ACRL College & Research Libraries News

Association of College & Research Libraries

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 Library, 106 Central St., Wellesley, MA 02181-8275; (617) 283-2103; fax: (617) 283-3640; JHEDBERG@WELLESLEY.EDU. Submission deadline is the 15th of the month and precedes publication by approximately six weeks.

Commission publishes magnetic tape guide

The Commission on Preservation and Access and the National Media Laboratory published Magnetic Tape Storage and Handling: A Guide for Libraries and Archives, by John W. C. Van Bogart, in June 1995. The 34-page guide covers the reasons for magnetic media degeneration, life expectancy, and prevention of premature degradation. The appendices contain guidelines for care and handling, a bibliography, and a glossary.

Copies are available for $10.00 from the Commission on Preservation and Access, 1400 16th Street NW, Suite 740, Washington, DC 20036-2217. Prepayment is required. Commission sponsors receive all publications free of charge.

PRLC presents teleconference on mass deacidification

The Pittsburgh Regional Library Center (PRLC), the University of Pittsburgh School of Library and Information Science, and the Robert Morris College School of Communications and Information Systems are jointly presenting a national teleconference on mass deacidification. The conference, to be held October 26, 1995, will focus on current research and the potential for mass deacidification to delay acid deterioration of paper-based collections. Robert DeCandido of the New York Public Library will moderate and participants will include Kenneth Harris and Chandru Shahani of the Library of Congress, Sally Buchanan of the University of Pittsburgh School of Library and Information Science, Sue Kellerman of Penn State University, and Randall Russell of Preservation Technologies, Inc.

The teleconference will be accessible via satellite downlink on C-band or Ku-band throughout North America. The licensing fee is $200. Videotapes of the conference will be available for $200, plus the cost of duplication, shipping, and handling.

For more information on the conference, contact Susan Melnick, Preservation Services Manager, PRLC, 103 Yost Blvd., Pittsburgh, PA 15221; phone: (412) 825- 0600; e-mail: smm@prlc.org.

ICI offers prize for α plan

Information Conservation, Inc. (ICI) is again offering its “prize for a plan.” A prize of $3,000, $1,500, or $750 worth of ICI conservation services will be awarded to the three institutions that submit the best plans for utilizing those services to conserve important collections in their care. Contest deadline is Novem- ber 15, 1995.

For plan guidelines and an ICI price list, contact Jackie Dabbs at (800) 444-7534. For more information, contact Harry Campbell at the same telephone number or by e-mail at 70304.3023@compuserve.com.

AA distributes leaflet on photocopying and printing

The Australian Archives (AA) is distributing its helpful leaflet, Photocopying and Laser Printing Processes: Their Stability and Permanence. It describes the processes of xerography and laser printing, the toners and carriers used, the factors leading to image degradation, and how to test toner adhesion. It also includes practical recommendations for extending the life expectancy of photocopied or laser-printed materials

Copies are available free of charge from the Australian Archives by gopher at aa01.aa.gov.au. Select Australian Government, The Australian Archives, Custody and Preservation Information, and Photocopying and Laser Printing Processes. For more information on the leaflet contact Pat Jackson, Australian Archives, P.O. Box 34, Dickson ACT, Australia 2602; e-mail: patj@aa.gov.au. ■