july06b.indd


inter net resources 
Christine F. Noonan 

Cultural
resource
managment
on


the
Web

Explore the dynamic field of CRM 

What
is
cultural
resource
management,
or
CRM
as
it
is
referred
to
by
practi­
tioners?
 The
 birth
 of
 the
 field
 started
 with

the
passage
of
the
Antiquities
Act
in
1906.

This
 established
 the
 nation’s
 fi
rst
 general­
purpose
 cultural
 resources
 law
 to
 protect

and
prevent
the
removal
of
antiquities
from

federal
 lands
 without
 a
 permit.
 Ten
 years

later,
 the
 National
 Park
 Service
 (NPS)
 was

created
and
given
the
responsibility
of
con­
serving
natural
and
cultural
resources.
With

enactment
of
the
Historic
Sites
Act
in
1935,

the
 NPS
 was
 authorized
 to
 record,
 docu­
ment,
 acquire,
 and
 manage
 places
 impor­
tant
to
the
interpretation
and
commemora­
tion
of
the
nation’s
history.
After
World
War

II,
interest
in
history
and
cultural
resources

peaked,
 eventually
 leading
 to
 the
 passage

of
 the
 National
 Historic
 Preservation
 Act

(NHPA)
of
1966.
The
NHPA
authorized
the

NPS
 to
 expand
 and
 maintain
 the
 National

Register
 of
 Historic
 Places,
 which
 includes

properties
of
historical,
cultural,
and
archi­
tectural
 significance
 on
 the
 local,
 state,
 or

national
level.


CRM
was
developed
in
the
1970s
by
ar­
chaeologists
to
describe
work
done
outside

of
 academia
 in
 response
 to
 these
 national

laws
 and
 regulations.
 The
 phrase
 “cultural

resource
 management”
 is
 most
 often
 used

by
 archaeologists,
 historic
 preservationists,

architectural
 historians,
 and
 other
 related

disciplines
to
refer
to
the
management
of
his­
toric
places.
The
world
of
cultural
resources

is
very
broad
and
involves
the
entire
scope

of
the
cultural
milieu,
which
includes
human

traditions
and
values,
the
built
and
natural

environments,
religious
practices,
historical


objects
and
documents,
and
archaeological

resources.


Acknowledged
 as
 a
 career
 path
 many

students
 will
 take,
 colleges
 and
 universi­
ties
 now
 incorporate
 CRM
 training
 into

anthropology,
 archaeology,
 and
 historic

preservation
 programs.
 This
 article
 brings

together
a
variety
of
resources
available
on

the
Web
and
will
serve
as
a
starting
point

for
students,
faculty,
and
librarians
explor­
ing
the
wide
and
dynamic
field
of
cultural

resource
management.


Note:
 The
 spelling
 archaeology
 and
 ar­
cheology
 are
 both
 acceptable.
 I
 have
 used

the
 former
 spelling
 throughout
 this
 article

except
when
the
latter
has
been
used
by
the

Web
site
originator.


Indexes and databases 
•
 AnthroSource.
 Developed
 by
 the


American
 Anthro­
pological
 Associa­
tion
(AAA),
Anthro­
Source
 provides

over
 100
 years
 of

a n t h r o p o l o g i c a l 

scholarly
materials
online
through
one
inter­
face
with
a
search
engine
and
personaliza­
tion
 features.
 Institutions
 can
 subscribe
 for

online
access
through
JSTOR;
AnthroSource

is
 provided
 to
 members
 of
 AAA.
 Access:

http://www.anthrosource.net/.


Christine F. Noonan has BS and MA degrees in 
anthropology and an MLIS.  Prior to becoming a 
librarian, Noonan worked in the field of cultural 
resource management.  She is currently an electronic 
resources librarian in the Pacific Northwest, e-mail: 
cfnoonan@hotmail.com 

C&RL News July/August 2006  418 

mailto:cfnoonan@hotmail.com
http:http://www.anthrosource.net


•
 National Archeological Database 
(NADB).
The
NADB
is
composed
of
three

separate
 databases
 and
 was
 established

to
 provide
 streamlined
 access
 to
 activities

of
 interest
 to
 archaeological
 and
 historic

preservation
professionals
nationwide.
The

first
database,
the
reports
module,
contains

bibliographic
 data
 on
 over
 350,000
 hard­
to­find
“gray
literature”
reports
contributed

from
a
variety
of
state
and
federal
agencies.

