AIC News

Inside

From the President 2

AIC News 3

Annual Meeting News 5

FAIC News 6

Point of View 6

Annual Meeting Schedule 7

People 9

JAIC News 9

Grants, Awards, and Fellowships 12

Allied Organization News 13

Grant Deadlines 13

Regional Guild 14

Worth Noting 14

Health and Safety News 15

2005 Directory Updates 16

FAIC Donations 17

Specialty Groups 18

Courses, Conferences, and Seminars 22

Positions, Internships, and Fellowships 28

March 2005

Vol. 30, No. 2

news

AIc

Introduction

On any given desk, stacks of diskettes and CDs compete for space with

the piles of paper. Among paper records there is certainty about whether the
information contained by the paper is intact because one immediately recog-
nizes its integrity with a quick glance. In contrast, information on diskettes and
CDs is not so readily ascertained because one needs to access the information
through a secondary medium (a computer). This is the basis of concerns from
the cultural heritage community about the preservation of digital documents.
Although strategies and techniques for preserving traditional documents and
artifacts are relatively well known, the digital realm is largely unknown ground,
leaving many uneasy about the prospects of vital digital artifacts surviving for
more than a very short period of time. However, more and more documents
are being created using digital tools, transmitted over digital channels, and
stored on digital media. These documents and artifacts may never be used as
paper documents or as tangible works of arts made of traditional materials.
Given this, it is important to deal with the issues of the durability of digital
information.

Current Research Strategies for Digital Preservation

Current research has identified two key areas forming the foundation of

digital preservation: the persistence of data on the physical media (hardware)
and the ability to read the formats in which the data is stored (software). Both
problems are interrelated but because independent decisions can be made
about each, the result is a potential array of combinations that must be consid-
ered. This is compounded and complicated by the rapid obsolescence of both
media types and data formats as the technology industry moves forward with
the creation of new media and formats for mass markets.

To solve these problems, three strategies have been identified: migration,

emulation, and refreshing. Migration and emulation address the issues of the
software obsolescence either by changing the format into a newer, more mod-
ern format, or by recreating the old viewing environment within the new envi-
ronment. Research concentrates on the risks involved with moving from one
format to another and on building an infrastructure to support either migration
and/or emulation.

Refreshing, on the other hand, focuses on the hardware and
. . . involves periodically moving a file from one physical storage medium to
another to avoid the physical decay or the obsolescence of that medium.
Because physical storage devices (even CD-ROMs) decay, and because tech-
nological changes make older storage devices (such as 8-inch floppy drives)
inaccessible to new computers, some ongoing form of refreshing is likely to
be necessary for many years to come (Jackson 2002).

Media Choices for the Preservation of Digital
Documents

Tim Au Yeung

continued on page 10

2 AIC NEWS, March 2005

From the President

"Too much, too fast, too soon--that's my

pledge!" Zippy (by Bill Griffith).

Over the last few months, too many things, both

good and bad, have occurred that need our attention.

Iraq and Its Cultural Heritage

In this issue Cap Sease gives us an Iraq update.

Progress at the Iraq Museum sounds very hopeful. The
head of the Iraq Museum, Donny George, has worked
tirelessly both locally and globally as an advocate for
his country's heritage. The AIC plans to extend to him

a one-year membership.

As Cap says, training for Iraqi conservators is a priority. Our State

Department is planning to have four Iraqi conservators visit the U.S. for train-
ing and mutual collaboration. The AIC plans to extend an invitation to them to
attend our annual meeting, waiving registration fees. Complementary one-year
memberships will be offered to them as well.

The British Museum has been very active throughout the Iraq Crisis, and

they have a very informative website with timeline:
www.thebritishmuseum.ac.uk/iraqcrisis.

The recent report by John Curtis, curator, concerning Babylon, is chilling

reading. It is available through the same website: www.thebritishmuseum.ac.uk/
iraqcrisis/reports/babylon.htm. Curtis's report highlights problems of cultural
preservation in a war zone and makes one think that we should be assisting the
military in matters of cultural preservation, rather the way George Stout,
Langdon Warner, and others did during World War II. The Hague Convention
of 1964 (Protection of Works of Art in the Event of Armed Conflict) recog-
nizes the possible dangers of military activity around cultural monuments and
sites and forbids using cultural monuments as military bases. UNESCO has a
website devoted to the Hague Convention, www.unesco.org/culture/legalpro-
tection/war/html_eng/index_en.shtml, and James A. R. Nafziger has written a
particularly helpful and relevant article ("Protection of Cultural Heritage in
Time of War and Its Aftermath") in the IFAR Journal, available online at
www.ifar.org/heritage.htm. Nafziger points out that, while we have not ratified
the treaty, we are, at least, signatories to it and should responsibly abide by its
terms. The treaty is being used to train military personnel, but some actions
during the war, such as the looting of the Iraq Museum and the occupying of
Babylon, make one wonder how effective this training may be.

In any case, I wish the United States would ratify the Hague Convention.

Nafziger mentions that President Clinton submitted the Hague Convention and
its later Protocols to the Senate in 1999. It still awaits the Advice and Consent
of the Senate. Perhaps the AIC can make some small efforts to move the
Hague Convention towards ratification.

The Tsunami

The Tsunami of December 26, 2004, wreaked havoc among the countries

bordering the Indian Ocean. A number of reports have come out concerning the
devastation of cultural property. The ICOM Report is especially helpful
(http://icom.museum/disaster_relief), as are the reports from ICCROM
(www.iccrom.org/eng/news/iccrom.htm) and the Australian group of ICOMOS
(www.icomos.org/australia); look for "Tsunami News" on their home pages. I
recommend that you read these. AIC will be looking for ways to help, but in the
meantime, I suggest that our members consider making donations for humanitari-
an purposes. Please see also the article by Guy Munsch on page 15.

AIC News (ISSN 1060-3247) is published bi-
monthly by the American Institute for
Conservation of Historic & Artistic Works, 1717 K
Street, NW, Ste. 200,Washington, D.C. 20036-5346,
(202) 4529545; Fax: (202) 4529328; info@aic-
faic.org; www.aic-faic.org

Periodicals postage paid at Washington, D.C. and
Jefferson City, Mo.
Postmaster: Send address changes to:
AIC News
1717 K Street, NW, Suite 200
Washington, D.C. 20036

AIC News is mailed to members for $18 per
year as a portion of annual membership dues.
Opinions expressed in the AIC News are those of
the contributors and not official statements of the
AIC. Responsibility for the materials/methods
described herein rests solely with the contributors.
Deadline for May Editorial Submissions
(narmbruster@aic-faic.org): April 1, 2005.
We reserve the right to edit for brevity and clarity.

ADVERTISING

AIC accepts position-available ads only from equal
opportunity employers. All position ads must
conform to the standards for equal opportunity
employment.The cost of Internships and
Fellowships, Position Available, and Classified Ads is:
$1.05 per word for members and $2.25 per word
for nonmembers; the minimum charge is $75.
The cost of advertising in Supplier's Corner is $185
for 100 words.The cost of display ads is: 1/6 page
$215; 1/3 page $360; 1/2 page $445; 2/3 page
$570; full page $695.
Deadlines for advertising copy are: February 10,
April 10, June 10, August 10, October 10, and
December 10.
All ads should be submitted to Sheila Paige at
spaige@aic-faic.org.

