As we are living in a vast changing technological era, the hardware and software required to read electronic documents continue to evolve, and the technology may be so different in the near future that it may not work on older documents. Preserving information over long term is already known as a problem. This research investigates the potential of using XML in improving long term preservation of textual information resulting from AEC (Architectural, Engineering and Construction) projects. It identifies and analyses the issues involved in the subject of handling information over a long period of time in this sector and maps out a strategy to solve those issues. The main focus is not the centralized preservation of documents, but rather the preservation of segments of information scattered between different decision makers in the AEC. In the end a methodology for exchanging information between different decision makers, collecting related information from different decision makers, and preserving such information in the AEC sector for long term purposes that is based on the use of XML will be presented. / Master of Science (Hons)

The growing realisation of national identity in the face of the threatening envelopment of globalisation has been one major inducement for the increasing practice of conservation of the world's built heritage. This study examines contemporary practices of heritage conservation, analyses their assumptions and theories, and critiques their guiding instruments, the Charters. It adopts a cross-cultural perspective to assess the merits, validity and agency of the most recognised Charters, to discuss their various adaptations, particularly in the Syrian context, and to reveal their Eurocentric focus and indifference to cultural concerns. The study also identifies the inadequacies of the Charters with regard to ethics and morality and proposes a code of ethics for urban conservation. The study focuses on the notion of authenticity that has been an issue of debate since the Nara Conference on Authenticity in 1994. Although arising from, and specifically aimed at, World Heritage Listing, authenticity is recognised as a complex issue dependent on cultural understandings. The study adopts the view that authenticity judgements are linked to a great variety of sources of information, such as form, design, materials, function, traditions, techniques, use, location and spirit that are context-related. It articulates a wide scope for conservation practices at the architectural, urban and archaeological levels, negotiating the breadth and depth of authenticity issues beyond mere fabric and function. The study promotes a dynamic view of authenticity, one that acknowledges socio-cultural change with its inevitable impact on the conditions and conservation of historic environment. The ethical code this study presents places the responsibility on the conservator to ensure the continued conservation and stewardship by the resident society. The study argues that both the Venice and Burra Charters, being the most recognised conservation instruments, are pitched at individual monuments. It critiques the widely held assumption that maintains applicability of these Charters to area and urban conservation. It draws attention to the paradox that while these Charters address the ethics of conservation their scope are limited to individual buildings, whereas the Charters concerned with urban and area conservation, like the Washington Charter, are inadequate with regards to ethical and cultural issues. By articulating a code of ethics for urban conservation, the study attempts to bridge a significant gap. The study draws on, and contextualises its arguments in, the rich and varied archaeological and urban heritage of Syria, a country that is still coming to terms with the practices, implications and problems of heritage conservation. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--School of Architecture, Landscape Architecture and Urban Design, 2004.

<p>Preservation of information is not a new issue but preservation of digital information has a relatively short history. Since the 60’s when computers began to be used within administration, digital information that has had to be preserved over time.The problem addressed in this research is how to preserve understandable information over time. Information is context dependent, which means that without context it is not possible to use the information. Process is one part of the context. And an important issue when preserving information is then to be able to trace an information</p><p>object to the process where in it has been created and managed. Associating information to a particular process creates the possibility of relating information objects to each other and also to the context in which the information has been created and used. The aim of this thesis is to identify and structure factors that can improve the traceability between information and processes over time. A set of factors based on case studies and a set of analytical methods are presented that can improve the traceability over time. These factors have been identified and structured by the use of the Synergy-4 model. They have been identified within four different spheres namely: competence, management, organization/procedure and technology. The factors have further been structured in three different time states namely: creation time, short and middle term and long-term. The research concludes that there are a lot of factors influencing ability to preserve information. Preservation issues include selection of metadata standards, organizational culture, lack of understanding from management and formalization of documents. The conclusion is that if an organization wants to succeed in preserving traceable information they have to build strategies that cover the issues from a range of different angles. This thesis suggests that crucial angles are competence, management, organization/procedure</p><p>and technology. Furthermore, the strategies must be in place at the stage of creationof the information objects.</p>

<p> </p><p>The European Union has lead to higher collaboration between the European countries, more exchange of information and a tendency to centralize more political decisions. There is also a tendency to try to create legislations that are more similar in each nation.</p><p> </p><p>This paper aims at giving an idea about the challenges that the nations might meet when working towards higher archival collaboration within the European Union. The report by the European Commission “<em>Report on archives in the enlarged European Union - Increased archival collaboration in Europe: action plan” </em>from 2005<em> </em>states that there is a need for higher European collaboration within the field of archives. The goal is to create a gateway for the citizens to have easy access to archival information from the different member states.</p><p> </p><p>There are some obstacles for this to easily work. To start with the member nations have different cultural traditions and legislations when it comes to freedom of information. It has also got to do with technical issues such as which computer systems, file types and structures et c that are allowed.</p><p> </p><p>This paper takes its starting point in the field of digital deliveries to the national archives of Sweden and The United Kingdom. A comparison has been made to show the difference of how these countries proceed with their archival work to give an idea about how these differences can affect the wish for higher collaboration within the European Union.</p><p> </p><p> </p>

<p>In 1994 a new Forestry Act was accepted in Sweden. One of its aims was to raise the consideration for preservation of biodiversity. Since this happened over 15 years ago there is now an interest in analyzing if the law has been effective in its purpose. In this study methods suitable for analysis are being investigated. The study contents a pilot study of methods for five parameters that can validate if the law has been followed. The fieldstudy were executed in Orsa, Dalarna, Sweden in a managed forest and where last clearcut was done after 1994. The work consisted of measuring the parameters in the field and to compare them with data from before 1994. The benefits of the parameters and the current and previous Forestry Act and their differences are discussed in the report. The parameters examined were the distribution of tree species, standing dead wood, smaller areas saved for preservation, big trees and trees with cavities/cavernous trees. All of these plus a few other variables favourable for the diversity of species in the forest are dealt with in the 30 § in the Forestry Act of 1994. The study implied that the variables reported to be favourable for biodiversity, and possible to investigate within the restrictions of this study, seemed to have increased. The results should however be interpreted with care since the study is small and the reference values sometimes were missing or covering larger areas than the field data.</p>

