Conservation of materials is a serious issue for librarians, archivists, museum personnel, records managers, and other professionals. For individuals researching topics on conservation and preservation, the experience can be problematic. The literature is diffuse and researchers may need to consult a variety of publications in different disciplines. Because it indexes and abstracts publications related to the conservation of works of art, museum collections, archives, library materials, and cultural objects and other materials, AATA Online will assist personnel in these fields.
AATA Online, the online version of Art and Archaeology Technical Abstracts (AATA), is a free service of the Getty Conservation Institute in association with the International Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works. Volunteer abstractors and institutions from around the world submit the abstracts. The editors use subject specialists to peer‐review the abstracts; the editors also identify information resources that are relevant to their areas of expertise. Abstracts are reviewed for quality and accuracy. The online service includes all 36 volumes of the print editions of AATA and its predecessor, IIC Abstracts. It contains abstracts for articles from more than 400 journals in over 35 languages, for the years 1955 through the present. In addition to the materials already online, the publisher has plans to include the AATA Supplements; after adding these additional materials, the service will comprise over 100,000 abstracts. According to the site, the intent of the service is to enhance “the preservation of our global cultural patrimony by providing high quality, peer‐reviewed abstracts of the international literature of conservation and heritage management in a free online database”.
AATA Online has nine broad categories as follows:
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(1) methods of examination and documentation;
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(2) general topics of conservation;
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(3) archaeological methods;
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(4) architectural conservation;
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(5) education and training;
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(6) production techniques and history of technology;
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(7) materials and objects: analysis, treatment, and techniques;
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(8) pre‐AATA;
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(9) special supplements to AATA.
Users can browse through these or take advantage of the various search capabilities provided, for which free registration is necessary. After registering, users may select preferences to suit their particular interests. In addition, they may select different display options. For example, it is possible to display the different fields of the record, including the author, abstract, citation, language, abstractor, year published, date online, index terms, and general categories column.
AATA Online’s interface allows for simple as well as more powerful search options. With the system, scholars have the ability to save search strategies for future use. After they log into the system, the database will display a notice of any new abstracts that match their preferences. The notice reflects any abstracts added during the last quarter. Besides viewing search results, users may print out and download abstracts and citations. Depending on researchers’ skill and inclination, searching can be simple or complex. For some users, the quick search will be sufficient, but users desiring more complex searches may select a search method from a drop‐down menu. For example, users may search fixed fields, including author, title, year of publication, index terms, language of publication, and abstract text. The advanced text search option allows for searching exact phrases, proximity of terms, and the “not” option. I ran a search using “librarians” and “libraries” and removed any reference to “art”. The results listed materials on the conservation and preservation of library materials. The “build form” search allows for Boolean searching of specific fields. This is a powerful option for filtering of search results. Finally, AATA Online includes a “freeform Boolean search” option. This will allow users with only a basic knowledge of Boolean search strategies to retrieve valuable information.
Within the large help section, the instructions are clear, and the compilers provide numerous examples. By using the system, it is clear that the Getty Conservation Institute and the International Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works have carefully considered the needs the end user. AATA Online relies on volunteer abstractors, and the compilers invite potential abstractors to contribute. An interesting feature is the section of sample abstracts: the editors have provided examples of acceptable and unacceptable abstracts with additional commentary on how they can be improved. These samples and instructions will alleviate possible anxiety about submitting abstracts.
AATA Online is a valuable source for librarians, archivists, conservators, museum personnel, and other professionals. It is an informative service with a wide variety of searching options, and it is easy to use. This indexing and abstracting source is excellent, and the price cannot be beat!
