Dale Peters

Hi All! I am delighted to have been made an Honorary Member of SAPCON, and I thank you for this kind acknowledgement. There is probably no greater professional reward than an acknowledgement from colleagues of one’s effort’s, no matter how small . As my own contribution to SAPCON does seem in retrospect to have been quite small, I am humbled by this gesture. We were a small group of friends really, who met the first time in 1986. A visit of the guest speaker, Helmut Bansa from the Bayerische Staatsbibliothek in Munich, to the Bibliophiles Conference

at the (then) South African Library in Queen Victoria Street, in Cape Town was the catalyst for the first SAPCON meeting at the Gericke Library, University of Stellenbosch. As the first Chairperson of SAPCON, and in various subsequent executive positions, I was landed the responsibility of drafting a constitution of this fledgling organisation of bench paper conservators, that has undergone some significant changes in time. Most significant was the opening of membership in 2001, to include interested persons from the heritage sector, engaged in wider issues of preservation and conservation of all media types,including painting and ceramics. My own career moved into digital technologies, and after a wonderful experience with DISA, I now manage an international repository infrastructure in support of scholarly communication. SAPCON has always been a forum of vibrant discussion - sometimes even contentious debate on preferred techniques, or improved organisational models. As a result It has remained flexible to change, and provided valuable opportunities for professional development in this critical area of preservation and conservation in its broadest sense. I am privileged to be part of this community, and wish SAPCON continued strength borne in the commitment of all its members. Kind regards, Dale