Communication of conservation information

Lisa Mibach <mibach [at] aol__com> writes

>Have we become careless because we have so many resources?  I am
>becoming very concerned about the number of queries on OSG-L and
>the DistList from people working as professionals who are asking
>embarrassingly elementary questions. Perhaps it is just that the
>current "economic climate" is forcing everyone to work faster and
>with less background research and testing; this seems highly likely
>to me, but if others agree, then we need to stop and examine the
>implications this has on our claim to be conservators rather than
>restorers.

As one of the members of the task force that created the Objects
list, (OSG-L), I would like to comment.

We created the listserve on the pretense that there are no "stupid"
questions if they are asked sincerely and wanted people to feel
unafraid of being ridiculed for asking what may seem elementary
questions to some. There are many places in the world where there
may be one conservator for a thousand miles in any direction. Those
in that situation still need to treat a wide variety of materials
and do not have the luxury of being able to have access to an
institutions library. That's what makes the OSG-L and the Cons
DistList so valuable.  I hope that they continue to reach out to all
of us for advice.

Craig Deller
The Deller Conservation Group, Ltd.
Geneva, Illinois  USA

                                  ***
                  Conservation DistList Instance 11:89
                   Distributed: Tuesday, May 5, 1998
                       Message Id: cdl-11-89-002
                                  ***