The discipline of mounting precious, delicate, heavy, useless,
tiny, huge, soft, priceless, aging artifacts demands a sophisticated
set of multi-media shops, personnel, tools, and skills. Managing
these resources, as well as the large collections to which they
are applied, requires a sophisticated personnel and data management
system.
Obviously,
Trust is a deep issue when one is considering potential artifact
handling personnel. SMS has evolved a system of peer layers through
which potential mountmakers are passed- at their own speed. Learning
a multimedium approach to master craftsmanship, which requires
considerable training and re-education. Learning the same within
a framework of Conservation requires years of study and constant
attention to changes in material suggested by new knowledge in
the field.