American Institute For Conservation

SEE PART III, LINE 1.

ANNUAL MEETING - THE AIC ANNUAL MEETING IS A CONFERENCE THAT INCLUDES FORMAL PRESENTATIONS, SYMPOSIA, DEMONSTRATIONS, AND INFORMAL CONVERSATIONS ON A VARIETY OF CONSERVATION TOPICS, INVITING DISCUSSION OF PHILOSOPHICAL AND ETHICAL ISSUES, NEW TECHNIQUES AND MATERIALS, AND RECENT DISCOVERIES THAT HAVE GROWN OUT OF CONSERVATION RESEARCH. THE MEETING FORMAT ENCOMPASSES LECTURES, EXHIBITS OF CONSERVATION-RELATED PRODUCTS AND SERVICES, WORKSHOPS, AND TOURS. IN 2023, THE AIC ANNUAL MEETING WAS OFFERED AS AN IN-PERSON EVENT WITH VIRTUAL MEETING COMPONENTS.

COMMITTEES AND OTHER PROGRAMS:COMMITTEES:AIC MAINTAINS FOUR STANDING COMMITTEES: 1.) THE MEMBERSHIP COMMITTEE REVIEWS AND APPROVES APPLICANTS FOR THE PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATE AND FELLOW CLASSES OF MEMBERSHIP AND PROMOTES AIC MEMBERSHIP IN GENERAL. 2.) THE ETHICS AND STANDARDS COMMITTEE REVIEWS INSTANCES OF UNETHICAL OR QUESTIONABLE CONDUCT IN RELATION TO THE AIC CODE OF ETHICS, GUIDELINES FOR PRACTICE, AND THE COMMENTARIES TO THE GUIDELINES FOR PRACTICE. THESE DOCUMENTS SET FORTH THE PRINCIPLES THAT GUIDE CONSERVATION PROFESSIONALS AND OTHERS WHO ARE INVOLVED IN THE CARE OF CULTURAL PROPERTY. 3.) THE APPEALS COMMITTEE HEARS APPEALS OF ALL ACTIONS OF THE AIC BOARD OF DIRECTORS TAKEN IN RESPONSE TO THE EVIDENCE PROVIDED BY THE ETHICS AND STANDARDS COMMITTEE; AS OF THE 2023 CHANGE TO THE BYLAWS, THIS COMMITTEE IS AD HOC, POPULATED AS NEEDED BY THE BOARD. 4.) THE NOMINATING COMMITTEE PRESENTS A SLATE OF CANDIDATES FOR THE ANNUAL ELECTION OF DIRECTORS AND OFFICERS OF THE AIC.AIC HAS ADDITIONAL BOARD-APPROVED COMMITTEES THAT ASSIST IN THE ONGOING ACTIVITIES OF THE ORGANIZATION AND THESE INCLUDE: AUDIT, AWARDS, BYLAWS, COMMUNICATIONS, EDUCATION & TRAINING, EMERGENCY, EQUITY & INCLUSION, FINANCIAL ADVISORY, PROGRAM (ANNUAL MEETING GENERAL SESSION PROGRAM), AND SUSTAINABILITY.TASK FORCES AND WORKING GROUPS:THE AIC BOARD OF DIRECTORS PERIODICALLY CREATES A TASK FORCE OR WORKING GROUP TO RESEARCH AND MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE BOARD REGARDING PARTICULAR ISSUES. TASK FORCES AND WORKING GROUPS ARE GIVEN CHARGES AND A TIMEFRAME IN WHICH TO COMPLETE THEIR ACTIVITIES AND RECOMMENDATIONS. THE MATERIALS WORKING GROUP, IMAGING WORKING GROUP AND ETHICS CORE DOCUMENTS REVIEW TASK FORCE WERE ACTIVE IN 2023.NETWORKS:ON NOVEMBER 4, 2011, THE AIC BOARD OF DIRECTORS APPROVED A NEW PROGRAM OR DIVISION OF AIC BY CREATING THE PREVENTIVE CARE NETWORK (FORMERLY COLLECTION CARE NETWORK) AND APPROVING ITS CHARGE. THE EMERGING CONSERVATION PROFESSIONALS NETWORK AND HEALTH & SAFETY NETWORK, CONTEMPORARY ART CONSERVATION NETWORK AND THE ARCHAEOLOGICAL HERITAGE NETWORK ARE THE OTHER APPROVED AIC NETWORKS. NETWORKS ADDRESS TOPICS THAT ARE OF INTEREST ACROSS SPECIALTIES AND ARE DESIGNED TO AUGMENT THE WORK OF SPECIALTY GROUPS. ANY AIC MEMBER CAN BE A MEMBER OF A NETWORK. A SMALL ADDITIONAL FEE MAY BE CHARGED FOR NETWORK MEMBERSHIP.DISCUSSION GROUPS:SOME OF OUR MEMBERS AND GROUPS CREATE SUBGROUPS OR TOPICAL GROUPS TO DISCUSS PARTICULAR ISSUES AND TECHNIQUES ON A SMALLER SCALE THAN A FULL MATERIALS-BASED GROUP OR MEMBER-WIDE NETWORK. THE BOOK AND PAPER GROUP ART ON PAPER DISCUSSION GROUP BEGAN IN 2013 AS A FORUM AT THE AIC ANNUAL MEETING FOR EXCHANGING FOCUSED EXPERIENCES AND IDEAS ON ART ON PAPER CONSERVATION; THE BOOK AND PAPER GROUP LIBRARY AND ARCHIVES CONSERVATION DISCUSSION GROUP IS A FORUM AT THE AIC ANNUAL MEETING FOR EXCHANGING FOCUSED EXPERIENCES AND IDEAS ON LIBRARY COLLECTIONS AND ARCHIVES CONSERVATION. IN 2019, THE BPG MEMBERSHIP VOTED TO COMBINE THE LIBRARY COLLECTIONS CONSERVATION DISCUSSION GROUP (LCCDG) (1980S TO 2020) AND THE ARCHIVES CONSERVATION DISCUSSION GROUP (ACDG) (1992 TO 2020) INTO THE LIBRARY AND ARCHIVES CONSERVATION DISCUSSION GROUP (LACDG). LACDG'S INAUGURAL YEAR WAS 2020-2021.

