In September 2004, at a board meeting held in Gatineau, Quebec, the members of the Conservation Information Network (CIN) renewed their partnership, which was originally established in 1985.

The network—which facilitates the retrieval and exchange of information concerning the conservation and restoration of cultural property—includes six organizations: the GCI, the Canadian Conservation Institute, the Canadian Heritage Information Network, ICCROM (International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property), the International Council on Monuments and Sites, and the Smithsonian Center for Materials Research and Education.

For nearly 20 years, CIN has provided the conservation community with invaluable access to research resources through its Bibliographic Database of the Conservation Information Network (BCIN). The BCIN database contains over two hundred thousand bibliographic citations from Art and Archaeology Technical Abstracts (prior to 1998), technical reports, conference proceedings, journal articles, books, and audiovisual and unpublished materials.

The BCIN database, a free online service, can be accessed at www.bcin.ca .