AIC's Code of Ethics and Guidelines for Practice defines appropriate conduct for the field. AIC conservation professionals combine unique skills in the arts and sciences gained through study and training in art history, chemistry, studio art, and related disciplines. They are experts in the conservation of paintings, paper, books, photographs , textiles, decorative arts, sculpture, and wooden artifacts as well as architectural, archaeological, natural science, and ethnographic materials. AIC also welcomes members from other disciplines who are interested in conservation. Formal presentations, demonstrations, and informal conversations on a variety of conservation topics invite discussion of philosophical issues, new techniques and materials, and recent discoveries that grow out of conservation research.
Suppliers exhibit conservation related products.
Meeting in a different city each year, participants also have the opportunity to explore the area's conservation facilities and cultural holdings. The Conservators in Private Practice sub group offers a forum for discussion of issues of particular relevance to the private conservator, and the Research and Technical Studies subgroup promotes the interaction of conservators and scientists and the advancement of scientific research in the field of conservation. Journal of the American Institute for Conservation This scholarly journal, published three times a year, features articles, book reviews, and short notes on current conservation issues, treatments, research, scientific studies, and technical procedures in the United States and abroad. Position openings, conferences, courses, new products, and new techniques are regular features. Conservation training programs, funding organizations, and suppliers of conservation materials and equipment are also listed.