e-Conservation Magazine

I have been an avid follower of e-Conservation Magazine since the first issue, and I just realized that although there is a link to this wonderful magazine on my page, I have not mentioned it in my blog. So here I am making amends for this oversight!

The magazine is independent of any conservation organization, a situation that is fairly unusual in the conservation world, but one that should be encouraged:

e_conservation magazine is made precisely by conservators for conservators and for all those professionals who are connected within the field.

It’s mission is also fairly different, and this comes across in the style, format, and approachability of its content, which whilst appearing to be informal also holds itself up to exacting high academic and professional standards, a great acheivement in itself:

It was entirely created to develop a community sense among professionals all over the world.

Creative Commons:

One of the most significant elements of this magazine is that the magazine is published using Creative Commons agreements, and although not all the content is peer reviewed the main articles within the magazine are. What this means is that:

e_conservation is an open access magazine which works under Creative Commons Attribution – Noncommercial – No Derivative Works License. This means we allow unrestricted use, transfer and distribution under the specified conditions.

Creative commons is a significant development for conservation, and I hope that future conservation magazines, and current magazines, will be encouraged by the success of e-Conservation magazine and also use licensing agreements such as this.

Forum:

Another important development is the introduction of a forum, for discussion about various heritage related issues, and also about specific issues relating to the magazine. This direct feedback could be useful for the development of a wider dialogue within the conservation community, and I would advise every conservator to create an account and get involved discussing on the forum, as it will only be as useful a resource as those using it.

On a personal note:

I’d also like to say a personal thank you to those involved in the magazine and associated website for plugging my blog in the list of conservation blogs, on the links page. I was a little surprised, and very honored, to see my little blog there.

And…to anyone who hasn’t yet read the magazine, all the issues produced are available free to download, so get downloading, get reading, and get involved!