The Maintainers is a global research network interested in the concepts of maintenance, infrastructure, repair, and the myriad forms of labor and expertise that sustain our human-built world. Our members come from a variety of backgrounds, including engineers, business leaders, academic historians, social scientists, government, non-profit agencies, artists, activists, coders, and more.
The Maintainers的外部链接
Check out this important visualization about how utilizing our technology for a little while longer provides *huge* environmental impact! How will you maintain your tech to ensure it lasts? We'd love to know, comment down below ??
PIRG's web team built a new visualization to show the importance of repair for the environment, launching today. We should fix things, not replace them. It saves a lot of energy and natural resources, plus fixing things is cool. https://lnkd.in/eXXvAhMU
Join us next week, February 19th at 11a ET for our next Monthly Maintenance Session! Our Monthly Maintenance Sessions are a maintenance accountability virtual co-working space. What will you take the time to maintain? Register today on our website: https://lnkd.in/dgfGTbwA
? Today is the day ? The English version of our book "The Care of Things. Ethics and Politics of Maintenance" is officially out. ?? What does a coffee machine, a car, road signs, a smartphone, a cathedral, a work of art, a satellite, a bicycle, a washing machine, a bridge, a watch, a computer, the body of a prominent politician and a tractor have in common? Pretty much nothing – except for the fact that, no matter how small, large, important or insignificant something is, it rarely survives without being cared for. Every object eventually experiences wear and tear, it deteriorates, stops working or breaks down. But are we giving the care of things the recognition it deserves? A counterpoint to our modern obsession with innovation but less striking than the one-off act of restoration, the delicate act of making things last rarely attracts our attention. This book disrupts dominant narratives by putting those individuals skilled in the art of maintenance front and centre. Jér?me Denis and David Pontille shine a spotlight on the subtle aspects of caring for things, tracing the stories of those involved and, with them, the ethical challenges raised and political lessons learned. ?? ?? ?? ?? ?? "For years, the dynamic duo of Denis and Pontille have been producing some of the best work on maintenance and repair out there (full stop). This book is a landmark contribution, and one we’ll be reading and learning from for years to come.” ????♂? Steven J. Jackson, Professor of Information Science and Science and Technology Studies, Cornell University "This is a spirited book, that, with its large array of cases, will gradually get you sensitised to the fragility of a great diversity of things – so that you come to hear which care they call for – and admire the hands-on experts, who nurture stuff and tools, rather than tolerating their decay." ?????? Annemarie Mol, Professor dr. A., Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences, University of Amsterdam "This book makes of the thinking around maintenance into a timely intervention, creating a distinctive proposition that can appeal to a broad readership. The writing is beautiful and accessible, without losing in theoretical sophistication. The thinking is philosophical and ethnographically rich at the same time, and the book combines and deploys a remarkable depth of scholarship, careful attention to empirical detail and stories, as well as a generous approach to theorising-with the wide range of authors they are in conversation with." ?????? Maria Puig de la Bellacasa, Professor, History of Consciousness Department, UC Santa Cruz
What if libraries could loan us objects beyond books and media, such as household objects or tools? ?? ?? The Greenpoint branch of the Brooklyn Public Library is home to the first tool library within a public library in New York City. In this blog post, Lauren Dapena Fraiz meets with Acacia Thompson to learn more about how the Tool Library in the Greenpoint Library came to be, how it seeks to spark interest in repair learning, and how it has been an example of economic circularity. In North America, a wide variety of tool library structures are prompting new paths away from our current consumer cultures based on endless disposability and towards new paradigms of object repair and ownership. Check out the post for insights and suggestions on engaging with the vibrant tool library community. We hope that this may inspire you to borrow some tools, become involved in a local object-lending program, or maybe start your own! Some repair leaders featured include Acacia Thompson Leanna Frick Kami Bruner Nathan Proctor Dante Garcia Tom Llewellyn Jason Naumann. Written by Lauren Dapena Fraiz https://lnkd.in/dtYeQQup
Join us in welcoming our 2025 Maintainers Impact Fellows: Ana K Celis and Gabriele Ferri! Read more about Ana and Gabriele's background and their Impact Projects – on the blog now: https://lnkd.in/dFC_iFwE We are so grateful for the support of VR(Ex)Change Network-of-Networks in funding the fellowship awards.
When disaster strikes, you need some friends who can fix stuff. Great story about how Repair Cafe volunteers came to the rescue to help neighbors in North Carolina after Hurricane Helene by my colleague Will Sherwood. Thanks Kami Bruner for bringing this story to our attention at the Repair Economy Summit! https://lnkd.in/etv7eBR6
MAINTENANCE TAKES TIME! Join us next week for our first Monthly Maintenance Session of 2025. What will you maintain this year? Learn more & register: https://lnkd.in/dEE3pvN5
We're grateful to Siegel Family Endowment for their bold vision in their recent year-end newsletter, they challenge us all to embrace the power of being unreasonable at this pivotal moment in time. Read the piece: https://lnkd.in/eukkp2Te Thank you, Siegel Family Endowment, for your support of The Maintainers and for pushing us all to think expansively!
The reasonable man adapts himself to the world, while the unreasonable man persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. As a result, all progress depends on the unreasonable man." – George Bernard Shaw If that’s true, then the time has come for us to embrace being unreasonable. In their annual joint letter, Chairman David Siegel and President & Executive Director Katy Knight explore the evolution of tech cycles, the transformative role of AI, and the imperative of leading with values, asking better questions, and building strong partnerships. Read the letter and more insights in our 2024 Year in Review out now! https://lnkd.in/eukkp2Te
Happy new year, Maintainers! We're excited to continue to share in our vision of convening interdisciplinary change-makers, researchers, practitioners, and every-day people who center maintenance, repair and care. This year, we look forward to continuing a range of activities, along with sharing a handful of transformations. To stay up to date with all things Maintainers, make sure that you're: ?? signed up to our Substack: https://lnkd.in/eBDsuhnU ? signed up to our community listserv: https://lnkd.in/dv2GH79E ?? following us on Instagram: https://lnkd.in/d5WEZgYf
What a year 2024 has been - a year of challenges, explorations, and a deepening of our community’s vision! We’re excited to celebrate with you some of our achievements in our most recent newsletter, check it out: A year in review, by @The_Maintainers https://lnkd.in/dKH6TGCa