PUBLICATIONS - AIC PROVIDES GENERAL AND TECHNICAL INFORMATION ON CONSERVATION ISSUES, TREATMENTS, RESEARCH, AND ORGANIZATIONAL MATTERS THROUGH THE PUBLICATION AND DISTRIBUTION OF A SCHOLARLY JOURNAL, NEWSLETTER, ONLINE DIRECTORY, AND OTHER PUBLICATIONS. AIC ALSO DISSEMINATES INFORMATION ABOUT AIC AND THE FIELD OF CONSERVATION ON ITS WEBSITE, IN WIKIS, IN ONLINE COMMUNITIES, AND ON ITS BLOG AND SOCIAL MEDIA SITES. AIC PERIODICALLY PARTNERS WITH MEMBERS OR ALLIED ORGANIZATIONS TO PUBLISH BOOKS ON TOPICS OF INTEREST TO THE FIELDS OF CONSERVATION AND PRESERVATION.

SPECIALTY GROUPS - CONSERVATORS SPECIALIZE IN A BROAD RANGE OF MATERIALS, AS REFLECTED IN THE ACTIVITIES OF AIC SPECIALTY GROUPS, TO WHICH NEARLY ALL MEMBERS BELONG. ADDITIONALLY, ABOUT HALF OF AIC'S MEMBERSHIP HAVE IDENTIFIED THEMSELVES AS CONSERVATORS WHO WORK PRIVATELY. A SPECIALTY GROUP SUPPORTING THE NEEDS OF PRIVATE PRACTITIONERS CONTRIBUTES TO THE ORGANIZATION. THE TEN SPECIALTY GROUP DESIGNATIONS CURRENTLY MAINTAINED BY AIC ARE: ARCHITECTURE, BOOK & PAPER, CONSERVATORS IN PRIVATE PRACTICE, ELECTRONIC MEDIA, OBJECTS, PAINTINGS, PHOTOGRAPHIC MATERIALS, RESEARCH & TECHNICAL STUDIES, TEXTILES, AND WOODEN ARTIFACTS. THE SPECIALTY GROUPS SERVE THE FIELD BY FACILITATING COMMUNICATIONS AMONG MEMBERS THROUGH ONLINE COMMUNITIES AND PAGES ON THE AIC WEBSITE, PROVIDING A FORUM FOR CURRENT INFORMATION AT THE ANNUAL MEETING, PUBLISHING PAPERS GIVEN AT THE ANNUAL MEETING, AND OCCASIONALLY PUBLISHING BOOKS ON TOPICS RELATING TO THEIR AREA OF SPECIALTY.