IC NEWS STAFF

Lisa Goldberg, Editor
Eryl P.Wentworth, Managing Editor
Nora A. Armbruster, Production Editor
Sheila Paige, Meetings & Marketing Officer
Meagan Goddard, Membership Assistant

© Copyright 2005. AIC News cannot be reproduced in
its entirety without permission from AIC. Individual
articles may be reproduced if permission has been granted
by the owner of copyright and proper citation attributed.
The paper used in this publication meets the minimum
requirements of American National Standard for
Information Sciences--Permanence of Paper for
Publications and Documents in Libraries and Archives,
ANSI/NISO Z39.481992.

AIC NEWS

3 AIC NEWS, March 2005

Paul Revere Engraving Plates

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

has decided to use the engraved copper plates
made by Paul Revere to pull a new edition
for sale to benefit the State Archives. There
have been at least three newspaper articles on
this to date. One in the Boston Globe (I do
not have the citation) and two in the Boston
Herald; http://news.bostonherald.com/
localRegional/view.bg?articleid=59876 and
http://news.bostonherald.com/localRegional/
view.bg?articleid=62711.

A number of AIC members have dis-

cussed it on the OSG Discussion Group. As
discussion unfolded, it became clear that the
AIC doesn't have ready a short statement
concerning appropriate use of an artifact to
guide us in situations where use of an object
seems frivolous or ephemeral. The language
required for this statement needs to be in an
accessible form, written in a manner that
would provide support for the conservation
concerns. A draft statement for board consid-
eration is being prepared.

Although the AIC is our national con-

servation organization, we have very strong
ties to both national and international conser-
vation, art, archaeology, and cultural proper-
ties communities. We must continue to work
for greater and more well-defined collabora-
tion with other groups such as AAM,
AASLH, US-ICOMOS, etc. Now that the
FAIC bylaws have been approved, we are
beginning to build a development board and
our goals include increasing resources for
education and greater visibility for conserva-
tion and the AIC. Additional collaborative
projects will be a particular focus.

And now for something good . . .

The Annual Meeting

Our annual meeting, to be held in

Minneapolis, Minnesota, June 813, is going
to be spectacular! Some of the ideas from the
Annual Meeting Task Force are already being
used to make welcome changes. In addition,
we have a new Meetings and Marketing
Officer, Sheila Paige, who is working with
boundless energy and a new perspective to
make the meeting better for everyone, mem-
bers, exhibitors, and new attendees alike.
Details are available in this newsletter and on
our website, http://aic.stanford.edu/meet-
ings/index.html.

I look forward to welcoming you all to

the annual meeting!

I also look forward to hearing from all

of you via the specialty group discussion
groups, on the AIC website, or by e-mail

(TChase4921@aol.com). Let's never stop try-
ing to make your national organization better
and more responsive.

--Tom Chase, President, AIC

AIC News

Staff Transitions

We regret to announce that Megan

Nash, assistant director for finance and
administration, Nora Armbruster, publications
manager, and Meagan Goddard, membership
assistant, have resigned from their positions at
AIC. The transitions occurred in January and
February, therefore, their successors should be
in place by the time this issue of AIC News is
mailed. Their skills and professionalism will
be greatly missed, and AIC wishes them the
best of luck in their future endeavors.

Financial Services

The AIC is now contracting with Chris

Krukewitt, CPA, to handle our financial oper-
ations. During the transition, any financial
questions can be sent to Eryl Wentworth at
ewentworth@aic-faic.org.

Membership Services

In addition, we are in the process of hir-

ing a membership manager who will be avail-
able to answer membership inquiries and take
on new initiatives to support and expand our
membership. The administrative assistant will
continue to manage the database and answer
phone or e-mail questions.

New Zip Code: 20036-5346

We apologize to everyone who recently

had mail returned. We are in the peculiar sit-
uation of being in a building with two street
addresses and two zip codes. Building tenants
seem to use various combinations of each. Six
months ago, we tackled this problem and
were finally told the current address and zip
code were correct. Now, we are told we must
change to 20036-5346.

We are sorry for the confusion and

thank you for your patience.

What Are You Doing with Your
Records?

The theme of this year's annual meeting

is "Managing Conservation Data in the 21st
Century," with a focus on new and innovative
ways of documenting conservation treatment.
The AIC Code of Ethics states that "the con-
servation professional has an obligation to

"Why Should I
Become a PA?"

To be included in the
AIC Guide to
Conservation
Services, you must be
a professional associ-
ate or a fellow.

Many members may
not be aware that the
Bylaws of the AIC
permit only profes-
sional associates and
fellows the use of
their status and
membership in the
AIC for advertising.
"Only professional
associate and fellow
members are entitled
to use the name of
AIC or their mem-
bership status within
AIC in advertising or
in representing them-
selves to the public as
professional conser-
vation practitioners"
(page AIC-16 in the
2005 Directory,
under the subhead-
ing, Bylaws
Enforcement, #13).

Professional associate
membership is not
certification, but it is
the best criterion we
have at the moment.
I strongly recom-
mend that you apply
for professional asso-
ciate status as soon as
you can meet the
requirements.

--Tom Chase,

AIC President

Aic

produce and maintain accurate, complete, and
permanent records." What has been missing is
detailed guidance to how this should be done,
especially for conservators in private practice.

The AIC and its Archives Task Force have

begun to tackle this issue. The AIC office
records have been organized and surveyed by
an archives intern under the direction of Hilary
Kaplan. At the November IAG meeting, chairs
of specialty groups, task forces, and committees
were given records retention guidelines for
their groups' records and were asked to imple-
ment them by June. The Archives Task Force
will be working with EMG on archival issues
with digital records.

To deal with concerns of private practi-

tioners, the Task Force contracted with Mary
Cooper, records management consultant and
participant in the 2004 AIC Archives
Roundtable, to prepare records management
guidelines for conservators in private practice.
These guidelines will cover both business and
treatment records, be approachable for new
practitioners while providing information for
more experienced conservators, and include
information about the dissolution of a prac-
tice. The goal is to publish the information as
an insert in AIC News during 2005.

The Task Force welcomes input from the

AIC membership and has prepared a brief
questionnaire to provide background informa-
tion for the consultant. It is especially impor-
tant that all specialty groups be represented.
If you would like to contribute or if you have
special concerns that you wish to have cov-
ered, please contact Task Force chair, Nancy
Schrock, at ncschrock@comcast.net or by
calling (617) 495-8871 (workdays) or (781)
721-1229 (evenings and weekends).

For a summary of the current status of

conservation records within institutional
archives, see "Archiving Records and Papers of
Conservators of Art and Artifacts" by Richard
McKinstry and Joyce Hill Stoner in the Journal
of Archival Organization, volume 2, Number 3
(2004). Mary Cooper will be presenting a
workshop, "Records Management for
Conservation," at the 2005 Annual Meeting.

--Nancy Schrock, Chair, Archives Task Force,

ncschrock@comcast.net

Nominating Committee News

I am sorry to report that an incorrect

draft statement, regarding nominations to the
AIC board and Nominating Committee, was
submitted by me, on behalf of the
Nominating Committee, to the AIC newslet-
ter. The following text is correct. Please only

refer to select sections of the AIC Bylaws
found in the 2005 AIC Directory. Please note
that the by-laws on the AIC website and
those in the AIC Directory are not the same.

