ACRL College & Research Libraries News

Association of College & Research Libraries

Preservation News

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

Moving Theory into Practice

The Research Libraries Group (RLG) has published Moving Theory into Practice: Digital Imaging for Libraries and Archives, by Anne Kenney and Oya Rieger. The book’s nine chapters and thirty sidebars stress the importance of an integrated approach to digital conversion projects that balances institutional and cultural objectives with current digital applications. They cover all aspects of digital imaging, including decision-making, sound practices, program development, research trends, and emerging technologies.

The book is available for $80, plus shipping and handling, from RLG, 1200 Villa Street, Mountain View, CA 94041-1100; phone: (650) 962-9951; fax: (650) 964-0943; Web: www.rlg.org/preserv/mtip2000.html. ISBN: 0-9700225-0-6.

DLF and RLG digital guides

The Digital Library Federation and the Research Libraries Group have issued five “Guides to Quality in Visual Resource Imaging.” These guides are intended to define current good practice for the digital conversion of twoand three-dimensional (often colorintensive) photographs, prints, drawings, and maps. They indicate key decision points during the life of a project and the consequences of those decisions.

The five guides are: “Planning an Imaging Project,” by Linda Serenson Colet of the Museum of Modern Art; “Selecting a Scanner,” by Don Williams of Eastman Kodak Company; “Imaging Systems: the Range of Factors Affecting Image Quality,” by Donald D’Amato of Mitretek Systems; and “Measuring Quality of Digital Masters,” by Franziska Frey of the Image Permanence Institute.

The guides are available at http:// www.rlg.org/visguides.

CUR report on digital authenticity

The Council on Library and Information Resources (CLIR) has published a new report, “Authenticity in a Digital Environment.” Based on a workshop held in January 2000, this publication contains the responses of five information experts to the question, “What is an authentic digital document?” Charles Cullen of the Newberry Library, Peter Hirtle of the Cornell Institute for Digital Collections, David Levy formerly of the Xerox Palo Alto Research Center, Cliff Lynch of the Coalition for Networked Information, and Jeff Rothenberg of The Rand Corporation each offer comments on the meaning of content, fixity, consistency of reference, and provenance. Abby Smith of CLIR has written a concluding essay that identifies key themes of the workshop.

The report is available free of charge at http://www.clir.org. Printed copies are also available for $20, including postage and handling, from CLIR Publication Orders, 1755 Massachusetts Avenue, NW, Suite 500, Washington, D.C. 20036-2124; phone: (202) 939-4750; fax: (202) 939-4765; e-mail: info@ clir.org. Orders must be prepaid.

SOLINET activities

Preservation Services of the Southeastern Library Network, Inc. (SOLINET) will offer two workshops on digital imaging this fall. The first, “Introduction to Digital Imaging,” will be held on November 15-The second, “Digital Imaging of Photographic Collections,” will be held on November 16 to 17, and covers digital conversion of visual materials. Both workshops will take place at SOLINET in Atlanta. For more information, contact Christine Wiseman, Preservation Services, SOLINET, Inc., 1438 W. Peachtree St., N.W., Suite 200, Atlanta, GA 30309-2955; phone: (800) 999-8558; fax: (404) 892-7879; e-mail: christine_wiseman@solinet.net.

Preservation Services has updated its “What’s New” Web page. In addition to news about their own activities, the page includes regional and national preservation news. Look there for brief announcements about publications, workshops, and events. The URL is http://www.solinet.net/presvtn/new/ newintro.htm. ■