AIC is pleased to announce the launch of a new collaborative wiki website, based on the specialty group Catalogs. The site, www.conservation-wiki.com, was made possible by a generous grant from the National Center for Preservation Technology and Training (NCPTT).

In 2008, FAIC was awarded $23,000 from the NCPTT to convert the Conservation Catalogs to wiki format. The Catalogs are reference manuals that include descriptions of materials and techniques used to preserve and treat works of art and historic artifacts.

The print Catalogs have now been converted into digital format on the wiki. The site is based on the MediaWiki platform, software that was designed for Wikipedia. The wiki version of the Catalogs will allow editors to work collaboratively and efficiently to update and augment the Catalogs, and will provide much broader access to these resources, ensuring that innovative methods and materials are documented and widely disseminated to practicing conservators and conservation scientists. While only the designated specialty group editors can directly edit the wiki entries, other visitors to the site can register and post relevant comments on selections.

If you would like to get involved with the wiki Catalogs, or if you would like to start a new catalog entry, contact your specialty group chair.

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AIC Communications Director