--Shelley Reisman Paine, Chair,

AIC Nominating Committee 2005

Call for Nominations for Candidates for
the AIC Board

The AIC Nominating Committee is

pleased to present the following slate of can-
didates for the AIC Board of Directors for the
year 2005.
·

President: Nancy Odegaard

Vice President: Martin Burke

Director of Specialty Groups: Mary
Striegel

Director of Professional Education:
Karen Pavelka

We invite other nominations in writing

from the membership-at-large. The AIC
Bylaws require that candidates for president
and vice president must be fellows, and candi-
dates for director may be fellows or profes-
sional associates. Nominations should be sent
to Shelley Reisman Paine, Chair of the AIC
Nominating Committee, c/o AIC, 1717 K
Street NW, Washington, DC 20036 no later
than March 9, 2005.

If you have, any questions please contact

one of the Nominating Committee members:
Shelley Reisman Paine, Chair,
shelley@srpaine.com; Jill Whitten, jwhit-
ten2@houston.rr.com; Kate Garland, kgar-
land@nelson-atkins.org

Call for Nominations for Candidates for
the AIC Nominating Committee

The president of AIC seeks nominations

of qualified candidates for the Nominating
Committee election to be held at the 2005
AIC business meeting. There are three mem-
bers on this committee, and the service com-
mitment is for three years. Each year one new
member is elected to the Nominating
Committee.

Per the AIC Bylaws, all nominations

should be sent to the AIC President, Tom
Chase, c/o AIC, 1717 K Street NW,
Washington, DC 20036. The nomination must
be accompanied by a written statement that
the nominee is willing to serve. Additional
nominations will be accepted at the business
meeting.

4 AIC NEWS, March 2005

Best Deal in

Minneapolis

Attend the AIC
Annual meeting and
get your annual res-
pirator fit testing
done for only $35.
Did you know that
OSHA regulations
require fit testing
each year if you are
using a respirator?
Join your colleagues
in getting this legal-
ly-required but tax-
deductible business
expense out of your
way! Get updates on
cleaning methods
and storage for your
mask and filters.
Find out about cur-
rent regulations on
dust masks. All in 45
minutes and $35.
Sign up today for the
Respirator Fit Testing
Workshop when you
register for the AIC
annual meeting.

5 AIC NEWS, March 2005

Seeking New Members for the
Bylaws Committee

The Bylaws Committee is seeking two

new members to begin in June. The Committee
undertakes critical reviews of the current AIC
bylaws and brings forward any revisions or
additions to the bylaws for a vote by the mem-
bership. The Committee also articulates the
rationale behind proposed changes or additions.
Currently, the Committee is working closely
with the Certification Development Committee
on issues of certification that may necessitate
changes in the bylaws. Members may be associ-
ates, PAs, or fellows of AIC. Candidates are
approved by the AIC board and serve a three-
year term (June 2005June 2008). If you are
interested in contributing to the important
work of this committee, send a letter of intent
describing your background and interest in
serving to Rosemary Fallon, fallonr@npg.si.edu.

Seeking a New Member for the
Health and Safety Committee

The AIC Health and Safety Committee is

currently accepting applications for a new mem-
ber and hopes the position will be filled by the
upcoming AIC annual meeting! Appointments to
the Health and Safety Committee are for four-
year terms. Committee members participate in
committee business via e-mail, a day-long annu-
al meeting in the fall, and a shorter breakfast
meeting that is held at the AIC annual meeting.
Other activities include participation in commit-
tee activities at the AIC annual meeting, such as
the H & S luncheon lecture, the H & S exhibi-
tion booth, various workshops, including the
annual Respirator Fit Testing Workshop, and
review of manuscripts for publication in the AIC
newsletter. Each member typically undertakes
coordination of a major project such as coordi-
nation of the booth display, respirator fit testing,
the luncheon lecture, production of an AIC
newsletter H&S Guide, a workshop, or acts as
the committee representative for a publication
written by an outside consultant. Members may
also be asked to help respond to information
requests from AIC members or nonmembers
who deal with health and safety issues.
Committee members are required to be mem-
bers in good standing of AIC throughout their
term(s) of service. If you are interested in work-
ing with this committee on issues that are of
crucial importance to the health and safety of
the membership, please send a letter to the AIC
board explaining your interest. Please also send a
copy of the letter and your CV to current com-
mittee chair, Lisa Goldberg.

--Lisa Goldberg, Chair, AIC Health and Safety

Committee, phone/fax: (607) 937-3394;

lgoldberg@stny.rr.com

Annual Meeting News

2006 Annual Meeting Program
Committee

Planning for the 2006 general session of

the annual meeting in Providence, Rhode
Island, began with discussions by the Internal
Advisory Group and the AIC board during
the November meetings.

We are hoping to develop a program

that explores the theme of "Using Artifacts: Is
Conservation Compromised?" Within this
theme, topics of concern to the membership
will include practical issues involved in bal-
ancing preservation concerns with access to
collections, such as traveling expositions and
problems for couriers; historic house displays;
the use of surrogates and reproductions; cul-
tural or religious uses; the impact of rental
events in museums; assessing object values;
and developing levels of conservation com-
promise.

We are currently forming a program

committee and are searching for a program
chair. We hope to attract committee members
representing a broad geographic and specialty
distribution. AIC members who would like to
be involved in planning the 2006 general ses-
sion or discuss other topics can contact Nancy
Odegaard, AIC Vice President, Arizona State
Museum, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ
85721; (520) 621-6314, Fax: (520) 621-2976;
Odegaard@u.arizona.edu.

Volunteers Needed in Minneapolis!

AIC is looking for individuals to provide

between 48 hours of volunteer service dur-
ing the annual meeting. Projects include
assembling packets, assisting at the registration
desk, staffing a local hospitality table, and
monitoring sessions. All selected volunteers
must be current AIC members and are
required to register by the early bird deadline
(April 1, 2005).

In appreciation for a minimum of 8 hours

of service, student volunteers receive a full and
regular members a 50% refund off of the appli-
cable early bird registration fees ($80/students
and $270/regular member.) For volunteers who
provide less than 8 but at least 4 hours, student
volunteers will receive 50% and regular mem-
bers 25% off of the applicable early bird regis-
tration fees.

For consideration and more information

on this opportunity, please call Rebekah Njaa,
2005 AIC Annual Meeting Local
Arrangements Chair, at (651) 225-1373 or by
sending a message to r.njaa@bhi.com.

Announcing the

New 2005 AIC

Annual Meeting

Web Page

For important
details relating to
the 2005 AIC annu-
al meeting, includ-
ing information
about the host city
and hotel, registra-
tion fees, and mar-
keting opportuni-
ties, visit
(http://aic.stanford.
edu/meetings/index.
html).

AIC members
should have received
the registration
brochure in
February. If you
have questions or
are not a current
member and would
like to receive copies
of our promotional
materials, please
contact:

Sheila Paige
Meetings and
Marketing Officer
AIC
1717 K Street, NW,
Suite 200
Washington, DC
20036
202/452-9545, ext.
16
spaige@aic-faic.org

Aic

6 AIC NEWS, March 2005

Marketing Opportunities Still
Available at the 2005 AIC
Annual Meeting

It is never too early to start mak-

ing arrangements for the 2005 AIC
Annual Meeting in Minneapolis,
Minnesota. For important details relat-
ing to this event including exhibit,
advertising and sponsorship opportuni-
ties visit (http://aic.stanford.edu/meet-
ings/index.html).

If you have questions or are not a

current member and would like to
receive copies of our promotional
materials, please contact Sheila Paige,
Meetings and Marketing Officer, AIC,
1717 K Street, NW, Suite #200,
Washington, DC 20036-5346; (202)
452-9545, ext. 16; spaige@aic-faic.org.

