Foreword

¶ 1 Leave a comment on paragraph 1 0 The Foundation of the American Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works (FAIC) undertakes and underwrites programs and initiatives to advance the conservation profession nationally and internationally in all its facets and applies the expertise of the profession in addressing global artistic, cultural, and historic preservation priorities.

¶ 2 Leave a comment on paragraph 2 0 Digital resources are a key element within FAIC’s mission. The 2013-2015 Strategic Plan set goals to strengthen the organization through increased outreach and communications; advance the conservation profession; and provide information resources (with particular focus on transforming CoOL). AIC and FAIC have developed and assumed responsibility for an increasing number of digital resources in recent years, most notably Conservation OnLine (CoOL), the ConsDistList, Connecting to Collections Care, Conservation Wiki, and ConservatorsConverse. These resources provide crucial resources for those charged with caring for collections in the United States as well as around the world. At the same time, maintaining, updating, and growing these resources has become an increasingly large burden.

¶ 3 Leave a comment on paragraph 3 0 Of course, creating, identifying, and managing digital resources are challenges shared by the entire conservation community. As this report demonstrates, digital resources are central to most of the tasks that conservation professionals undertake, from researching methods of manufacture to sharing their work with colleagues and the public.

¶ 4 Leave a comment on paragraph 4 0 This study allowed FAIC to take a broad look at the digital resources connected to conservation, draw on the collective experiences and knowledge of experts within and outside of conservation, and map out specific steps that can be taken to meet many of the needs identified. Although many of the recommendations begin with “FAIC should…” or “AIC should…,” it is clear that there are many stakeholders in this work, and we look forward to partnering with an array of organizations and individuals to develop a digital landscape for the conservation profession that is effective, efficient, and sustainable.

¶ 5 Leave a comment on paragraph 5 0 We are grateful to The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, Getty Foundation, and Samuel H. Kress Foundation for their support and involvement. Our deepest thanks must also go to the many individuals who contributed their time, knowledge, and voices to this study. Special thanks go to the Advisory Committee members and to Diane Zorich for her creative and patient leadership.

¶ 6 Leave a comment on paragraph 6 0 –Eryl Wentworth, Executive Director, AIC and FAIC