ACRL College & Research Libraries News

College & Research Libraries News

Preservation News

Jane Hedberg

Jane Hedberg prepares this column for the College Libraries Committee, Commission on Preservation and Access. Submissions may be made to: Jane Hedberg, Wellesley College; jhedberg@wellesley.edu

Calipr available on WWW

The Conservation Department of the Library at the University of California, Berkeley has mounted Calipr 3.0xp on the World Wide Web. Calipr is the preservation needs assessment software package originally developed at Berkeley in 1989, and Calipr 3.0xp is a recently upgraded version. It is an automated expert system, which utilizes statistical sampling techniques and a survey questionnaire to evaluate condition, risk, and value of collections. Once these variables have been determined, appropriate preservation actions and priorities may be set. In addition to the basic software package, which can run on MS Windows or Mac, Calipr 3.0xp includes an expanded user manual, a random number generator for sampling, and printed reports explaining recommended preservation actions. The Web site also provides a sample library floor plan and a blank survey form. Calipr 3.0xp is available for download free-of-charge at http:// sunsite.berkeley.edu/CALIPR/. Be sure to register as a user, so you can be notified of enhancements to the product.

Cornell mounts digital to microfilm project report

The Department of Preservation and Conservation at Cornell University Library has mounted its report “Digital to Microfilm Conversion: A Demonstration Project 1994–1996,” on the World Wide Web. Using National Endowment for the Humanities funds, Cornell conducted a two-year study to evaluate the use of high-resolution bitonal digital imaging for production of computer output microfilm that is able to meet accepted preservation standards for quality and permanence. The report includes findings and recommendations on the quality of the resulting microfilm, the process used, and costs. It also includes a comparative assessment with Yale University’s Project Open Book, which investigated microfilm to digital conversion. The report is available at http:// www.library.cornell.edu/preservation/com/ comfin.html.

CCAHA NEH grant

The Conservation Center for Art and Historic Artifacts (CCAHA) has received a grant of $203,000 and a matching-funds challenge of $30,000 from the National Endowment for the Humanities. The money will be used from January 1998 through June 2000 to support the Center’s preservation overview surveys and preservation workshops. The subsidized preservation surveys consist of a one-day site visit and an extensive written evaluation of the institution’s needs. The preservation workshops will be offered on three topics: handling architectural materials, managing a mold outbreak, and recovery of paper-based materials damaged by water. The preservation surveys will cost $300.00 until June 30, 1998, and $350.00 thereafter, plus travel expenses for the surveyor. Any nonprofit institution with paper-based humanities collections available for public use may be eligible to apply. For more information, contact the Preservation Services Office, CCAHA, 264 South 23rd Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103; phone: (215) 545-0613; fax: (215) 735-9313; e-mail: CCAHA@hslc.org;WWW:http://www.ccaha.org.

NARA announces annual conference

The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) has announced its 13th annual preservation conference, Preserving Exhibitions: New Technologies, Standards, and Models, will be held on March 26, 1998, at the National Archives Building in Washington, D.C. The conference will focus on new research and technologies for preserving exhibitions, covering such specific topics as National Standards, the curatorial planning process, the impact of lighting levels, lighting design and monitoring, microenvironments in exhibit cases, and facsimile production. The registration fee is $50.00. For more information, send e-mail to preseive@nara.gov or consult the Web site at http://www.nara.gov/ra/nferen/. ■