July 13, 1998
When people in preservation make presentations at a conference, ideally they
have spent many hours preparing their talk and this has been peer-reviewed in
some manner.  This is not remotely the same as people in preservation getting
together at a party or gathering.   Round-table discussions are also not equal
to serious, researched and prepared talks. All of these avenues are important
for keeping informed, but one can't replace another - they're different. Sure,
the old-boy system of choosing presenters at some conferences should be
changed.  Sure, it would be nice if everyone was a  great speaker.  These
problems should not cause us to consider wiping out a very valuable method of
presenting information to the profession.

Mary Dierickx
Mary B. Dierickx Architectural Preservation Consultants
NYC