Cultural Heritage at Risk: Today's Stewardship Challenge
Stewardship: The Janus Factor
Nancy M. Cline
Roy E. Larsen Librarian of Harvard College, Harvard University

The stewardship of cultural resources may be the epic challenge for the new millennium as we strive to foster access for education and research while preventing theft and malicious damage to some of the world's most valuable assets. It is our responsibility as stewards of some of the most significant collections of accumulated knowledge and culture to improve the ways in which our institutions manage risk. Our actions, as well as our inaction, form the basis for others to judge how well we are succeeding at our posts.

The Janus Factor is about leadership, making a difference, managing risk while dealing with ambiguity, and maintaining focus in the midst of great cultural change. It is about being prepared for various eventualities, about expecting the unexpected. We all have strategic choices. We have the opportunity to set the expectations for an institution, to convey principles, to direct budget resources, and, perhaps most important, to raise a higher level of attention to the critical areas of preservation and security. This is not only a national priority. Given the many interrelationships among cultural and educational institutions around the globe, our strategic choices and our future actions will have an international impact.