Journal of the Institute of Conservation--addendum

The following is posted on behalf of The Institute of Conservation
membership<-at->icon<.>org<.>uk

Following Stefania Signorello's (Chair of the Institute of
Conservation Book and Paper Group) recent posting on the
Conservation DistList, the Institute of Conservation Board feels it
would be helpful to provide clarifying information.

The Journal of the Institute of Conservation in its current format
is published by Routledge, Taylor and Francis Group and has been in
production for almost four years. The Journal is a cornerstone of
Icon's work and its excellence is valued amongst professionals
worldwide.

The agreement with the publishers comes up for review at the end of
2014 and the Board of Trustees therefore decided that a holistic
review was appropriate at this time. In preparation for this review,
the Editorial Panel has presented a proposal for the future of the
Journal. This has been discussed at Board meetings and these
discussions have included whether it is still appropriate to have
both a multi-disciplinary annual issue and an annual issue dedicated
to book and paper conservation. However, the Board has not
specifically expressed support for changing the Paper Journal to a
multidisciplinary journal and no decision with regards to the future
of the Journal has been made. The decision to carry out a holistic
review was guided by Icon's Strategic Plan 2012-16 which includes a
commitment "To continue to build the academic standing of the
Journal of the Institute of Conservation".

The first step towards starting the review is to set up a Task and
Finish Group. The T&F Group's purpose is to complete an options
appraisal and business case for developing both the outstanding
quality and sustainable long-term delivery of the Journal. A draft
"Terms of Reference" for the group is currently in the process of
being approved by Trustees and supported by professional members as
represented by the Icon groups. Agreement on the Terms of Reference
including who will make up the members of the Task and Finish Group
has not been finalised.

It has been acknowledged that a key stakeholder is the Book and
Paper Group, as there was a clear expectation at the time of
convergence that there would continue to be an issue dedicated to
book and paper conservation. The nature of Icon's undertaking will
be carefully considered and we have therefore consulted directly
with the Chair and committee of the Book and Paper Group regarding
the Terms of Reference.

The proposed timescale for completion of the review is August 2013.
The review process is designed to include trustees and stakeholder
representatives to ensure that we work together to agree options
that will strengthen the Journal for all professional members. The
review will involve close consultation with the Editorial Panel,
Icon groups and members and will take into account the merger
understanding.

Once we have agreement on membership of the Task and Finish Group
and the Terms of Reference, they will be published on the Institute
of Conservation website and progress updates will be communicated to
the membership throughout the review period.

I hope this helps to inform the discussion, and provides an insight
into the careful nature of the review and the thoughts that have
already gone into the process.

Juergen Vervoorst
Acting Chair of Icon The Institute of Conservation


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                  Conservation DistList Instance 26:21
                Distributed: Saturday, October 13, 2012
                       Message Id: cdl-26-21-006
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