FAIC News

2005 FAIC Samuel H. Kress
Conservation Publication
Fellowships Announced

FAIC is pleased to announce sup-

port for the preparation of three man-
uscripts on conservation through the
FAIC Samuel H. Kress Conservation
Publication Fellowship program. The
fellowships are designed to give
authors the opportunity to take time
away from work to complete writing
of manuscripts for publication.

Cathleen A. Baker

, conservation

consultant in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, is
preparing a manuscript, "Nineteenth-
Century American Paper: Technologies,
Materials, Characteristics, and
Conservation." The work will cover the
technological history and physical char-
acteristics of 19th-century American
papermaking and paper. The 1800s saw
the demise of commercial hand paper-
making and the rise of machine-made
papers. From a conservation perspective,
these papers present many problems not
generally encountered in collections of
European books and art. Dr. Baker's
book will provide valuable information
for conservators working with American
papers.

Gay Myers

and

Lance Mayer

the Lyman Allyn Art Museum in New
London, Connecticut, will co-author a
book about American painting tech-
niques from the 18th century to the

early 20th century. The work, "The Art
and Mystery of Painting: American
Painters on Technique," will present a
history of American painting tech-
niques based on written sources, many
of them in the artists' own words. By
documenting the materials and meth-
ods used by American painters, the
book will help conservators to better
understand the diversity and complexi-
ty of American paintings and will help
them to make more informed deci-
sions when undertaking conservation
treatments.

The third fellowship is awarded

Toby Jonathan Raphael

of the

National Park Service, Harpers Ferry,
West Virginia, who will be completing
his manuscript, "Conservation
Standards for Museum Exhibitions."
The work will update and expand
upon the information included in his
1999 publication, "Exhibit
Conservation Guidelines." The muse-
um field currently lacks a systematic
method for incorporating preservation
safeguards in the exhibition of cultural
resources. The project would publish a
set of practical standards to assist man-
agers, exhibit specialists, and conserva-
tors in the safe display of collections.

Twenty-nine Kress Fellowships

have been awarded since 1994. FAIC
is extremely grateful for the support
of the Samuel H. Kress Foundation for
making these fellowships possible. The
goal of the fellowship program is to
improve the quality and quantity of
publications in the field of conserva-
tion by encouraging conservation pro-
fessionals to prepare publishable manu-
scripts. The next application deadline
is November 1, 2005.

Eric Pourchot, AIC Program Officer,

Professional Development,

epourchot@aic-faic.org

Point of View

Digital Imaging: Revelation
and Revolution

In September 2004, about 150

imaging practitioners and specialists,
representatives from camera manufac-
turers and others from museums,
libraries, archives, and universities, con-
vened at the Rochester Institute of

Technology to discuss the state of the
art of digital imaging in museums,
define a set of best practices, and
establish leadership. The event, spon-
sored by the A.W. Mellon Foundation,
was the "American Museums Digital
Imaging Survey Benchmarking
Conference--Direct Digital Image
Capture of Cultural Heritage in
American Institutions." I was invited to
describe the concerns of conservators
and conservation scientists who are
not necessarily digital imaging special-
ists. The following will provide a sum-
mary of the good, the bad, and the
ugly of digital imaging in conservation
and science and hopefully provide
some inspiration for discussion that
might continue in the months leading
to the 33rd AIC annual meeting, perti-
nently focused on documentation
issues.

Within the conservation com-

munity, the topic of digital versus
conventional photography is fre-
quently a cause for heated debate. In
recent years we have witnessed a rev-
olution in the way visual information
is recorded, stored, displayed, and
accessed, and although this process
brings impressive advantages, it also
has inherent risks. Although the qual-
ity of digital images is governed by
the laws of physics and electronic
engineering, users such as the conser-
vation community should be proac-
tive about finding appropriate solu-
tions to emerging issues, ensuring
that a fundamental turning point in
the history of image making does not
turn into a catastrophe.

For scientists, an array of digital

image types are frequently utilized; the
simplest consisting of "working
images" used to explain research, i.e.,
providing context and localization for
analytical data, or serving as visual aids
to explain an experimental setup. The
visual interest and flexibility offered by
digital images in combination with
tools such as PowerPoint have been
embraced as a welcome improvement
by the whole scientific community,
untouched by the drama of having to
abandon slides for the new technology
(a dilemma currently faced by many
art historians and conservators)
because these tools offer an alternative
to the "dry" presentation of hard data

Aic

7 AIC NEWS, March 2005

Wednesday, June 8, 2005

8:30 a.m. 5:00 p.m.

Workshop: Scientific Methodology for Conservation Treatments

9:00 a.m. 4:00 p.m.

Workshop: Writing for Conservation Publication

9:00 a.m. 5:30 p.m.

Workshop: Introduction to Stone Conservation

2:00 p.m. 5:00 p.m.

Workshop: Records Management for Conservation

8:30 a.m. 12:30 p.m.

Tour: Alexander Ramsey House and the Minnesota Historical Society

8:30 a.m. 12:30 p.m.

Tour: Science Museum of Minnesota's New Conservation Labs &

Storage Facility

2:00 p.m. 5:00 p.m.

Tour: Elmer L. Andersen Library and Archives Collections & Storage

Facility

4:00 p.m. 7:30 p.m.

Tour: The Curtis Collections Galleries

Thursday, June 9, 2005

8:30 a.m. Noon

General Session and AIC Awards Presentation I

2:00 p.m. 5:00 p.m.

General Session and AIC Awards Presentation II

7:00 p.m. 9:00 p.m.

Opening Reception at the Walker Art Center

Friday, June 10, 2005

8:00 a.m. 6:00 p.m.

Workshop: Respirator Fit Lecture and Testing

8:30 a.m. Noon

General Session and AIC Awards Presentation III

10:00 a.m. 6:00 p.m.

Exhibit Hall and Poster Sessions

12:30p.m. 2:00 p.m.

Health and Safety Lecture Luncheon

2:00 p.m. 3:30 p.m.

Issues Session

4:00 p.m. 5:30 p.m.

Business Meeting

See Registration

Specialty Group Sessions and Events

Brochure for Details*

(Architecture Specialty Group, Book & Paper Group, Conservators in

Private Practice, Textiles Specialty Group)

Saturday, June 11, 2005

7:45 a.m. 8:30 a.m.

First-Time Attendees Breakfast

10:00 a.m. 5:00 p.m.

Exhibit Hall and Poster Sessions

10:30 a.m. 11:45 a.m.

Internal Advisory Group Meeting

See Registration

Specialty Group Sessions and Events

Brochure for Details*

(Architecture Specialty Group, Book & Paper Group, Conservators in

Private Practice, Objects Specialty Group, Paintings Specialty Group,

Photographic Materials Group, Research & Technical Studies Group,

Wooden Artifacts Group)

7:00 p.m. 10:00 p.m.

AIC's First Annual Party

Sunday, June 12, 2005

See Registration

Specialty Group Sessions and Events

Brochure for Details*

(Book & Paper Group, Electronic Media Group, Objects Specialty Group,

Paintings Specialty Group, Research & Technical Studies Group,

Textiles Specialty Group, Wooden Artifacts Group )

Monday, June 13, 2005

8:30 a.m. 12:30 p.m.

Workshop: Fund-raising for Conservation

* Please look for your copy of this year's registration brochure in February 2005! If you are not a

member but would like to receive promotional materials relating to the annual meeting contact:

Sheila Paige, Meetings and Marketing Officer

American Institute for Conservation

1717 K Street, NW, Suite 200, Washington, DC 20036

202/452-9545 Ext. 16

spaige@aic-faic.org

2005 Annual Meeting Schedule at a Glance

(It is important to note that this information may be subject to change.)