Although
 still
 in
 development,
 the
 second

database,
the
permits
module,
currently
pro­
vides
information
about
major
archaeological

and
paleontological
projects
carried
out
using

permits
issued
by
the
U.S.
Department
of
the

Interior.
And
finally,
the
NADB­Multiple
At­
tribute
Presentation
System
(MAPS)
provides

GIS
 layers
 related
 to
 archaeological
 data

from
across
the
United
States.
All
three
are

maintained
through
a
cooperative
agreement

between
the
National
Park
Service
and
the

Center
 for
 Advanced
 Spatial
 Technologies

(CAST)
at
the
University
of
Arkansas.
Access:

http://www.cr.nps.gov/aad/TOOLS/nadb.

htm.


•
National NAGPRA databases. The
Na­
tive
American
Graves
Protection
and
Repatria­
tion
Act
(NAGPRA)
is
a
federal
law
passed

in
 1990
 that
 provides
 a
 formal
 process
 for

museums
and
federal
agencies
to
return
Na­
tive
American
cultural
items
to
lineal
descen­
dants,
culturally
affiliated
Indian
tribes,
and

Native
Hawaiian
organizations.
A
variety
of

databases
are
provided
by
the
National
Park

Service
to
supply
information
on
NAGPRA­
related
 subject
 matter.
 Access:
 http://www.

cr.nps.gov/nagpra/onlinedb/index.htm.


•
 National Register of  Historic Places. 
The
National
Register
is
the
nation’s
offi
cial

list
 of
 cultural
 resources
 valuable
 enough

to
 preserve
 under
 the
 guidelines
 of
 the

National
Historic
Preservation
Act
of
1966.

The
National
Register
is
part
of
a
national

program
administered
by
the
National
Park

Service
 to
 coordinate
 and
 support
 public

and
private
efforts
to
identify,
evaluate,
and


protect
 historic
 and
 archaeo­
logical
 resources.
 Search
 the

National
 Register
 Information

System
 (NRIS)
 to
 locate
 listed


and
 eligible
 properties.
 Access
 National

Register
 Site:
 http://www.cr.nps.gov/nR/in­
dex.htm;
 NRIS Access:
 http://www.cr.nps.

gov/nR/research/.


Organizations and associations 
•
 Advisory Council on Historic Preser-

vation (ACHP).
The
ACHP
is
an
independent

federal
 agency
 that
 pro­
motes
 the
 preservation,

restoration,
and
use
of
the

nation’s
 historic
 resourc­
es.
The
ACHP
advises
the

President
 and
 Congress

on
national
historic
pres­
ervation
policy
and
is
the

only
 organization
 tasked

with
responsibility
to
en­
courage
federal
agencies


to
 factor
 historic
 preservation
 into
 federal


project
 requirements.
 Access:
 http://www.


achp.gov/.



•
 A m e r i c a n  A n t h r o p o l og i c a l  A s s o -
ciation (AAA).
 The
 AAA
 was
 founded
 in

1902
and
is
the
world’s
largest
professional

anthropological
 organization.
 Representing

the
discipline
internationally,
the
AAA
brings

together
 anthropologists
 from
 all
 subfi
elds

and
specializations
corresponding
to
over
50

sections
and
interest
groups.
Access:
http://

www.aaanet.org/.


•
 American Cultural Resources As-
sociation (ACRA).
 ACRA
 is
 a
 nonprofi
t
 or­
ganization
that
incorporated
in
1995
to
serve

the
needs
of
the
cultural
resources
industry.

ACRA’s
 mission
 is
 to
 promote
 professional,

ethical,
and
sound
business
practices.
Access:

http://www.acra­crm.org/.


•
 National Trust for Historic Preser-
vation.
 The
 National
 Trust
 was
 founded
 in

1949
by
Congress
to
provide
leadership
and

education
to
save
the
nation’s
diverse
historic

places
and
revitalize
communities.
The
trust

also
 encourages
 public
 participation
 in
 the

preservation
of
sites,
buildings,
and
objects


July/August 2006  419 C&RL News 

http:http://www.acra-crm.org
http:www.aaanet.org
http:achp.gov
http://www
http://www.cr.nps
http://www.cr.nps.gov/nR/in
http://www
http://www.cr.nps.gov/aad/TOOLS/nadb


significant
in
American
History.
Access:
http://

www.nationaltrust.org/.


