Dialogues for the new century

Recent events around the world have once again focused attention on the vulnerability of heritage sites and collections during times of conflict and unrest. IIC has asked five international colleagues to comment on the need to both plan and implement measures which assure the safety of cultural heritage.

For over four decades the environmental guidelines for museums and archives have been defined within narrow parameters. While many factors influenced what became standards, the narrowest range of conditions and the greatest insistence on them, came when energy was relatively cheap, global climate considerations were not yet mainstream discussions, and the technology of HVAC systems was focused more on control than efficiency.

An international roundtable discussion on the need for seismic mitigation research and applications for cultural heritage.