8 AIC NEWS, March 2005

to the unaccustomed ear. Digital
microscopy represents the next level:
now a reality in many labs, it allows
rapid workflows, high-resolution color
fidelity images, and sensitivity for fluo-
rescence images that are then immedi-
ately available to be digitally incorpo-
rated into reports, presentation materi-
als, etc. Digital image analysis can be
easily applied to micrographs, allowing
the quantitative assessment of areas for
analytical purposes (for example, for
cell counting in biological samples as
well as porosity and binder/aggregate
determination in plaster). Moreover,
specific scientific imaging techniques
open up a third dimension in bi-
dimensional images by providing ana-
lytical information in addition to a
reproduction of the object under study
(this is the case with backscattered
electron images; BSE obtained by
scanning electron microscopes, energy
dispersive x-ray fluorescence maps,
Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR)
molecular 3D-mapping, X-ray tomog-
raphy, etc.).

Digital technology can also bene-

fit conservators, offering new
enhanced research presentation tools
in the field of technical studies of
works of art. It is now possible to sim-
ulate and preview the effect of conser-
vation treatments or to evaluate fram-
ing options. In the case of x-ray radi-
ographs, Adobe Photoshop can be used
to manipulate digitized x-rays of
paintings to render images more legi-
ble by eliminating distracting interfer-
ences from stretcher bars and other
structural elements. Software can also
be used to generate overlays, highlight
changes with colored outlines, perform
fading in of images, etc., in order to
facilitate interpretations (the same
applies to infrared reflectography).
Exciting new opportunities for the
museum community at large have
been brought about by digital imag-
ing, as demonstrated by the recent
groundbreaking project of color recon-
struction or "digital rejuvenation" of
G. Seurat's La Grande Jatte, a collabo-
ration of the Art Institute of Chicago
and the Rochester Institute of
Technology. This project allowed visi-
tors of the exhibition Seurat and the
Making of La Grande Jatte to view a
simulated, digital image of what La

Grande Jatte

looked like during the late

1880s before the darkening of the
brushstrokes containing zinc yellow.
On a larger scale, the Vasari Project
(Visual Art System for Archiving and
Retrieval of Images), funded by the
European Commission's ESPRIT pro-
gram, uses a calibrated colorimetric
imaging system to acquire high-resolu-
tion images that allow users to moni-
tor changes in colors of paintings (due
to fading and deterioration).

Notwithstanding this long list of

innovations and advantages, there are
still a number of open questions, prob-
lems, and concerns. There is wide-
spread concern in the conservation
community that digital imaging is a
poor choice for treatment photographs
because of a perception that they do
not have the required resolution and
color fidelity. When seen through a
magnifying lens, prints of digital
images produce an array of pixels and
not the fine details that the conserva-
tors rely on for detailed documenta-
tion and work. Importantly, the impact
of image processing--visual editing,
retouching, sharpening (sometimes
applied rather intuitively with
Photoshop)--can create huge variabili-
ty (impairing comparison of images
over the years), as confirmed by a
comparison of reproduced images from
the same mock-up paintings that were
produced by different museums' imag-
ing labs and presented at the
Rochester conference. Differences in
color sensitivity of monitors, of com-
puter systems (Macs vs. PCs), of print-
ers, inks, and papers also play a role.

Of significant concern is the code

of ethics that the conservation profes-
sion has embraced; the preservation of
our records as a cultural legacy of
future generations. Further complicat-
ing the issue is the question of image
validation: how can we guarantee that
the photograph found in the archives,
supposedly showing the object before
treatment, was not manipulated after
fact? Will Metadata ensure that the
imaging chain is not broken?
Furthermore, there are complexities
and staggering costs associated with
archiving and preserving digital files
for the future. As Franziska Frey, assis-
tant professor at the School of Print
and Media at RIT very clearly pointed

out during the Rochester meeting, the
cost of storing digital images is much
higher than that required for conven-
tional photography (84:1). This is due
to the fact that, although traditional
archives are passive, digital archives
require more technologically active
strategies for upkeep and retrieval.

To state the obvious, as conserva-

tion professionals worry about image
preservation issues, they must prepare
for the process by having a solid plan
for image archiving or digital asset
management at large. Scientists in dif-
ferent laboratories use Filemaker Pro
databases or Excel spreadsheets to
build up relational databases that help
link scientific data to images and the
artwork they are related to, but there
are limitations to the file size that
these systems can handle. Conservation
departments, on the other hand, are
still struggling to determine the best
way to store and preserve the digital
images collected today. Realistically,
this struggle can result in the risk of
permanently lost images (print or digi-
tal file), or more significantly, the loss
of a digital master. There are several

Modern Litho:
Please place George
Wight ad here (PDF).

I could not print or
create PDF with this
file inserted...some-
thing about my system
not having screen
fonts.

Thanks.

9 AIC NEWS, March 2005

levels at which information loss can
occur, including where and how the
images were stored, loss of the meta-
data that were appended to the image,
and risk of software and hardware
obsolescence. Such odds strongly sug-
gest the retention of archival-quality
prints of digital files to be stored in
paper record files. In the conservation
studio of the future, thanks to new
generation computers and a solid net-
work infrastructure, conservators will
be able to access image databases,
visualize images on large wireless
monitors, and magnify the tiniest detail
of an object in treatment. This, I am
afraid, still sounds like science fiction,
but eventually, these types of solutions
will become economically feasible and
accessible.

In conclusion, conservation and

imaging professionals need to work
toward the creation of a comprehen-
sive agenda including clear parameters
and standards for color, resolution, and
file format that will allow for image
comparison, as well as a certified
image validation procedures. It is also
important to think strategically about
digital asset management, including
plans for entering and saving metada-
ta, centralizing image storage and
backup with guaranteed long-term
image retrieval in order to ensure
transmission to future generations. In
short, what we need is organization,
leadership, institutional support and,
most importantly, funding. After all, as
someone said, "a vision without appro-
priate funding is hallucination."

--Francesca Casadio,

A.W. Mellon Conservation Scientist,

The Art Institute of Chicago,

fcasad@artic.edu

People

Julia Brennan

of Textile

Conservation Services conducted a three-
week textile conservation and preventa-
tive conservation training workshop in
Antanananarivo, Madagascar, in January
and February 2005. It was supported by
the U.S. Ambassador's Fund for Cultural
Preservation, in conjunction with the
Malagasy Ministry of Culture and
Tourism.The workshop focused on the

cleaning, stabilization, and preparation for
an exhibition of a collection of 19th-cen-
tury Malagasy shawls or "lambas."

The following conservators have

been appointed to serve as peer pro-
fessionals in the

General Service

Administration's Design
Excellence & the Arts Program.

They serve a two-year term and par-
ticipate on architectural/engineer eval-
uations boards, art selection panels,
design reviews, award and competition
juries, charrettes, and other workshops
and forums organized by GSA: Thom
Gentle, Robert Lodge, Paul Messier,
Catherine S. Myers, Arthur Page, Julie
L. Sloan, Cameron Wilson, John
Griswold, Carrie Przybilla, Martin
Radecki, Deirdre Windsor, Virginia
Naudé, and Teri Hensick.

The Saint Louis Art Museum

announces the appointment of two con-
servation positions:

Laura Gorman

has

been appointed objects conservator
(314/655-5261, lgorman@slam.org);

Margo McFarland

has accepted the

new position of paper conservator
(314/655-5263, Mmcfarland@slam.org).