•
 Society for American Archaeolog y 
(SAA).
The
SAA
was
founded
in
1934
and
is

an
international
organization
with
over
7,000

members
dedicated
to
the
research,
interpre­
tation,
and
protection
of
the
archaeological

heritage
of
the
Americas.
Access:
http://www.

saa.org/.


•
 Society of  Architectural Historians 
(SAH).
 The
 SAH
 is
 an
 international
 orga­
nization
 founded
 in
 1940
 with
 over
 3,500

members.
 Membership
 is
 open
 to
 anyone

interested
in
the
study
and
preservation
of

the
built
environment.
Access:
http://www.

sah.org/.


Laws and practice 
•
 National Park Service (NPS), Laws, 

Regulations & Standards Web Site.
 The

most
comprehensive
Web
site
containing
all

laws,
regulations,
executive
orders,
standards,

and
guidelines
concerning
cultural
resource

management
is
hosted
by
the
National
Park

Service.
 Resources
 are
 hyperlinked
 to
 the

full
text
in
HTML
or
PDF
format
for
ease
of

use.
Access:
http://www.cr.nps.gov/linklaws.

htm.


•
 U. S .  S e c r e t a r y  o f  t h e  I n t e r i o r ' s  
P r o f e s s i o n a l  Q u a l i f i c a t i o n  S t a n d a r d s .  
Although
linked
to
from
the
above
Web
site,

this
site
is
important
enough
to
single
out

as
 a
 separate
 entry.
 In
 1983,
 the
 National

Park
 Service
 issued
 professional
 qualifi
ca­
tion
 standards
 that
 define
 minimum
 edu­
cation
 and
 experience
 required
 to
 qualify

for
 certain
 employment
 opportunities
 in

cultural
 resource
 management
 activities

for
the
government.
Many
nonstate/federal

agencies
 now
 also
 require
 potential
 job

applicants
 to
 meet
 these
 standards,
 which

have
been
published
in
the
Code
of
Federal


Regulations,
36
CFR
Part
61.
Access:
http://

www.dnr.mo.gov/shpo/profqualifi
cations.

htm#profqual.


Training, fieldwork, and internships 
•
 Archaeolog yfieldwork.com.
 In
 its


ninth
year
of
operation,
this
Web
site
provides

discussion
forums,
job
postings,
announce­
ments,
student
resources,
and
more.
Regis­
tration
required
to
post.
Access:
http://www.

archaeologyfi
eldwork.com/.


•
HABS/HAER Summer Program, NPS. 
The
Heritage
Documentation
Program
offers

12­week
paid
internship
opportunities
with

the
 Historic
 American
 Buildings
 Survey,

Historic
American
Engineering
Record,
and

Historic
American
Landscapes
Survey.
Appli­
cation
required
and
positions
are
open
only

to
 U.S.
 citizens.
 Access:
 http://www.cr.nps.

gov/habshaer/joco/summerjobs.htm.


•
 H i s t o r i c  P r e s e r va t i o n  I n t e r n s h i p  
Training Program, NPS.
 Short­term
 paid

internships
 are
 available
 to
 undergraduate

and
 graduate
 students
 during
 the
 summer

or
 school
 year
 around
 the
 United
 States.

Opportunities
are
available
for
students
in
a

variety
of
disciplines.
Application
required.

Access:
 http://www.cr.nps.gov/hps/tps/

hpit_p.htm.


•  N a t i o n a l  C e n t e r  f o r  P r e s e r va t i o n  
Technology & Training (NCPTT), NPS. 
The
NCPTT
offers
summer
training
programs

in
 Natchitoches,
 Louisiana,
 in
 the
 areas
 of

archaeology,
 architecture,
 and
 cemetery

monument
conservation.
Space
is
limited,
so

apply
early.
Many
programs
have
fees
asso­
ciated,
although
a
few
do
have
competitive

scholarships
 available.
 Access:
 http://www.

ncptt.nps.gov/.


