>Could someone please send me the information on how to sign up for the
>Conservation list (Consdist) as I am having trouble subscribing?
 
I saw your note on museum-l, so ...
 
 
Thank you for your interest in the Cons DistList.  I am appending some
canned text describing the various aspects of what we've been doing
and separately will send you a little questionnaire to fill out.  When
you return that you will be added to the list and will receive a copy
of the ConsDir and FileList (explained below).  Looking forward to
talking with you.
 
[canned],
Walter
 
 
 
[Canned Text Begins]
 
Conservation DistList
------------ --------
 
Since 1987, a steadily growing group of conservation people, including
bench conservators, curators, scientists, and administrators, have been
meeting on the Internet to share technical information, news,
rumour-control etc. Because it happens that libraries, having been
involved in computer operations for several decades, joined the Net
earlier than museums, the bulk of the group consists of people from the
library world, but as the group grows, and more institutions and
individuals find their way to the Net, the scope of participation will
broaden to include all spheres of conservation. As it is, our numbers
include more than 850 people from at least 13 countries, including
conservators from several specialities, scientists, curators,
archivists, librarians, and academics from a number of disciplines.
 
There are currently four initiatives:
 
1) An online forum, known as the Cons DistList. A moderated digest,
this is issued as often as participants send in material to be
distributed. It is open to anyone who is professionally involved--and
this is interpreted very liberally--with the conservation of cultural
materials.  Students in library, archives, and museum studies, or
conservation science are also welcome. Typical topics include queries
and answers about technical issues, attempts to clear up rumors,
announcements of events of interest to the participants, etc. It is
relatively informal and geared toward quick dissemination / discussion,
rather than carefully developed argument.  Less formal than a
newsletter, but a bit more so than a bulletin board, the DistList has
been in operation since 1987 (it is the second oldest library/museum
list on the Net).  Back instances of the DistList are available to
participants and individual messages are available via CoOL (see below)
 
2) A directory of email addresses for conservation professionals.
It is updated regularly and distributed via email. In order to
receive the directory you must a) fill out a very short
questionnaire so that I can add your address to the listing and
b) send me a message via email, so that I can be sure that your
address works.
 
3) The FileList: This is a list of text files that are available by
sending a message to this account ([log in to unmask]).
Topics include information on using the networks, preservation survey
techniques, disaster planning, etc. This is a great way for you to pass
around something you've written that you'd like to share, but that you
don't have time to work up into something publishable (are a great
chance to run your soon-to-be-submitted draft by your colleagues for
friendly comments before the editor rips it to shreds). Note however,
that the FileList is being phased in favour of Conservation OnLine.
 
4) Conservation OnLine (CoOL).  This is a collection of full-text
databases covering a wide variety of conservation and preservation
issues.  It uses WAIS (Wide Area Information Server) technology to
provide quick access to information from anywhere on the Internet.  A
mail interface is also available for those whose only access to the
Net is by mail.
 
I hope you will join us in what has been a most enjoyable and
fruitful experiment. The value of the networks increase as the
community of users grows.
 
These activities are taking place on the Internet, a world-wide
Network of Networks (Bitnet, UUCP, etc.). If you have an account
on any machine on the Net, please get in touch with me at
[log in to unmask] If you are not sure how to do this,
please feel free to phone me and I'll do what I can to get you
going.
 
If you are on Compuserve or MCImail, instructions for getting to
me are given below. If you are on one of the other commercial
services, call or write and I will be happy to show you how to
send and receive Internet mail (alas, there are several
commercial services that do not connect to the Net).
 
 
Walter Henry
Conservation Lab
Stanford University Libraries
 
 
[log in to unmask] <Internet>
415-725-1140 <NetOfLastResort>
 
>From Compuserve:
 
        send to ">INTERNET:[log in to unmask]"
 
>From MCIMail
 
        at the "To:" prompt type "Walter Henry (EMS)"
        at the "EMS:" prompt type "internet"
        at the "Mbx:" prompt type "[log in to unmask]"
 
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