The Monumental Challenge of Preservation: The Past in a Volatile World
The enormous task of preserving the world's heritage in the face of war, natural disaster, vandalism, neglect, and technical obsolescence.

The monuments—movable, immovable, tangible, and intangible—of the world's shared cultural heritage are at risk. War, terrorism, natural disaster, vandalism, and neglect make the work of preservation a greater challenge than it has been since World War II. In The Monumental Challenge of Preservation Michèle Cloonan makes the case that, at this critical juncture, we must consider preservation in the broadest possible contexts. Preservation requires the efforts of an increasing number of stakeholders.

In order to explore the cultural, political, technological, economic, and ethical dimensions of preservation, Cloonan examines particular monuments and their preservation dilemmas. The massive Bamiyan Buddhas, blown up by the Taliban in 2001, are still the subject of debates over how, or whether, to preserve what remains, and the U. S. National Park Service has undertaken the complex task of preserving the symbolic and often ephemeral objects that visitors leave at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial—to take just two of the many examples described in the book. Cloonan also considers the ongoing genocide and cultural genocide in Syria; the challenges of preserving our digital heritage; the dynamic between original and copy; efforts to preserve the papers and architectural fragments of the architect Louis Sullivan; and the possibility of sustainable preservation. In the end, Cloonan suggests, we are what we preserve—and don't preserve. Every day we make preservation decisions, individually and collectively, that have longer-term ramifications than we might expect.

1127035565
The Monumental Challenge of Preservation: The Past in a Volatile World
The enormous task of preserving the world's heritage in the face of war, natural disaster, vandalism, neglect, and technical obsolescence.

The monuments—movable, immovable, tangible, and intangible—of the world's shared cultural heritage are at risk. War, terrorism, natural disaster, vandalism, and neglect make the work of preservation a greater challenge than it has been since World War II. In The Monumental Challenge of Preservation Michèle Cloonan makes the case that, at this critical juncture, we must consider preservation in the broadest possible contexts. Preservation requires the efforts of an increasing number of stakeholders.

In order to explore the cultural, political, technological, economic, and ethical dimensions of preservation, Cloonan examines particular monuments and their preservation dilemmas. The massive Bamiyan Buddhas, blown up by the Taliban in 2001, are still the subject of debates over how, or whether, to preserve what remains, and the U. S. National Park Service has undertaken the complex task of preserving the symbolic and often ephemeral objects that visitors leave at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial—to take just two of the many examples described in the book. Cloonan also considers the ongoing genocide and cultural genocide in Syria; the challenges of preserving our digital heritage; the dynamic between original and copy; efforts to preserve the papers and architectural fragments of the architect Louis Sullivan; and the possibility of sustainable preservation. In the end, Cloonan suggests, we are what we preserve—and don't preserve. Every day we make preservation decisions, individually and collectively, that have longer-term ramifications than we might expect.

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The Monumental Challenge of Preservation: The Past in a Volatile World

The Monumental Challenge of Preservation: The Past in a Volatile World

by Michele Valerie Cloonan
The Monumental Challenge of Preservation: The Past in a Volatile World

The Monumental Challenge of Preservation: The Past in a Volatile World

by Michele Valerie Cloonan

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Overview

The enormous task of preserving the world's heritage in the face of war, natural disaster, vandalism, neglect, and technical obsolescence.

The monuments—movable, immovable, tangible, and intangible—of the world's shared cultural heritage are at risk. War, terrorism, natural disaster, vandalism, and neglect make the work of preservation a greater challenge than it has been since World War II. In The Monumental Challenge of Preservation Michèle Cloonan makes the case that, at this critical juncture, we must consider preservation in the broadest possible contexts. Preservation requires the efforts of an increasing number of stakeholders.

In order to explore the cultural, political, technological, economic, and ethical dimensions of preservation, Cloonan examines particular monuments and their preservation dilemmas. The massive Bamiyan Buddhas, blown up by the Taliban in 2001, are still the subject of debates over how, or whether, to preserve what remains, and the U. S. National Park Service has undertaken the complex task of preserving the symbolic and often ephemeral objects that visitors leave at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial—to take just two of the many examples described in the book. Cloonan also considers the ongoing genocide and cultural genocide in Syria; the challenges of preserving our digital heritage; the dynamic between original and copy; efforts to preserve the papers and architectural fragments of the architect Louis Sullivan; and the possibility of sustainable preservation. In the end, Cloonan suggests, we are what we preserve—and don't preserve. Every day we make preservation decisions, individually and collectively, that have longer-term ramifications than we might expect.