•
 National Park Ser vice, Archeolog y 
Program Distance Learning.
 Learn
 at
 your

pace
 from
 your
 computer.
 The
 NPS
 offers

three
online
courses:
Managing
Archeologi­
cal
 Collections,
 Archeology
 for
 Interpreters,

and
Interpretation
for
Archeologists.
All
are

great
 resources
 and
 allow
 you
 to
 test
 your

knowledge
 before
 going
 on
 that
 fi
rst
 dig.

Access:
 http://www.cr.nps.gov/archeology/

tools/distLearn.htm.


C&RL News July/August 2006  420 

http://www.cr.nps.gov/archeology
http:ncptt.nps.gov
http://www
http://www.cr.nps.gov/hps/tps
http://www.cr.nps
http:eldwork.com
http://www
http:Archaeologyfieldwork.com
www.dnr.mo.gov/shpo/profqualifi
http://www.cr.nps.gov/linklaws
http://www
http://www
http:www.nationaltrust.org


• National Preservation Institute (NPI). 
Founded
 in
 1980,
 the
 NPI
 offers
 seminars

across
 the
 nation
 on
 historic
 preservation

and
cultural
resource
management
laws
and

issues.
 Many
 seminars
 are
 recognized
 by

the
American
Institute
of
Architects,
and
at­
tendees
may
earn
Continuing
Education
(CE)

credits.
Access:
http://npi.org/.


•
 Passpor t in Time (PIT) Program, 
U.S. Depar tment of  Agriculture, Forest 
Service.
A
volunteer
archaeology
and
historic

preservation
 program,

PIT
offers
summer
op­
portunities
 across
 the

United
 States.
 Volun­
teers
 are
 expected
 to

commit
 to
 a
 full
 ses­
sion
 (typically
 5
 days,

occasionally
longer),
meet
age
and
physical

ability
requirements,
and
stay
in
areas
with

limited
 facilities.
 Access:
 http://www.pass­
portintime.com/.


Newsletters, magazines, journals, and 
technical briefs 

•
 Archeology Technical Briefs. Hosted

by
 the
 National
 Park
 Service,
 these
 short

reports
 published
 between
 1988
 and
 today

discuss
technical
and
methodological
issues

in
archaeology.
The
reports
are
available
in

HTML
format
with
bibliographies
for
further

reading.
 Access:
 http://www.cr.nps.gov/ar­
cheology/pubs/techbr/index.htm.


•
 CRM: The Jour nal of Heritage 
Stewardship.
Previously
published
as
CRM 
magazine,
this
relatively
new
full­text
biannual

publication
by
the
National
Park
Service
cov­
ers
the
depth
and
breadth
of
cultural
resource

disciplines
 by
 publishing
 peer­reviewed

articles,
interviews,
book
reviews,
and
more.

Available
 online
 and
 in
 print.
 Access CRM 
journal:
 http://www.crmjournal.cr.nps.gov/

crm/;
 Access back issues of CRM magazine:

http://www.cr.nps.gov/crm/.


•
Common Ground.
An
online
and
print

magazine
published
quarterly
by
the
National

Park
Service
covering
heritage
preservation
in

the
United
States.
Common Ground
focuses

on
both
the
preservation
initiatives
and
the


people
making
it
happen.
Access:
http://com­
monground.cr.nps.gov/.


•
Conserve O Grams. Leaflets
created
for

National
 Park
 Service
 personnel
 to
 care
 for

collection
management
of
museum
items
in­
cluding
artifacts
and
documents.
Current
topics

include
labeling
natural
history
collections,
fi
re

safety,
and
caring
for
outdoor
bronze
plaques.

Each
leaflet
is
available
in
PDF
format.
Access:

http://www.cr.nps.gov/museum/publications/

conserveogram/cons_toc.html.


•
 Preser vation Briefs.
 The
 Technical

Preservation
Services
group
of
the
National

Park
Service
assists
homeowners
and
preser­
vation
professionals
with
the
treatment
and

care
 of
 historic
 properties.
 The
 forty­three

preservation
briefs
cover
a
variety
of
topics

including
 weatherization,
 seismic
 retrofi
ts,

and
lead­paint
hazards.
They
are
available

online
and
may
differ
from
the
printed
coun­
terparts
which
can
be
purchased
from
the

Government
Printing
Offi
ce.
Access:
http://

www.cr.nps.gov/hps/tps/briefs/presbhom.

htm.


