Certification

I voted early and wholeheartedly in favor of certification for many
reasons that have, for the most part, already been stated in this
forum by others.  One issue that I think has not been clearly stated
is that a vote in favor of certification does not mean that the
testing and certification of conservators will begin immediately.  A
yes vote will put in motion the preliminary steps toward determining
what the certification process should entail.  Most importantly, it
will provide a mandate to AIC from its members that certification is
an important issue that deserves an allocation of time and funding.
An open and official investigation into certification can benefit
everyone, supporters and dissenters alike.  A yes vote will mean
that those with opinions regarding certification, both for and
against, will have the opportunity to participate in a meaningful
discussion that could, finally, lead to concrete action and move
beyond debate.

Shelly Smith
Conservator
Conservation Center for Art and Historic Artifacts (CCAHA)
Philadelphia, PA
USA


                                  ***
                  Conservation DistList Instance 16:40
                Distributed: Thursday, December 19, 2002
                       Message Id: cdl-16-40-004
                                  ***