In response to Susan Healy's question:
> So who is going to write the definitive dissertation on the social
> significance of clothing choices of people in the information professions?
...there is indeed a wealth of research to do here. I feel a three-year
sabbatical coming over me already. Although heartened to see news
of Richard Taylor's no-doubt-seminal paper on the subject from 1991,
I am sure it it only served to illustrate the need for properly-funded
work in this field, preferably in an international context. Perhaps we
can persuade the ICA to seek UNESCO funding.
My personal experience demonstrates that conservators clearly have
clothing (and perhaps appearance) stereotypes specific to their profession.
At my first (and so far only) SoA conference I was twice mistaken for
(or accused of being) a conservator. On one occasion I listened patiently
to about 20 minutes of sales patter on mysterious substances intended to
be applied to paper before confessing that I wasn't one. I then
attempted to get the now very embarassed sales person to explain why,
out of all the people in the room, they had assumed I was a conservator.
I never got a very clear answer but it clearly had something to do
with clothing and possibly ponytails and/or beards.
Some of you were kind enough to attempt to explain to me how to spot
a conservator, but no-one was very specific about it although everyone
appeared to recognise that it could be done.
I speak as a non-archivist who does possess both a beard and cardigans.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Kevin Ashley [log in to unmask]
Digital Preservation
ULCC This is not a signature
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
|