03/01/2015
Cloonan (editor in chief, Preservation, Digital Technology & Culture) has drawn from almost 3,000 years' worth of writings to compile a rich anthology about the preservation and conservation of cultural resources. Topics range from the theoretical to the practical: from the ethics of protecting our cultural heritage to evaluation criteria for book repair. Art, multimedia, and cultural objects are also addressed. One chapter provides a cross-section of standards from professional associations and the UN. There is a good balance between the historic roots of preservation and contemporary challenges surrounding digital preservation. Archivists, librarians, and museum professionals are the core audience, but anthropologists and historians may also be interested in the articles about Native American issues. Students contemplating careers in archives or museums will find this a useful resource. Practitioners and administrators can draw on it for supporting theory when seeking funding for conservation and preservation projects. The anthology will be an excellent companion to recent how-to publications, including Adrian Brown's Practical Digital Preservation, D.R. Harvey and Martha R. Mahard's The Preservation Management Handbook, and Elizabeth Leggett's Digitization and Digital Archiving. VERDICT A sound investment for anyone seeking an overview of the field of preservation.—Betty J. Glass, Univ. of Nevada Lib., Reno
