Introduction

junger

August 27, 2015

¶ 1 Leave a comment on paragraph 1 0 The Foundation of the American Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works (FAIC) promotes the advancement of expert knowledge of materials and technologies to conserve and preserve global cultural heritage. It invests in research, education, and knowledge-sharing programs[1] that help the field address present and future needs. While FAIC’s breadth and experience encompasses a wide range of conservation issues, the organization has found it challenging to identify the investments needed to support information technology use in the profession because the field’s capacity to harness the potential of these technologies is poorly understood.

¶ 2 Leave a comment on paragraph 2 0 “What do I do in the digital landscape?  I make stuff. I find stuff. I use and organize what I make and find. I share what I’ve learned.”
-Nancie Ravenel, Shelburne Museum
Digital Landscape Forum #1, San Francisco, 2014

¶ 3 Leave a comment on paragraph 3 2 Earlier efforts to explore this potential focused on the digitization and management of conservation documentation and how conservation information might be included in the public record.[2] These areas continue to be debated today, but a new concern has emerged that alters the nature of these early discussions: the access to an abundance of online material. How can conservation professionals locate, filter, and integrate these disparate materials? How can they determine their reliability and authenticity? How can they best use them in day-to-day activities, and maximize their effectiveness to support the growth and development of the discipline?

¶ 4 Leave a comment on paragraph 4 1 The labyrinthine nature of the online environment is a source of continuing frustration to conservators, who have come to rely on this environment for information critical to their work. This frustration overlaps with concerns about the substantial amount of conservation information that remains offline in local systems, where its use and long-term preservation status are uncertain. In truth, the operational environment for conservation information is a scattered one. Conservation professionals must navigate more resources, located in more environments, than ever before.

¶ 5 Leave a comment on paragraph 5 1 Adding to this situation is a lack of understanding of how conservators work with digital content and resources. What digital tools and resources are conservation professionals using and creating? Who are the audiences for their digitally generated content, and how is it being delivered to these groups? What kinds of digital tools and platforms does the conservation community need to support the profession?

¶ 6 Leave a comment on paragraph 6 0 In 2014, FAIC began exploring these questions in more depth. With the support of The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, Getty Foundation and Samuel H. Kress Foundation, FAIC conducted a yearlong series of information-gathering activities designed to discover the contours of the conservation’s “digital landscape.”

¶ 7 Leave a comment on paragraph 7 0 [1] See http://www.conservation-us.org/foundation.

¶ 8 Leave a comment on paragraph 8 0 [2] Rudenstine, Angelica Z. and Timothy P. Whalen. “Conservation Documentation in Digital Form: A Dialogue about the Issues.” Conservation Perspectives, The GCI Newsletter. The Getty Conservation Institute, Summer 2006. http://www.getty.edu/conservation/publications_resources/newsletters/21_2/news_in_cons.html; and Roy, Ashok, Susan Foister, and Angelica Rudenstine. “Conservation Documentation in Digital Form: A Continuing Dialogue About the Issues.” Studies in Conservation 52 (2007): 315–17. http://conservationspace.org/Community_Design/Entries/2009/3/13_London_Meeting_-_Ken_hamma_files/Conservation%20Documentation%20in%20Digital%20Form%20A%20Continuing%20Dialogue%20about%20the%20Issues.pdf