In November 2007, the Kilgarlin Center for Preservation of the Cultural Record at the University of Texas, Austin, will host From Gray Areas to Green Areas: Developing Sustainable Practices in Preservation Environments. This three-day symposium will examine sustainable practices in cultural heritage preservation environments.

• Policy and Politics: What are the key factors that make integrating sustainable technologies in preservation facilities possible? Who are the people we need to convince? What public policies can create positive change in our practices?
• Costs and Benefits: What are the hard numbers associated with sustainable buildings, materials, and practices? In what ways can we quantify the benefits of green buildings, using renewable energy resources, and other sustainability-oriented changes when the up-front costs may be high?
• Engineering, Adaptive Reuse and New Buildings: What can changing the shapes and characteristics of preservation facilities do for sustainability? How are new building materials, thoughtful design, and adaptive reuse going to contribute to sustainable preservation environments? What projects are leading the way for us?
• Indoor Environments: How will we refine our working and storage environments to create places where preservationists and the materials they preserve can coexist comfortably?
• Practicality and Practices: What steps can preservationists take to increase recycling, reduce chemical waste, and find alternatives to hazardous materials?