Product Details

ISBN-13: 9780262345804
Publisher: MIT Press
Publication date: 04/20/2018
Series: The MIT Press
Sold by: Penguin Random House Publisher Services
Format: eBook
Pages: 280
File size: 88 MB
Note: This product may take a few minutes to download.
Age Range: 18 Years

About the Author

Michèle Valerie Cloonan is Professor in the School of Library and Information Science and Dean Emerita of the Graduate School of Library and Information Science at Simmons College.

Table of Contents

Illustration Credits ix
Preface xv
Acknowledgments xxi
I Context 1
1 Introduction: We Are What We Preserve--and Don't Preserve 3
2 A Tale of Monuments in Two Cities 27
II Cultural Genocide 45
3 To Destroy Culture: Raphael Lemkin's Lessons about Genocide and How They Relate to the Preservation of Cultural Heritage 47
4 Documenting Cultural Heritage in Syria 65
III Approaches to Preservation 85
5 Collecting as Preservation 87
6 Worth Dying For? Richard Nickel and Historic Preservation in Chicago 105
IV Information or Object? 127
7 What Are We Really Trying to Preserve: The Original or the Copy? 129
8 It Takes a (Virtual) Village: Some Thoughts on Digital Preservation 137
V The Greening of Preservation 153
9 Sustainable Preservation 155
VI Enduring, Ephemeral Preservation 175
10 Preservation: Enduring or Ephemeral? 177
11 Epilogue: Berlin as a City of Reconciliation and Preservation 187
Notes 217
Bibliography 249
Index 269

What People are Saying About This

Heather Brown

This book provides a unique, multidimensional perspective into the world of preservation, augmented by a wealth of international examples that showcase its dynamic and paradoxical nature.

Richard J. Cox

While we have many books on cultural heritage preservation, Cloonan's is exceptional in its international and interdisciplinary scope. She provides a rich, provocative analysis of preservation's cultural, political, social, and historical aspects across the world that is a compelling portrait of its significance and challenges. A must-read for all interested in the topic and working in the field.

Anna Maria Tammaro

This book is about preservation but is not limited to cultural heritage and more technical aspects. It guides the reader through an interdisciplinary and engaging conversation about topics such as memory, respect for cultural differences, human creativity, ethics, sustainability, and the complexity of cultural objects and digital copies, where preservation has a larger meaning than that normally given to the subject. It is important for the reflective practice of students and professionals, but also for all those who have a responsibility for the preservation of culture. It is really a monumental work.

Endorsement

This book is about preservation but is not limited to cultural heritage and more technical aspects. It guides the reader through an interdisciplinary and engaging conversation about topics such as memory, respect for cultural differences, human creativity, ethics, sustainability, and the complexity of cultural objects and digital copies, where preservation has a larger meaning than that normally given to the subject. It is important for the reflective practice of students and professionals, but also for all those who have a responsibility for the preservation of culture. It is really a monumental work.—Anna Maria Tammaro, Professor, Digital Library, University of Parma

From the Publisher

This book provides a unique, multidimensional perspective into the world of preservation, augmented by a wealth of international examples that showcase its dynamic and paradoxical nature.

Heather Brown, Assistant Director, Paper Books and Preventive, Artlab Australia; Project Officer, State Library of South Australia

While we have many books on cultural heritage preservation, Cloonan's is exceptional in its international and interdisciplinary scope. She provides a rich, provocative analysis of preservation's cultural, political, social, and historical aspects across the world that is a compelling portrait of its significance and challenges. A must-read for all interested in the topic and working in the field.

Richard J. Cox, Emeritus Professor, Archival Studies, University of Pittsburgh

This book is about preservation but is not limited to cultural heritage and more technical aspects. It guides the reader through an interdisciplinary and engaging conversation about topics such as memory, respect for cultural differences, human creativity, ethics, sustainability, and the complexity of cultural objects and digital copies, where preservation has a larger meaning than that normally given to the subject. It is important for the reflective practice of students and professionals, but also for all those who have a responsibility for the preservation of culture. It is really a monumental work.

Anna Maria Tammaro, Professor, Digital Library, University of Parma

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