Barbara Lemmen

has been pro-

moted to senior conservator at the
Conservation Center for Art and
Historic Artifacts (CCAHA). Lemmen
joined the Center in 2001. Prior to
joining the Center she had a private
practice in New Hampshire and
worked as a consultant in photograph
conservation at the Library of
Congress and the National Gallery of
Art. Lemmen also teaches students in
the Winterthur Conservation Program
in the photo block. She is the co-
author of the chapter "Coatings on
Polaroid Prints" in the new book
Coatings on Photographs that will be
published by the AIC Photographic
Materials Group (PMG) in 2005.

Dorothy Mahon

has been

appointed acting conservator-in-charge
of the Paintings Conservation
Department at the Metropolitan
Museum of Art.

Eric Pourchot

, AIC Program

Officer, Professional Development, will
participate in a panel presentation on
May 3, 2005, for the American
Association of Museums annual meet-
ing in Indianapolis. The program,
"Let's Put on a Workshop Right
Here," is designed to help small muse-

ums organize and sponsor professional
development events.

Note: If you have an employment
announcement or other news of inter-
est to the membership, please send a
brief paragraph to the publications
manager at narmbruster@aic-faic.org.

JAIC News

JAIC is pleased to announce its

release on the JSTOR database in
March 2005. JSTOR is a worldwide
digital preservation initiative designed to
supply its members with long-term
access to complete electronic sets of
scholarly publications. In a time period
where some libraries are having difficul-
ty in finding space and money for the
storage and preservation of old issues of
journals, JSTOR provides a solution.
Conceived by the Mellon foundation in
1990 and placed online in 1995, JSTOR
now includes complete copies of 553
professional journals covering areas such
as economics, music, science, and histo-
ry. More than 2,200 libraries and aca-
demic institutions around the world
subscribe to the database. The content
of JSTOR is completely searchable and
members can download full text articles
from any journal.

Release of JAIC on the JSTOR

site will significantly increase the num-
ber of scholars that have access to the
Journal and its articles. Being selected
to participate in the JSTOR collection
is a high recognition of the scholarly
content of JAIC. Additionally, the AIC
now has assurance that there are
numerous redundant archival copies of
the Journal, since JSTOR keeps com-
plete paper copies as well as digital sets
for every publication in three archival
locations. Back issues of JAIC (February
1977 through to 2001) and the IIC-AG
Bulletin (since April 1961) have been
transferred to JSTOR for the impend-
ing release. As JSTOR provides a three-
year moving wall, the most recent issues
of JAIC will be 2001.

--Michele Derrick, JAIC Editor-in-Chief,

mderrick@mfa.org

Aic

10 AIC NEWS, March 2005

Where the digital collection is

small, refreshing is a relatively minimal
activity with minimal resource expen-
diture. However, for large collections,
this can be a significant time and
resource investment. Thus, refreshing is
best done within the medium's lifespan
while maximizing the interval between
each refreshing.

Unfortunately, determining the

lifespan of current media is difficult
because longevity claims can vary wide-
ly. For example, Jeff Rothenberg, in his
report to the Council on Library and
Information Resources, suggests that
media lifetimes in general may only last
5 years, while manufacturers, like
Kodak, make specific claims on their
CD-R media, arguing that media may
last 100200 years. More cautious esti-
mates, like those of John van Bogart at
Imation suggest that digital media in
general may last 1030 years. Because
simple calculations of lifespan vary so
widely, these numbers cannot be used
to readily determine the selection of a
medium for digital preservation.

A Strategy for Assessing Media
Suitability for Archival Purpose

The selection criteria for archival

media should reduce the risk of loss com-
pared to other media and facilitate the
active management of the information.

To evaluate risk mitigation, one

should consider:
·

Is the medium physically durable?
Having a hard casing, a protective
door, or other similar features will
ensure that damage through poor
handling will be minimized.

Is the medium vulnerable to envi-
ronmental factors? Media that can
be stored in a greater range of
environmental conditions will stand
a greater chance of surviving in
less than optimal conditions.

Is the medium commonly available or
is it highly specialized? By being com-
monly available, the medium should
withstand technical obsolescence more
easily than a specialized format.

Is the medium write-once only?
This will ensure that it won't acci-
dentally be overwritten.

Overall, how many critical points
of failure does the medium have?

Media are more vulnerable when
they have a greater number of
"critical points" (technological
obsolescence, physical vulnerabili-
ties, mechanical failure points).

To evaluate the potential for active

management one should consider:
·

Does the medium require a sophis-
ticated technological infrastructure?
Media that are simpler to use and
to deploy mean that a broader
selection of staff can be utilized to
maintain the collection.

What is the capacity of the medi-
um? Media with greater capacities
reduce the amount of time neces-
sary to perform refreshing activities
because they require less media
swaps to complete the task.

What is the cost of the media? Of
devices required to read the media?
Active management should involve
multiple copies to ensure redun-
dant backups in case of media fail-
ure. Cost can be a factor in the
ability to provide multiple copies.

Media Formats and
Technologies

Currently, there are two primary

technologies used for digital storage:
magnetic and optic. Magnetic media
come in a number of formats, includ-
ing floppy disk, tape systems, floppy or
removable disks, and hard drives. They
all rely on magnetic particles in the
recording substrate that change direc-
tion in the presence of a magnetic
field. Optical technology including
CD-ROM, CD-R/W, DVD-ROM,
DVD-R/W, and DVD+R/W are read
using a laser beam that reflects the
light from the surface of the disc in
areas of differential reflectivity.
Reflectivity results from a physically
pitted surface on manufactured optical
mediums like CD-ROM and DVD-
ROM, or from a dye-coated substrate
that is "written" on exposure to a
higher intensity laser beam.

A third technology, flash memory

cell technology, has been gaining pop-
ularity over the last few years, primari-
ly in devices such as digital cameras
and PDAs. Flash memory technology
uses cells that switch on/off electrical
voltage without requiring power for
maintenance, in a similar manner to
computer memory. Currently there are

a wide variety of choices for flash
memory including compact flash cards,
secure digital cards, and USB flash
drives. But, this media has not yet
been evaluated for its longevity and
use as an archival medium.

Traditionally, magnetic tape sys-

tems have been a common choice for
archival media in data centers, and their
durability has been well studied. Tape
systems are usually deployed within a
networked environment and require
considerable technical support.
Schedules for the retention of informa-
tion are usually set up according to
policies generated by technology staff
rather than archival principles. Typically,
only large institutions can afford such
systems, limiting their usefulness in the
cultural heritage community.

Removable magnetic media in the

form of floppy disks and larger format
magnetic media like the Zip disk are not
commonly used as a storage format any
longer. In fact, current discussions about
removable magnetic media tend to focus
on recovering old data stored on mag-
netic media because of technological
obsolescence. As an example of rapid
obsolescence, the Zip disk was intro-
duced ten years ago and rapidly gained
favor in a number of fields, especially
the design and publishing industries.
However, as writeable CD media gained
traction in the marketplace, the advan-
tages of the Zip disk quickly disappeared
and what was once commonplace, now
is virtually impossible to find.

Hard drive media are self-contained

units, usually internal to a computer sys-
tem. Hard drives contain one or more
magnetic platters that hold the data and a
number of read/write heads. Although
hard drives vary by capacity, interface, and
form, advances in hard drive technology
so far have primarily increased hard drive
capacities while reducing the price, with
insignificant technological change. New
developments in external interfaces, like
USB 2.0 and IEEE 1394 (Firewire), allow
fast transfer to external hard drive sys-
tems, allowing users to treat hard drives
less as a fixed component of the comput-
er system and more like removable
media. Even desktop RAID systems
(redundant arrays of independent drives)
are now an affordable reality extending
both capacity and the ability to recover
from individual media failure.

