Conservation in Latin America:
Current Trends in Cultural Context

Part Four: Current Knowledge and Literature

The Latin American preservation and conservation literature is rich in publications explaining simple repair procedures. Unfortunately, much of the material in such articles is actually quoted from outdated European and North American publications; however, as Suzanne Deal Booth states, "conservation techniques developed in Europe and North America are not always possible to adopt, due to lack of funds, shortage of trained staff and the variable climatic conditions which can be quite different from what is found in Europe and North America"²⁰.   There is no Latin American counterpart to the Journal of the American Institute for Conservation or The Paper Conservator to publish scientific reports on topics of particular importance to regional conservation efforts. Until the training situation in Latin America is improved, conservators will be forced to rely on what education they have to apply the foreign current literature to their needs.

Yet a few information avenues are beginning to turn the tides. One is the publication Apoyo, created specifically to inform about conservation of cultural patrimony in Latin America. Each issue highlights upcoming events in various countries, including the United States; funding for preservation and conservation efforts in Latin America; workshops and other opportunities for training; and Spanish and Portuguese-language conservation publications. Likewise, the Archivo Nacional de la Nación de México recently created the newsletter Amate. This publication addresses paper and book preservation, and has become a vehicle for communication among conservators all over Latin America.²¹

The translation of noteworthy literature into Spanish and Portuguese is another area in which improvement is sorely needed. Happily, some concerned individuals and institutions are beginning to respond to the call for help. UNESCO, for example, provides largely practical publications in Spanish on themes relating to preservation of cultural patrimony in tropical climates.²²   Gary Frost, from BookLab in Austin, Texas, offers free copies of some of his informational pamphlets on book conservation terminology and salvaging damaged and deteriorated library materials to Latin American conservators.²³   Finally, a recent dubbing of the ever-popular video "Slow Fires" is generating positive response from the Latin American preservation officers.²⁴  

Maintaining contact with colleagues is another manner of keeping informed of the latest conservation breakthroughs. Until recently, most Latin American conservators were geographically isolated; new publications and technology have raised awareness of the importance of establishing relationships with other professionals. For one, Latin Americans are hosting and attending more conservation conferences. A round table in 1992 in the Dominican Republic, for example, brought together representatives of eight Latin American countries. The meeting delegates called for the creation of a standard conservation bibliographic database, the translation and distribution of meaningful conservation publications, and the formation of a Latin American directory of individuals and institutions that play a role in conservation.²⁵   Another exciting development is the arrival of the internet to Latin America. A professor from the CECOR conservation training program in Brazil is hoping to link Latin America with various libraries around the world, the Conservation Information Network, electronic mail and a conservation discussion group. With impending technology, Latin American conservators need not feel so isolated, out of touch, or uninformed in the future.²⁶

Please send comments to wbaker@pop.uky.edu.