During five years of publication, met objectives, the newsletter of the Sherman Fairchild Center for Objects Conservation, has become an important means of sharing the Department's activities with conservation and curatorial professionals, as well as with the interested public. The success of the publication can be seen in the rapid growth of our readership, now totaling approximately 1150 individual and institutional subscribers in forty countries, who receive our newsletter free-of-charge through the generous support of a private donor. A similar number is reserved for visitors to the Center or distributed at conferences and symposia.

In the past year several factors have led us to reconsider the present format of met objectives. One is the formation of the Science Group, in February 2004, which brings together scientists that were previously staff of the Museum's various conservation departments and newly hired members. Another motivation is the interest expressed by other conservation departments in establishing a joint publication. The current issue, which includes contributions from both Textile Conservation and the Science Group, is a reflection of these changes in our authorship and constituency.

The publication of met objectives in its present form will be discontinued with this issue, to be replaced by a new periodical that will function as a forum for conservation and scientific staff in the Museum at large. It is expected that developing the format of the new publication will require one year, during which all aspects, from design and content to frequency and distribution, will be reconsidered. We welcome the comments of our readership in this process.

We plan to recommence publication in Spring 2005.