AATA

Dearest colleagues:  I am not, repeat, not happy at seeing questions
like what "product" dissolves aged emulsion adhesive or how to
remove mold stains from watercolors.  Both these have been discussed
and written about since the beginning of time.  My advice, dearest
colleagues: "Don't be stupid:  read a book!"

In case you do not know where to find out what to read, you may have
tried the CIN database.  This is indexed by keying into whatever
words appear in the abstract, which makes certain types of searches
useless. ( I have looked, for example for information on solubility
which includes ammonium hydroxide with "normal" non-aqueous
solvents, and there was no way I could get anything meaningful.)  As
of this month, however, AATA has finally published a 15-year
(1974-1988) cumulative index, edited by myself and Jessica Brown.
AATA's indexing system uses keywords that actually represent what
the publication is about, and therefore works better based on the
ways that conservators commonly use the literature. The index prints
titles in all index entries, which makes it perfect bathroom
reading.  In addition, the two volumes are fat and square, so they
also serve as doorstops. 29,000 irresistible abstracts;  $70 to
individuals, $135 to institutions - from the Getty.  Buy one;  amaze
your friends. If you have never used AATA, this is a good time to
get started.

Barbara Appelbaum

                                  ***
                  Conservation DistList Instance 9:65
                  Distributed: Monday, March 18, 1996
                        Message Id: cdl-9-65-003
                                  ***