Digital kartering som dokumentations- och kommunikationsverktyg inom konservering i Sverige

Abstract

Many conservators believe that their documentation of the work that has been done does not reach the antiquarian/preservation consultant or responsible projector. There is also a question whether the documentation is intelligible enough. The aim of this paper is to investigate how digital mapping is used and practiced when documenting work of conservation of architectural material in Sweden. The aim is also to find out whether it has any advantages as a descriptive tool. The main questions are what involved agents within the area think of an increased use, if it facilitates the communication of the work that has been done between conservators and readers of the documentation and what its reviewers think about its potential use in the future. ! The study was carried out through literature studies and qualitative interviews with nine agents within the field, two to three informants which had experience of digital mapping were selected from each profession: conservators, antiquarians, restoration architects and government/client. The collected material was then compared and analyzed to obtain answers and conclusions. ! Digital mapping seems to have a few restricted users in Sweden. Its use is not yet economically feasible since its agent is in need of a lot time for learning the process, keeping updated about new software and instruments together with planning and time for the actual formation of it. Therefore, conservators would like tools and software that are easy to use with a restricted number of functions that in the end is more effective. The readers are of the opinion that digital mapping is easy to understand, has the potential to give more exact details of where and to what extent performed interventions are made and what materials were used. The choice of equipment and software also must be adapted to the project, its aim and needs and not because of technical skills. If so, digital mapping and also other graphic techniques within documentation could have the potential to strengthen the conservators authority and expertise