•
 Preservation Tech Notes.
 Also
 pub­
lished
by
the
Technical
Preservation
Services

group
of
the
National
Park
Service,
there
are

currently
18
Tech
Notes
available
online.
This

complementary
set
to
the
Preservation
Briefs

provides
 technical
 information
 to
 preserva­
tion
architects,
contractors,
and
homeowners.

The
Tech
Notes
may
differ
from
the
printed

counterparts
that
can
be
purchased
from
the

Government
 Printing
 Offi
ce.
 Access:
 http://

www.cr.nps.gov/hps/tps/technotes/tnhome.

htm


Gateways and miscellany 
•
 ArchNet, WWW Vir tual Librar y of 

Archaeology. Maintained
 by
 the
 Archaeo­
logical
Research
Institute
at
the
University
of

Arizona,
the
ArchNet
Web
site
links
to
hun­
dreds
of
Web
sites
dedicated
to
the
discipline

of
 archaeology
 and
 the
 preservation
 and

interpretation
of
cultural
resources.
Access
is

free
 and
 coverage
 spans
 the
 globe.
 Access:

http://archnet.asu.edu/.


•
 CRM Acronyms. Each
 discipline
 has

a
 unique
 jargon.
 Although
 not
 an
 exhaus­

July/August 2006  421 C&RL News 

http:http://archnet.asu.edu
www.cr.nps.gov/hps/tps/technotes/tnhome
www.cr.nps.gov/hps/tps/briefs/presbhom
http://www.cr.nps.gov/museum/publications
http:monground.cr.nps.gov
http://com
http://www.cr.nps.gov/crm
http:http://www.crmjournal.cr.nps.gov
http://www.cr.nps.gov/ar
http:portintime.com
http://www.pass
http:http://npi.org


tive
 list,
 this
 Web
 page
 from
 the
 American

Cultural
Resources
Association
provides
a
list

of
frequently
used
acronyms
specific
to
the

CRM
industry
that
will
prove
extremely
help­
ful
for
the
new
student.
Access:
http://www.

acra­crm.org/acronym.html.


•
 eCultural Resources, Cultural Re-
sources Network.
 This
 expansive
 Web
 site

provides
 fresh
 content
 on
 a
 daily
 basis
 for

the
 CRM
 practitioner.
 Whether
 interested

in
 historic
 preservation,
 ethnography,
 cur­
rent
events,
finding
a
job
or
a
fi
eld
school,

this
site
has
it
all.
Fees
are
required
to
post

some
information;
weekly
e­mail
newsletter

is
free
with
registration.
Access:
http://www.

eculturalresources.com/.


•
 Preservation Directory.
 Focusing
 on

historic
preservation
and
building
restoration,

the
main
goal
of
this
site
is
to
provide
free


information
to
CRM
professionals.
This
site

is
full
of
directories,
lists,
and
links
including

sections
covering
endangered
history
resourc­
es
and
a
photo
gallery.
Access:
http://www.

preservationdirectory.com.


•
PreserveNet.
Hosted
by
Cornell
Univer­
sity,
PreserveNet
is
a
regularly
updated
Web

site
featuring
employment,
educational,
and

professional
 opportunities.
 Unique
 aspects

of
 this
 site
 include
 the
 economics
 section,

which
lists
funding
agencies
and
grants,
and

the
awards
section,
which
highlights
scholar­
ships
and
fellowships
in
historic
preservation

disciplines.
Access:
http://www.preservenet.

cornell.edu/.


•
 State archeolog y pr og rams.
 Find

out
more
about
CRM
and
archaeology
by

participating
 in
 your
 state’s
 archaeology

month,
 week,
 or
 day’s
 activities.
 Access

the
National
Park
Service
Web
site
to
find

contact
 information
 in
 your
 local
 area

and
 get
 involved.
 Access:
 http://www.

cr.nps.gov/archeology/PUBLIC/Statearc.

htm.


C&RL News July/August 2006  422 

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http:cornell.edu
http://www.preservenet
http:preservationdirectory.com
http://www
http:eculturalresources.com
http://www
http://www