Getting Maintenance Organized

Related Organization: Linda Hall Library of Science, Engineering, and Technology

Presented in partnership with the Society for the History of Technology.

Organization is an important aspect of many forms of human activity, including maintenance and repair. In this talk, Lee Vinsel will first reflect on the state of maintenance studies today and its degree of organization, including his time as one of the leaders of The Maintainers, a global research and practice network interested in the concepts of maintenance, infrastructure, repair, and the myriad forms of labor and expertise that sustain our human-built world. He will argue both that maintenance studies have come a long way and that we have a lot farther to go if we want to strike a healthier balance in the lifecycle analyses of technologies.

Vinsel will then explore a theme that is still of great interest to him and his frequent co-author Andy Russell: the role that both formal and informal organizations play in the history of maintenance and repair. Finally, he will reflect on the concept of "Operations and Maintenance” (O&M), the historical role that concept has played in getting maintenance organized, and how we can use collections like those at Linda Hall Library to shine more light on that history.

This program will be presented virtual via Zoom webinar.