On Thu, 12 Jun 2003 [log in to unmask] wrote: > If we are in the business of passing on the culture of the past to future > generations we should encourage the preservation of as much as possible, not just > the "golden chalices" with sufficient value to justify the expense of > professional care. While it is not my intent to get into the thick of deciding what is right or wrong when it comes to preservation...I do wonder what would qualify as professional care. While there are some general published standards for preservation and restoration, I have frequently encountered on this mailing list, informed, yet differing perspectives on, what appears to me, to be some fundamental issues. Further, I do not know of any institution that provides professional certification for audio preservation and restoration. So how does one define a professional? As for deciding on what might be a "golden chalice," when I take a moment to reflect, as a curator, I find myself in a burning house...do you grab for the family pictures, your cash, or your collection of Koussevitzky broadcasts. Tough decisions... Karl