ACRL College & Research Libraries News

College & Research Libraries News

Preservation News

Jane Hedberg

Report on the artifact

The Council on Library and Information Resources (CLIR) has published The Evidence in Hand: Report of the Task Force on the Artifact in Library Collections. It reports the conclusions and recommendations of the task force of scholars, academic officers, librarians, and archivists convened in 1999 to consider the academic value of original materials.

Task force members examined the tension between providing access and preserving the original, the ways in which deterioration patterns of various media threaten research value, and how repositories can minimize unacceptable loss. They were asked to develop a framework to assist institutions with creating and evaluating appropriate retention policies. The report highlights preventive maintenance and use of surrogates as two key strategies for the protection of originals.

The report is available as a free pdf at http://www.clir.org/pubs/reports/publ03/ publ03.pdf. Printed copies cost $20 and may be ordered online at the same URL. For more information, contact CLIR, 1755 Massachusetts Ave., N.W., Suite 500, Washington, D.C. 20036; phone: (202) 939-4750; fax: (202) 939-4765; e-mail: info@clir.org.

Nationwide survey project

The Council on Library and Information Resources (CLIR), the Association of Research Libraries (ARL), the University Libraries Group (ULG), and the Regional Alliance for Preservation (RAP) have received funding from the Institute for Museum and Library Services (IMLS) to support a survey of preservation activities in American colleges and universities. This two- part project will first, compile quantitative data about preservation and digitization using the ARL preservation statistics survey and other questionnaires, and second, develop qualitative data by visiting 20 representative institutions. The survey is intended to document the current state of preservation in American academic libraries and provide direction for future planning. It complements the Heritage Health Index project, which is surveying the condition of collections in cultural institutions of all types. Anne Kenney, of CLIR and Cornell University, is the project director.

For more information, contact Mary Case, ARL, 21 Dupont Circle, Suite 800, Washington, D.C. 20036; phone: (202) 296-2296; fax: (202) 872-0884; e-mail: marycase@arl.org; URL: http://www.arl.org.

CCAHA photo workshops

The Conservation Center for Art and Historic Artifacts (CCAHA) and the Intermuseum Conservation Association (ICA) will offer a three- part workshop series about photographic materials, “From Negative To Positive,” in April 2002 at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum in Cleveland, Ohio. On April 15, Debbie Hess Norris will teach “Identification and Care of Photographic Prints,” on April 16, Andrew Robb will teach “Identification and Care of Photographic Negatives,” and on April 17, Steve Puglia, Albert Albano, and Timothy Vitale will teach “Planning Your Digital Imaging Project.” These workshops involve hands- on examination of photographic materials, so registration is limited.

Attendance at one workshop costs $60, two workshops are $120, and all three $170. Discounts for CCAHA and ICA members or tuition assistance are available to help reduce the cost. For more information, contact Preservation Services, CCAHA, 264 South 23rd Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103; phone: (215) 545-0613; fax: (215) 735-9313; e-mail: ccaha@ccaha.org; URL: http://www.ccaha.org.

Photo electronic list

In October 2001, Luis Nadeau started an electronic list devoted to photo conservation. Online discussion about conservation and restoration of photographic materials—including technical provenance, authentication, dating, identification, history of reproduction technologies or products, and the chemical and physical treatments of artifacts—is welcomed.

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Jane Hedberg is preservation program officer at Harvard University Library, e-mail: jane_hedberg@harvard.edu; fax: (617) 496-8344

For more information, see http://groups.yahoo.com/group/photconservation. To subscribe, send a blank message to photoconservationsubscribe@yahoogroups.com.