Outreach Resources

Share your work! Outreach to allied professions 

AIC members should consider presenting their work in publications and at conferences outside of the mainstream conservation venues and publications.

Why? 

Your work can contribute to research, scholarship, dialogue in the humanities and sciences, but only if it’s reaching those audiences. Publishing in peer-reviewed journals is one of the most important things you can do to increase allied-professionals’ knowledge about conservation. You can also learn a lot from attending non-conservation meetings, gain professional development in diverse content areas, and be exposed to different problems, ideas, and ways of thinking. Consider doing more than presenting; many academic and professional organizations encourage members to develop and chair topical sessions, and this is a great way to focus attention on a topic you care about. 

Do non-conservators really want to hear about your work? 
Yes. Think broadly. Treatment and technical research are great, but conservators can also offer, for example: new approaches to thinking about objects, practical problem solving in museums and other settings, and models for successful mentorship / internship / education programs 

Publications (peer-reviewed journals) to consider:

• Community Archaeology and Heritage

• Conservation and Management of Archaeological Sites

• Cultural Heritage 

• Curator

• International Journal of Cultural Property

• International Journal of Heritage Studies

• Heritage Science

• Heritage and Society

• Historical Environment

• Museums and Social Issues

• Museum and Society

Journals to consider:
Most of the journals listed above either explicitly cover conservation or are very closely related to it, but keep in mind that your work will also be attractive to publications that cover specific sub-disciplines of art history, archaeology, history, etc.

Conferences to consider: 
Here are a few in allied fields, but there are many more! One good way to learn about meetings you might want attend is to talk to your non-conservation colleagues and collaborators. 

College Art Association 
American Alliance of Museums 
Archaeological Institute of America 
Society for American Archaeology
The Association for Preservation Technology
American Schools of Oriental Research
Computer Applications and Quantitive Methods in Archaeology

If there’s a conference you love, write and tell us about it (osgEeditor (at) gmail.com)

Where to get funding to attend? 
FAIC has many grants that can support outreach and conference attendance.
 
George Stout Grant – This grant provides meeting attendance funds for early career AIC members (who’ve graduated in the past two years). Although this grant is often used for AIC meeting attendance, it can also be used for other conferences. 

FAIC / Tru Vue® International Professional Development Scholarships – Open to all AIC members, this grant provides funds to attend international conferences. 

FAIC Individual Professional Development Scholarships – Open to Professional Associate members of AIC and AIC Fellows, this grant provides funds to attend national or international conferences 

Check out the Grants and Scholarships section of the AIC website for more information on these and other opportunities to support and disseminate your research. 

- Advice from Suzanne Davis, Outreach Chair (2016-2017)