it relies on a large network of allied professionals who contribute to its efforts. In the course of daily activities, conservation professionals might work with groups as varied as artists, archaeologists, chemists, construction workers, curators, collectors, digital imaging professionals, craftsmen, physicists, security personnel, and more.

5 Leave a comment on paragraph 5 0 Practitioners might have studied or trained in areas as varied as art history, archaeology, chemistry, decorative arts, photography, restoration, imaging technologies, and more. Because of this diverse training, the specific digital skill sets needed to support each conservation professional will differ according to need.

7 Leave a comment on paragraph 7 1 The field’s traditional audiences include corporate entities (such as cultural institutions, auction houses, or insurance companies) and collective groups of individuals (such as families, private collectors, art historians, artists, or archaeologists.) New constituencies may be emerging in computer science/data science departments that have expressed interest in conservation research datasets. The general public, previously characterized as a secondary audience, is fast becoming important to the profession, as attested by the increasing number of conservation blogs, websites, and social media platforms being created or used by conservators to convey information about their work, and growing efforts to expand public appreciation of the importance of the field.

9 Leave a comment on paragraph 9 0 Conservation professionals may work in organizations (such as museums, archives, libraries, or research centers), in field situations (such as historic or archaeological sites) or in home offices and studios. These work environments dictate different information environments.

Source: https://resources.culturalheritage.org/comment/charting-the-digital-landscape-of-the-conservation-profession/characteristics-of-the-profession/