<p>Främsta anledningen till en tilläggsisolering är att det önskas bättre energihushållning i en byggnad. Detta kan göras med olika material och olika tekniker. Inom byggnadsvårdssammanhang förs det en diskussion om de fuktbuffrande materialen är bättre vid tilläggsisolering då de är hygroskopiska än de icke hygroskopiska som är mest frekvent använda i det konventionella byggandet. Denna rapport utvärderar om det finns några dokumenterade fakta som styrker att de hygroskopiska och ekologiska materialen fungerar bättre i byggnadsvårdssammanhang än de icke hygroskopiska. Olika isolermaterial från de två nämnda grupperna jämförs utifrån olika parametrar.</p> / <p>This report evaluates if there are any known facts that support that the hygroscopic and ecologic materials are better in supplement insulation than non hygroscopic. Different kind of insulate materials from these two mentioned groups are compared from without different kind of parameters.</p>

Western juniper and cinnamon essential oils were combined with ethanol at 2.5, 5, and 10% concentrations by weight and applied to hybrid poplar (Populus trichocarpa x P. deltoids) veneers by vacuum soaking to produce a naturally durable wood veneer with increased mechanical properties for use in structural composites. Half of these veneers were then modified using viscoelastic thermal compression to increase veneer density and modulus of elasticity. Following densification, unprocessed and VTC processed veneers receiving an essential oil treatment were subjected to an AWPA E21-06 Formosan termite exposure test, AWPA E24-06 mold box test, and brown rot (Gloeophyllum trabeum) decay bending test. While VTC processing drastically reduced the abundance of chemical components inherent within essential oil treatments, veneer specimens without VTC processing showed increased durability. A 10% juniper oil treatment drastically reduced Formosan termite attack on hybrid poplar veneers while a 10% cinnamon oil treatment significantly reduced mold growth. Timbor��, an industrial powdered borate treatment, withstood VTC processing and inhibited Formosan termite attack and mold growth. Tests to evaluate the effectiveness of essential oil treatments against brown rot were unsuccessful. Results suggest that incorporating a disodium octaborate tetrahydrate (DOT) treatment prior to VTC processing could help improve VTC wood durability. / Graduation date: 2013

There is a widespread problem with looting and vandalism of cultural resources in the Pacific Northwest. To combat this problem law enforcement must have the assistance of the archaeological community. To be able to assist law enforcement, archaeologists and cultural resource specialists must have the proper training in cultural resource law and crime prevention. The focus of this study is to investigate the preparedness of archaeologists and cultural resource specialists within the federal government, specifically the United State Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management, to assist in the investigation and prevention of cultural resource crime. To answer this question a survey was sent out to all of the aforementioned subjects within the Pacific Northwest. This survey asked for data concerning types of cultural resources affected by crime, prevention methods, training, opinions on quality of training, and demographic information. The respondent was also asked to reply to various fictitious scenarios concerning cultural resource crime, and the answers compared to a control group made up of law enforcement personnel. Information obtained from this survey showed that there is a lack of training among both of these agencies. A large percentage of the respondents feel that their training was either nonexistent or was lacking in depth and quality. The ability of the subject group to make decisions concerning the fictitious scenarios was closely analogous to those made by the law enforcement group. However, from information obtained from the respondents and from analysis of other data these scenarios may not have been a good indicator of the preparedness of the subject group. To improve their abilities at preventing and assisting in the investigation of cultural resource crimes, all archaeologists and cultural resource specialists need to have the opportunity to have access to quality training. These persons must also take it upon themselves to protect the resource using methods that are allowed by their respective agencies. / Graduation date: 1994

Recovery from disaster is a challenging period for any community. Long-term recovery is important, especially in relation to the built heritage, but it is among the least explored phases of disaster. Identifying past problems is needed to reduce future recovery complications. This study investigates the long-term recovery of public and Non-Government Organizations (NGO) owned historic buildings after an earthquake in the light of chosen sustainability variables. It examines San Francisco after the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake as a case study and analyzes time needs, community participation, and maintenance of historic character, to identify whether historic buildings faced special issues and the variables involved. The study uses different methods. It statistically compares data for a sample of public and NGO owned buildings in San Francisco and then analyzes the dynamics of recovery for three buildings that faced delays. The study has found that historic buildings faced delays in recovery but such delays were sometimes the results of major rehabilitation projects, thus having long-term benefits. There are many variables in the recovery process that delay historic buildings and can be addressed to reduce future delays, which are mostly results of the context, process, and players. Time needs for the recovery of buildings are affected by their function, damage level, and status. Also, the sustainability of the process needs to be addressed, mainly in terms of the way historic buildings are valued, and the degree to which such valuation allows them to be part of the heritage of the community at large.

This study examines the preservation practices of academic law libraries and argues that the survey results illustrate the growing gap between current preservation practices and new technology. The introduction to the study discusses challenges for libraries and cultural institutions in the digital age. In the second section, the paper analyzes U.S. copyright law and the effect of recent amendments on library preservation activities. The third section reports the results of a preservation practices survey. In the fourth section, the paper explores options for future law library preservation including institutional repositories and collaborative preservation efforts. The paper concludes that a new approach to scholarship and preservation is necessary to ensure that future generations have access to historically important legal literature.