Accessing Conservation Literature

Often, scholarly resources are not immediately available, but paying for each article can become prohibitively expensive. Fortunately, there are several ways to acquire scholarly articles for personal and professional use. For individuals with access to a major university library system, it can be as simple as using the library web portal to access scholarly content. For those without personal or professional access to such an institution, there are several alternatives available. See also AIC Page on Peer Review and AIC Publications.
Wiki Compiler: Alexander Bero
Wiki Contributors: Katherine Kelly, your name could be here
This material was developed by the Book and Paper Group, but we hope it will be useful to the wider AIC community. If you have any information, especially if it relates to another specialty group, that you would like to contribute, please don't hesitate to add it.
==Online Databases==
A good place to start your search is on the large online databases, such as the Getty’s AATA or BCIN. Besides being excellent places to start research on any topic in conservation, both of the databases have sections on how to get access to scholarly materials. The AATA’s Help tab has a subsection on obtaining publications, and BCIN has a Document Delivery page with information on how to contact a number of international organizations for publications.
==Institutional Access==
A quick option is to try your local library. Many public libraries have access to large bodies of scholarly material, either through their own subscription or through partnership with another institution that subscribes. Your local librarian will often be able to tell you very quickly whether they can give you access to a particular journal or resource, and can also be helpful in honing your research questions.
Another option is to try the library of a major educational institution. Many such libraries offer ‘friend of the library’ privileges for a subscription fee. The fee can vary considerably based on the type of privilege desired, the duration of access needed and the institution itself. For example, New York University’s Bobst Library has a Friends of Bobst web page, which explains their cost structure; as of this posting, reading privileges for one academic year costs $375. The Perry-Castaneda Library in Austin Texas allows borrowing privileges to all Texas residents for $100 per year. Check your local institutions’ web pages, or ask at their information desks.
==Contacting the Author / Pre-Publication Resources==
It is also possible to obtain research papers directly from the author. Many journal publishers allow authors to give away a limited number of copies of their articles for free. For papers with multiple authors, each author may have a number of copies they can distribute. Contacting the authors may yield good results, with the added benefit that you have started a dialog with someone who has performed research in your field of interest. Some academic journals have more generous sharing guidelines for preprints, which are generally versions of an article which is complete, but has not been edited or formatted for publication by the journal. Taylor & Francis, the parent company that publishes the Journal of the American Institute for Conservation, maintains a ‘Sharing your Work’ page, which explains what terminology they use and how authors can share their work outside of JAIC.
Pre-publication versions of articles can sometimes be found on an author’s web page or in a preprint repository. For example, Sarah Reidell maintains a professional web site that includes a publications page, where she gives access to many of her articles. Some preprint repositories such as preprints.org, Academia.edu and Humanities Commons may also have versions of some articles.
==Expanding Your Search==
Once you have online access to an article, it is often possible to use that one resource to find additional resources. A backwards citation search looks at all of the works cited by the authors of an article. This is useful to find the history of the subject in question, and directs you towards more foundational research. A forwards citation search will tell you whether a work was cited by later authors in newer works, and can help you understand how research has progressed. Williams Libraries has an excellent explanation of citation searching, but many more can be found.
==Journals - General==
The following publications are largely peer reviewed, and are an excellent starting point for research into almost any conservation question. Please contact us if you have any publications you think should be added to this list.
===American Institute for Conservation (AIC)===
Journal of the American Institute for Conservation (JAIC)
:peer-reviewed
:1977-2005: open access through CoOL
:1960-present: free access for AIC members through Taylor & Francis Online
===International Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works (IIC)===
Studies in Conservation
:peer-reviewed journal of of The International Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works (IIC)
:free online access for IIC members and by subscription through Taylor & Francis Online
News in Conservation
:newsletter of The International Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works (IIC)
:open access
===International Council of Museums - Committee for Conservation (ICOM-CC)===
ICOM-CC Publications from Triennial Conferences
:1972-2017 are available online.
===Institute of Conservation (ICON)===
ICON News
:Newsletter of the UK-based Institute of Conservation (ICON)
:moving paywall. Limited to ICON members for ~2 years. Open access thereafter.
The Journal of the Institute of Conservation
:peer-reviewed journal of the UK-based Institute of Conservation (ICON)
:Merger of The Conservator (1977-2008), and The Paper Conservator (1976-2007) 
:licensed access at Taylor & Francis Online, free for ICON members
===Other===
ANAGPIC Student Conference Papers & Posters
: The Association of North American Graduate Programs in Conservation (ANAGPIC) organizes an annual conference at which papers and posters are presented
: 2005 - present: open access through AIC
Conservation Journal
:Journal of Victoria and Albert Museum, UK.
The Conservator
:1977 - 2008
: licensed access at Taylor & Francis Online
: Continued as Journal of the Institute of Conservation (2009 - current)
WAAC Newsletter
:Print and online publication of the Western Association for Art Conservation
:1979-present: open access. One year delay after print publication.
==Journals - Book and Paper==
The following resources are focused on book and paper conservation, but may be useful to anyone in the conservation community. Please contact us if you have any publications you think should be added to this list.
===American Institute for Conservation (AIC)===
Book and Paper Group Annual (BPG Annual)
:Annual publication of the Book and Paper Group of the AIC. Not peer reviewed. Also referred to as the Postprints of the AIC Annual Meeting.
:1982 - 2021. Print and digital.
:2022 - present. Digital only.
:Open access.
===Guild of Bookworkers===
Guild of Book Workers Journal
:1962 - present. Online 1962-2011.
Guild of Book Workers Newsletter
:1976 - present. Online 1994 - present. Few months time lag between print copy and online version.
===Other===
Abbey Newsletter
:1975 - 2002. Most issues available online through CoOL.
Care and Conservation of Manuscripts. Proceedings of the biennial conference.
:1994 - present. Peer-reviewed. Tables of contents available online from the publisher, Museum Tusculanum Press.
Conservation Update, European Research Centre for Book and Paper Conservation – Restoration, Krems (Austria)
:2019 - present. Peer-reviewed. Open Access. Online only.
:Continues the earlier publication, ERC Newsletter (2012-2017).
:Does not appear to be indexed.
e-Preservation Science
:2004 - present. Peer-reviewed, open access. Appears to be ceasing publication in 2018.
Journal of Paper Conservation IADA
:peer-reviewed
:1976-2000. Early IADA reports were published as part of the Maltechnik-Restauro journal.
:2000-2009. PapierRestaurierung
:2009-present. Journal of Paper Conservation 
:2015 - present Taylor and Francis on line; free if IADA member
:2000-2013 (volume 1-14, abstracts only) available through CoOL.
The New Bookbinder
:Annual journal of the UK-based Designer Bookbinders
:1981 - present. Print only. Index online.
The Paper Conservator
: 1976-2007
: licensed access at Taylor & Francis Online
: Continued as Journal of the Institute of Conservation (2009 - current)
Restaurator
:peer-reviewed, licensed access at Degruyter. Abstracts available at DeepDyve
==Journals - Objects==
The following resources are focused on objects conservation, but may be useful to anyone in the conservation community. Please contact us if you have any publications you think should be added to this list.
===American Institute for Conservation (AIC)===
Objects Specialty Group Postprints
:Annual publication of the Objects Specialty Group (OSG) of the AIC. Also referred to as the Proceedings of the Objects Specialty Group Session.
:1989 - present. One to two years after the Annual Meeting: digital copy available to OSG Members though the AIC Online Community; two years after the Annual Meeting: open access.
Category:Materials and Treatment
Category:Education & Professional Development