The monumental challenge of preservation : the past in a volatile world /

Whether focusing on the planet, its inhabitants, their multitude of cultures, or artifacts, Cloonan (Simmons College) regards preservation of the natural and built worlds as paradoxical. The natural environment both nourishes and inevitably diminishes beings and objects. By modifying the earth's environment, man enhances its destructive actions. Political or religious groups as well as powerful economic and cultural interests have also contributed substantially to the selective destruction of some of the planet's cultures and artifacts. The imperfect representations of the retained past reflect the values and priorities of the keepers. Preservation of the past, therefore, is neither technically achievable nor randomly pursued. A librarian and information scientist, the author also pays special attention to the impact on preservation prospects of the ongoing shift from analog to digital presentation. The electronic world provides vast new quantities of data and representations based on a rapidly changing technology. Authenticity and reliability, however, are not assured with digital documentation, and fixity is not present with the Web. Cloonan explores a number of examples of the dimensions of this overall complexity of preservation from an interdisciplinary perspective, underlining a broad and valuable context for preservation studies and activities. Summing Up: Recommended. Graduate students, faculty, and professionals. --James L. Cooper, emeritus, DePauw University