Monuments—movable, immovable, tangible, and intangible—of the world’s shared heritage are at risk. War, terrorism, natural disaster, vandalism, technological obsolescence, and neglect make the work of preservation a greater challenge than it has been since World War II. In her most recent book, The Monumental Challenge of Preservation, Michèle Cloonan makes the case that, at this critical juncture, we must consider preservation in the broadest possible contexts. Preservation requires the efforts of an increasing number of stakeholders. Michèle will give examples of dilemmas presented by monuments ranging from the Book of Kells to the Vietnam Memorial and the Bamiyan Buddhas. She will also discuss the role of collectors in cultural heritage preservation. Every day we make preservation decisions, individually and collectively, that have longer term ramifications than we might expect.
Michèle V. Cloonan studied humanities at Bennington College (A.B.) and the University of Chicago (A.M). She has an M.S. and a PhD in library and information science from the University of Illinois. She was a conservator at the Newberry Library, a preservation administrator at Brown University libraries, and a rare book curator at Smith College. At UCLA she was associate professor and chair of Information Studies. She is a professor at Simmons University in Boston, where she was dean from 2002-2012. Her previous book, Preserving Our Heritage: Perspectives from Antiquity to the Digital Age, was awarded the 2016 Society of American Archivists’ Preservation Publication award.
November Dinner: Union League Club 65 West Jackson. The evening will follow this order: social gathering 5-6 pm, award presentation and program 6-7:30, three-course dinner immediately to follow. Program is free and open to the public. Dinner $63. Beverages $6-$12.
211 South Clark Street, PO Box 2329, Chicago IL 60604-9997
Tel: +1 (312) 970-1294 info@caxtonclub.org
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