Why has the OSG never published a catalog? Many conservators love the diversity and range that the objects specialty offers: one could literally go years before seeing the same problem twice. But when it comes to setting knowledge into print, the endless variety can become a liability. As long-time Postprints<\/i> editor Ginny Greene put it, “I remember several discussions on an OSG catalog, but the idea foundered each time because of the incredible complexity.” With so many subjects, materials, and techniques considered ‘objects’, it is impossible to know where to start.<\/p>\n
AIC’s new wiki at www.conservation-wiki.com<\/a>, funded by a 2006 NCPTT grant, has nudged the OSG into action at last. A wiki’s horizontally-linked, decentralized model can serve very well for an overlapping discipline such as objects conservation. It is also well-suited for short entries, which could allow members to share the burden of such a massive undertaking. Many conservators find themselves with specialized knowledge of unusual materials or unique situations, but in amounts too small for a research paper. Or are you short on time, but willing to do a bit of editing? Small contributions are very welcome. <\/p>\n Coming to the wiki without a published catalog may give the OSG an advantage. A wiki represents a new way of sharing information, and approaching it with an open mind can maximize the benefits. Each page is a stand-alone work that can link to any number of other pages without hierarchy or order. It can be a struggle to let go of long-held habits such as outlining and editorial oversight. Having never committed to the traditional catalog format, OSG members may find themselves free to experiment now. <\/p>\n For these reasons, the AIC wiki has generated a lot of interest within the Objects Specialty Group. Many members are excited about using the collaborative approach to create a flexible, user-friendly conservation research tool. Currently about 15-20 members have joined the OSG Wiki committee, and content is growing quickly. Interested OSG members are welcome to join: a wiki works best with many participants. It takes only a brief training session with AIC Director of Communications Brett Rodgers to begin contributing. Further learning comes through hands-on participation and the on-line discussions linked to each page. <\/p>\n But be aware: the wiki is a fundamentally a public, shared forum. If you choose to join, be ready to accept continuous editing of your work! The original Wikipedia emphasizes two fundamental strategies: be bold, and assume good faith on the part of your colleagues. OSG members interested in joining should contact Katie Holbrow, Committee Chair, at kholbrow@asianart.org<\/a>.<\/p>\n – Katie Holbrow<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Why has the OSG never published a catalog? Many conservators love the diversity and range that the objects specialty offers: one could literally go years before seeing the same problem twice. But when it comes to setting knowledge into print, the endless variety can become a liability. As long-time Postprints editor Ginny Greene put it, … Continue reading “OSG and the AIC Wiki”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":52,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4959","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-aic-faic"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/resources.culturalheritage.org\/conservators-converse\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4959","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/resources.culturalheritage.org\/conservators-converse\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/resources.culturalheritage.org\/conservators-converse\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/resources.culturalheritage.org\/conservators-converse\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/52"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/resources.culturalheritage.org\/conservators-converse\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4959"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/resources.culturalheritage.org\/conservators-converse\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4959\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/resources.culturalheritage.org\/conservators-converse\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4959"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/resources.culturalheritage.org\/conservators-converse\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4959"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/resources.culturalheritage.org\/conservators-converse\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4959"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}