from Noticias.info
UNESCO to Publish Handbook on Language Preservation and Documentation
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There is always something ennobling about grassroot efforts, and the preservation of intangible heritage in the form of endangered languages is no exception. Imagine if this ground-up approach to preservation could be extended to all efforts in preservation - where we see non-specialists volunteers from all walks of life working together with specialists in documenting, condition checking and even working on simple conservation treatments. Now, that would truly shift the sense of ownership and responsibility of heritage to a wider group of people, thus making long-term preservation efforts more sustainable.

from New Scientist
First practical plastic magnets created
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If this technology advances and matures, then we might have a novel way of displaying paper artworks and textiles which are held onto a metallic wall by way of a single sheet of clear magnetised plastic - something akin to just having a piece of Perspex in front of the artefact without any frames or hanging implements. What's more interesting is that strength of the plastic magnet can be made to measure!

from The Straits Times
A touch of old Kampong Glamour
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An update on the soon-to-be completed Malay Heritage Centre, and with it bringing back a sense of place to an urban community which had continually faced the twin pressures of infrastructure development and displacement.

from The Washington Post
New Athens Subway Showcases Artifacts
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It is heartening to know of efforts which try to balance urban development with heritage preservation and awareness. In this story, the building of the underground subway system in Athens for the 2004 Olympics had encountered various delays due to the presence of archaeological artefacts being unearthed during construction. However, these historic finds (and associated information) were incorporated as displays into the final subway building, turning what would probably be a nondescript urban feature into an unique experience and attraction in itself.

from BBC News
Is music safe on compact disc?
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A pick up of a previous story on the same subject - but with a more populist implication in the sphere of personal music collections. If there is enough general concern, then it can only lead to a better understanding of the limitations of using optical storage media for data archiving purposes.

e-PRESERVATION Science
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A new electronic journal which focuses on material research in the field of preservation including "studies in stability, environmental studies and condition assessment of cultural heritage, and studies of materials and procedures used for its conservation and preservation."

from
Artist from Meleka
http://www.charlescham.com/
An artist I came across during my trip in Melaka, he runs a shop/studio selling hand painted T-shirts and his work of art. I believe he is more well known as the orangutan painting! Happy viewing of his website featuring his painting.

from Bernama
A National Heritage Board In The Pipeline, Says Dr Rais
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Some policy-level development on the Malaysian front regarding heritage preservation efforts.

from MLA News
Thatched Church, Thai Demons, Dust-busters and Digital Archives Win UK's Premier Conservation Prizes
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go to Pilgrim Trust Conservation Awards web-site

Perhaps a similar award for conservation efforts in the Southeast Asia could serve to spur a greater level of professional and public recognition in the region.

from The Straits Times
Cash crunch at heritage havens
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Though the lack of funds is a very real problem in the preservation of large and complex heritage sites, a far greater problem is the lack of will - and usually at the political or bureaucratic level which matters the most. It does not speak well of a society when the call for preservation (whether from neglect or from unsustainable tourism) comes from external parties rather than from the local communities. This is a strong indication of the social and political disenfranchisement of these communities.

from The Independent
Afghanistan's Buddhas may rise again
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Still very much shrouded in confusion on whether the destroyed historic sites should be restored - and if to be restored, to what degree of finish. One cannot deny the senseless destruction wrought by the Taliban regime, but is restoration the only option in preserving the site?

from The Australian
Cultural shift by conservators
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An interesting development in the teaching of the subject of conservation in the Centre for Cultural Materials Conservation at the University of Melbourne.

"Part of the course is a subject called Respect, in which experts from various communities will lecture students on indigenous culture and traditional law, with the aim of fostering greater depth of understanding."

from The New York Times
Hubert von Sonnenburg, a Leading Conservator of Paintings, Dies at 76
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An obituary for the long-serving (since 1959) paintings conservator at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. What caught my eye was the following passage which intimated at the connoisseurship of conservation, which is seldom discussed in today's conservation forums.

"When restoring a painting," he once said, "the question is not so much which solvent and chemicals or which new scientific methods and high-technology tools to use, but how the picture should look. Of course that is a matter of taste, tempered in part by the condition of the picture, but even more, it is a matter of understanding the art and the artist."