CCI Newsletter, No. 35, June 2005

The Bibliographic Database of the Conservation Information Network: A Success Story on Many Levels

by Vicki Davis, Reference Librarian, CCI

Conservation is a highly specialized field, but the body of literature relevant to conservation research crosses many subject boundaries. The Bibliographic database of the Conservation Information Network (known as BCIN) embraces all of these subjects, providing free bibliographic access to an increasingly wide range of materials. Created through a joint initiative of some of the leading knowledge-based conservation organizations around the world, the success of BCIN demonstrates the long-term benefits of this kind of collaboration. CCI has been actively involved in BCIN since its inception, and remains committed to its continuing growth and improvement as a resource for the heritage community around the world.

The Conservation Information Network (CIN) began in 1985 as a partnership between four organizations: the Getty Conservation Institute (GCI), the International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property (ICCROM), the Canadian Heritage Information Network (CHIN), and CCI. The International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) and the Conservation Analytical Laboratory (CAL), more recently named the Smithsonian Center for Materials Research and Education (SCMRE), became involved in early 1986; the International Council on Museums (ICOM) and the National Archives of Canada (now Library and Archives Canada) joined somewhat later. CIN was officially launched in 1987 at the ICOM Committee for Conservation triennial meeting in Sydney, Australia.

CIN originally developed a suite of three resources: the databases of conservation materials (MCIN) and conservation suppliers (ACIN), as well as BCIN. From the beginning, CHIN hosted the databases and provided technical support. MCIN and ACIN were discontinued after 1991, due to changing priorities, but BCIN has continued to grow and improve.

Over the years the CIN partners have collectively contributed more than 200 000 bibliographic records from their individual libraries and documentation centres. In the case of GCI, the initial contribution was of Art and Archaeology Technical Abstracts (AATA), its abstracting publication; GCI's library holdings were added later. Materials cited are in many different languages, and include books, conference proceedings, journal articles, unpublished documents, audiovisual materials, and, more recently, digital resources. In addition to the practice of conservation and restoration, subject coverage encompasses related disciplines such as archaeology, architecture, art history, the history of technology, and museology. Also incorporated are specific topics such as historic sites, museum objects, natural history collections, materials, etc., and relevant areas in the sciences.

The uses of BCIN are equally diverse. On average, it is accessed at least 5000 times a month by researchers in more than 60 countries. Students search the database when preparing research papers. Conservators research different treatment options when beginning a new project, or review background material when writing for publication. The database can also be used to review the work of a particular author, to verify bibliographic citations, to provide an index of a particular journal, or to locate specific documents in one of the participating institutions. CCI's David Grattan appreciates the way BCIN filters the huge mass of technical literature, compared to other scientific sources. As a conservation scientist he also uses it to track progress in a particular field, which allows him to identify gaps in knowledge and thereby establish directions for research. He enthusiastically describes BCIN as "the most underrated, undervalued resource in conservation."

Originally a subscription-based online database accessible only by modem, BCIN has seen many improvements in technology and interface design since its first release in 1987. Significant milestones have included the creation in 2002 of AATA Online, after which GCI stopped contributing new AATA records to BCIN, and the launch the same year of its own, free Web site (www.bcin.ca).

Through all these developments, CCI has continued to play an important role in BCIN. In 1992, when GCI stepped back from the management of CIN, I became the primary point of contact for content providers and for users with questions about search strategies, etc. In 2004, CCI's new Director General Jeanne Inch became Chair of the CIN Board of Directors.

Further changes lie ahead. Although ICOM and Library and Archives Canada are no longer active contributors, the CIN Board recently reaffirmed both their commitment to BCIN and their resolve to expand its scope. The Board will welcome new partners who can contribute bibliographic records on subjects and in languages presently not contained in the database. The Instituut Collectie Nederland (ICN) has recently been invited to contribute its library holdings, and is eager to participate. Work has already begun on the technical aspects of making this contribution a reality.

Stay tuned — we intend to ensure that BCIN will be meeting the changing information needs of conservation professionals for years to come.