Media Choices continued from page 1

11 AIC NEWS, March 2005

There are several types of optical

media with different formats that utilize
the same technology. On read-only
media (CD-ROM, DVD-ROM), the pits
are physically molded onto the polycar-
bonate surface. On writeable media
(CD-R/W, DVD-R/W, DVD+R/W), a
layer of dye mimics the reflectivity
changes that occur in the pits. Unlike the
CD-R/RW formats, the DVD family of
formats includes two competing stan-
dards, the "+" standard and the "-" stan-
dard. While newer DVD drives can read
and write to both, older systems and sys-
tems like laptops may only allow you to
read either one or the other.This format
competition is reason enough to with-
hold judgment on the DVD family for
archival purposes. Complicating the issue
further, the next generation DVD for-
mats include such rival options as the
Blu-Ray and the HD-DVD.Therefore,
current discussions are mainly focused on
CD-R/RW formats where the distinc-
tion between the "-R" technology and
the "-RW" technology concerns capabili-
ty--the "-R" standard is a write-once
only format while the "-RW" standard
allows for multiple writes and rewrites.

Assessing the Options

Individuals and small organizations

primarily have available optical media
such as CD and DVD technology or
magnetic media such as hard drives. The
capabilities of larger organizations may
allow for a networked approach coupled
with automated systems. These types of
systems have been the focus of research
at the National Digital Information
Infrastructure Preservation Program in
the U.S., but are beyond the scope of
this discussion because of resource and
technological expertise.

Currently, the primary choice for

an optical medium is CD-R format. The
write-once nature of CD-R's prevents
accidental overwriting and their capacity
is generally sufficient for large quantities
of textual information. There are several
different types of dyes in use for manu-
facturing CD-Rs, and recent discussions
have focused on the best choices for
dyes and substrates. A recent study
(http://nvl.nist.gov/pub/nistpubs/jres/10
9/5/j95sla.pdf) concerning various dyes
indicates that there may be some justifi-
cation for using a more expensive
(gold/phthalocyanine dye) CD-R, but

the study's limited sample set suggests
that the results may be premature.

This separation between media

and reader also reduces the critical
points of failure. Mechanical failure of
the reader/writer devices does not
impact the individual media so loss
due to mechanical failure is largely
minimized. The reading/writing mech-
anisms use light and no physical con-
tact is made with the surface of the
media. Although CD-Rs are vulnerable
to light exposure, they are not affected
by the magnetic fields generated by a
computer/reader. Since optical media
such as CD-Rs are separate from the
reader/writer devices, multiple copies
can be generated at a lower cost.
Importantly, widespread use of this
media and reader/writers strongly sug-
gests that this technology will be sup-
ported in the future.

Risks in choosing CD-R media

include the inability to change infor-
mation once written, potentially lead-
ing to confusion between various ver-
sions. Capacities are also limited for
some file sizes such as high-resolution
digital images and video, potentially
resulting in a large number of disks.
CD-R disks are also vulnerable to
damage during physical handling.

The hard drive itself is an option

for archival storage because virtually
all digital documents are created on a
hard drive and the equivalence of size
simplifies the storage process. One can
simply pull the old drive out and put
in a new drive to start afresh.

Their self-contained and hard

casing will protect against environ-
mental fluctuations within given oper-
ational parameters. They also cannot
be accidentally scratched or otherwise

Bibliography

Besser, Howard. Digital longevity.
Chapter in Handbook for Digital
Projects: A Management Tool for
Preservation and Access (pages
155166). Andover, MA: Northeast
Document Conservation Center,
2000. Available at
www.gseis.ucla.edu/~howard/Papers/
sfs-longevity.html.

Byers, Fred. Care and Handling of CDs
and DVDs: A Guide for Librarians and
Archivists. Washington: Council on
Library and Information Resources,
2003. Available at
www.clir.org/pubs/abstract/
pub121abst.html.

Jackson, Julian. Digital Longevity: the
lifespan of digital files. Online: Digital
Preservation Coalition, 2002. Available
at www.dpconline.org/graphics/
events/digitallongevity.html.

Kodak. Permanence and Handling of
CDs. Online: Kodak, inc, 1995.
Available at www.kodak.com/global/
en/professional/products/storage/
pcd/techInfo/permanence.jhtml?id=0.
1.18.22.13.6&lc=en.

Lawrence, Gregory, et al. Risk
Management of Digital Information: A
File Format Investigation. Washington,
D.C.: Council on Library and
Information Resources, 2000.
Available at
www.clir.org/pubs/reports/pub93/
contents.html.

Rothenberg, Jeff. Avoiding Technological
Quicksand: Finding a Viable Technical
Foundation for Digital Preservation.
Washington: Council on Library and
Information Resources, 1999.
Available at
www.clir.org/pubs/abstract/
pub77.html.

Stanescu, Andreas. Assessing the
Durability of Formats in a Digital
Preservation Environment in D-Lib
Magazine. Online: Online Computer
Library Center, Inc, 2004. Available at
www.dlib.org/dlib/november04/
stanescu/11stanescu.html.

Van Bogart, John. Magnetic Tape
Storage and Handling: A Guide for
Libraries and Archives. Washington:
The Commission on Preservation and
Access and The National Media
Laboratory, 1995. Available at
www.clir.org/pubs/reports/pub54/
index.html.

12 AIC NEWS, March 2005

damaged because they are incased in a
computer case or an external enclo-
sure. Given the longevity of the basic
technology and multiple manufactur-
ers, it is reasonable to assume that the
media will be supported for some time
to come, also reducing risk.

However, hard drives are suscep-

tible to mechanical failure and this can
cause data loss because the media is
integrated into the device. The rotating
spindle can seize or be displaced, or
the platters themselves can be dam-
aged by the contact between the
read/write head and the platters or
collision of the platters due to shock.
A power surge can damage the drive,
potentially burning out the electronics
built into the drive, and thus destroy-
ing the data itself. External magnetic
fields can also interfere with the drive
and cause data loss. Also, hard drives,
by design, are meant for read/write
operations and accidental overwriting
can be a common occurrence.

However, hard drives excel in

their ability to promote active manage-
ment. Data access is quick and allows
activities like refreshing to be per-
formed faster. In addition, size capabil-
ity allows for storage of large collec-
tions on a small number of hard
drives. This utilizes a small number of
operations in handling a large quantity
of information, freeing the user to per-
form other tasks while the system car-
ries out the refreshing task.
Additionally, larger files such as video
or sets of high-resolution images may
require the memory of a hard drive
for complete record storage.

Conclusion

Often, the best advice is to

choose more than one medium for
storage and create multiple copies,
ensuring that at least one copy will be
readable. One approach is to use dedi-
cated external hard drives for primary
storage and to segment new data into
CD-R sized blocks that are backed up
onto CD-Rs as each block is filled.
Finally, once a hard drive is full, it is
pulled from service and acts as a back-
up copy. The CD-Rs are then used to
access the data in a read-only fashion
and when changes are made, the new
versions are placed onto a new hard
drive and backed up again onto CD-

R. Although the issue of multiple ver-
sions can cause confusion, there are
software solutions that assist in the
management of multiple media and
multiple versions. From this view, digi-
tal media preservation becomes less an
issue of choosing a specific medium
and more centered on an integrated
strategy that takes advantage of the
benefits of each component.

