Strengthening the preservation process:

1. Improve information management (Hypermedia, Storage, Data
Compression, User Interface, Flat Screens):  Information must
have clearly defined goals and priorities in order to be
effective.  Not only are preservation experiences in assimilating
tools and methods from other disciplines largely fragmented and
poorly documented, but there is little conscientious effort to
record and exchange preservation expertise.

2. Broaden assessment processes (Predictive Modeling, Stereo
Analytics, Remote Sensing):  Preservationists need the cost
effective tools that will significantly improve upon contemporary
labor intensive methods of resource discovery and documentation. 
As a corollary need, it is essential to develop recording tools
that will provide a basic understanding of materials performance
issues in the context of use and place. 

3. Increase and strengthen tools for design development and
simulation (Animation, 3D Graphics, Holography,
StereoLithography):  Drawing from an understanding of historic
context and contemporary need, the tasks of architects and
planners can be facilitated through a capability to create
virtual realities as a basis for testing the decisions of the
design process.  These same simulation methods could be used for
broader educational purposes by capitalizing on the ability to
graphically communicate preservation values and threats.

4. Strengthen institutional capacity to accommodate and enhance
interdisciplinary collaboration (Groupware, Network, Fiber
Optics):  Preservation is inherently a collaborative activity,
requiring skills and experiences that span a broad range of
professional disciplines.  Individuals must be facile with a
multidisciplinary understanding of the implications of
preservation challenges and needs.  There is not an adequately
integrated planning and management process for historic buildings
because the preservation community has not successfully devised a
strategy for assimilating the diverse, fragmented, and complex
information base that is both relevant and necessary to ensure
cultural heritage conservation in the face of threats from
neglect, decay, demolition, and uninformed interventions. 

<ffile80>   Professional Prerequisites
<ffile82>   Research Areas
<gfile44>   The Preservation Process at Work