--Tim Au Yeung, Manager, Digital Object

Repository Technologies, University of

Calgary, ytau@ucalgary.ca

Grants, Awards, and
Fellowships

NSF Biology Grants Available

The National Science Foundation

(NLF) is accepting grant applications
for projects on little-known organisms
for modern monegraphic research. The
competition is part of NSF's
Partnership for Enhancing Expertise in
Taxonomy (PEET).

The applications must address three

major criteria, monographic research,
training, and computer infrastructure,
and include a research plan. Successful
applicants must train at least two new
taxonomists and convert current expert-
ise into electronic databases and other
products for the scientific community.

NSF estimates that eight to twelve

awards will be given. Individual awards
will not exceed $750,000; cost sharing
is not required. The deadline for appli-
cations is March 7. More information is
available on www.nsf.gov.

NEA's Grant to NPI

The National Preservation Institute

(NPI) is the continuing recipient of a
grant from the National Endowment for
the Arts (NEA), effective through the
middle of 2006. The NEA grant subsi-
dizes NPI's project, "Stewardship
Training in Historic Preservation,"
which enables NPI to offer scholarships
to cultural resource and historic proper-
ty managers and volunteers who might
not otherwise have the means to attend
an NPI-sponsored seminar.

Organizations that manage cul-

tural resources and historic sites often
lack the means to train employees
and/or volunteers on how to care for

and administer sites using standard
preservation methodology in a cost-
effective manner. The NEA grant sup-
ports stewardship training and will
allow NPI to bring its training semi-
nars to a broader and more diverse
audience. The NEA grant will help
fund professional development oppor-
tunities to directors and property man-
agers, board members, and concerned
community members of a historic site
or property who are responsible for
historic and cultural resources.

Paired Fellowship for Research
in Conservation and the
History of Art and Archaeology

The Center for Advanced Study

in the Visual Arts, a part of the National
Gallery of Art, announces its program
for the Paired Fellowship for Research
in Conservation and the History of Art
and Archaeology. Applications are invit-
ed from teams consisting of two schol-
ars: one in the field of art history,
archaeology, or another related disci-
pline in the humanities or social sci-
ences, and one in the field of conserva-
tion or materials science. Two paired fel-
lowships are awarded annually. The
Samuel H. Kress Foundation Paired
Research Fellowship supports research
teams working on European visual arts
prior to the early 19th century. The J.
Paul Getty Trust Paired Research
Fellowship supports research teams
working in any field of art history,
archaeology, or architecture.

The fellowship includes a two- to

three-month period for field, collec-
tions, and/or laboratory research, fol-
lowed by a two-month residency at
the Center. Paired fellows are provided
with a study and will have access to
the notable resources represented by
the collections, the library, and the
photographic archives of the Gallery,
as well as to the Library of Congress
and other specialized research libraries
and collections in the Washington
area. Laboratory facilities in the
Washington area may be made avail-
able on an ad hoc basis.

2005 CAP Grants

The Conservation Assessment

Program received 171 applications for the
2005 grant cycle, 51 of which were from
institutions in the 18 Lewis and Clark

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13 AIC NEWS, March 2005

Trail states.These applications will receive
priority for funding in the FY 2005 grant
cycle.The official award announcement
will be made in early May.

Allied Organization News

Heritage Preservation News

Field Guide to Emergency
Readiness and Response

The National Endowment for the

Humanities (NEH) has awarded
Heritage Preservation a grant for a
two-year project to develop, produce,
test, disseminate, and evaluate a Field
Guide to Emergency Readiness and
Response. This is a project of the
Heritage Emergency National Task
Force, of which the AIC is a member.

The new Field Guide will help staff

at collecting institutions and historic
sites respond more capably to emergen-
cies, and it will highlight actions that
are essential to emergency preparedness.
It will have three components:
·

A spiral-bound, flexible notebook
will feature step-by-step advice on
what to do immediately after a dis-

aster, how to assess damage, and
how to properly salvage materials.
It will also address risk assessment,
emergency supplies, and health and
safety. A bibliography of resources
will be included.

An instructional DVD, which can be
used in a laptop computer onsite, will
be tucked in a pocket of the Guide.
It will be coordinated with the text
and illustrate the most typical prob-
lems encountered in a disaster, along
with critical salvage techniques.

Institutions can adapt the Guide to
their needs by using the tabbed
"Preparedness Panels" at the front
of the notebook. The panels will
help users identify and save infor-
mation on local emergency con-
tacts, service providers, insurance,
inventories, and salvage priorities.

A distinguished advisory board

will oversee the Guide's development,
including Sharon Bennett, chair of the
AIC Emergency Planning, Response,
and Recovery Committee. The Field
Guide to Emergency Readiness and
Response will be released in advance of
the 2006 hurricane season.

Heritage Health Index Completes
Data Collection

Last fall, many AIC members

devoted a great deal of time to gather-
ing data about the condition of collec-
tions at the institutions where they
work as part of their participation in the
Heritage Health Index. More than
15,000 archives, historical societies,
libraries, museums, and scientific organi-
zations of all sizes and from every state
and U.S. territory received the survey.

Heritage Preservation has full

analysis of the Heritage Health Index
data, and results will be published in late
spring 2005. The final report will be
published on the Heritage Preservation
website, and a summary of the results
will be sent to survey participants.

Data collection is complete, but

Heritage Preservation is still accepting
submissions for case studies to use in
the Heritage Health Index reports. We
are seeking information about signifi-
cant artifacts or collections that are in
need of preservation or that have
received care due to a preservation
effort.Visit ww.heritagepreservation.org
to learn how you can share a preserva-
tion story with us.

Grant Deadlines

American Association of Museums (AAM) at
www.aam-us.org

· Museum Assessment Program: December 1

Getty Grant Program at www.getty.edu/grants

· Museum Conservation Grants, Survey Grants: no deadline
· Museum Conservation Grants, Treatment Grants: no deadline
· Architectural Conservation Grants, Planning Grants: April 10
· Architectural Conservation Grants, Implementation Grants:
April 10
· Special Initiative: Campus Heritage Grants: April 10

Institute for Museum and Library Services (IMLS) at
www.imls.gov/grants/index.htm

· 21st Century Museum Professionals: March 15
· Native American Museum Services Program: April 1
· Native American Library Services Program: Enhancement:
May 1

National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) at
www.neh.gov

· Consultation Grants for Libraries, Museums, or Special Projects:
March 22; September 16
· Challenge Grants: May 2; November 1
· Preservation Assistance Grants: May 16

· Preservation and Access Education and Training Grants: July 1
· Preservation and Access Research and Development Projects
Grants: July 1
· United States Newspaper Programs: July 1
· Grants to Preserve and Create Access to Humanities Collections:
July 15
· Reference Materials Grants: July 15
· Planning Grants for Libraries, Museums, and Special Projects:
September 16
· We the People Challenge Grants in U.S. History, Institutions
and Culture: February 1, 2006
· Recovering Iraq's Past: Request for Proposals to Preserve and
Document Iraq's Cultural Heritage: Projects accepted on a rolling
basis

National Historical Publications and Records
Commission (NHPRC) at
www.archives.gov/grants/index.html

· Grant Proposals: June 1; October 1

Preserve America at www.preserveamerica.gov

· Preserve America Communities: rolling deadline: June 1;
September 1; December 1; March 1, 2006

Save America's Treasures at
www.cr.nps.gov/hps/treasures/index.htm

· Grant Applications: February 1, 2006

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