ACRL College & Research Libraries News

Association of College & Research Libraries

Preservation News

Jane Hedberg

Conway considers digital preservation

Paul Conway, head of the Preservation Department at Yale University, has com- pleted a report for the Com- mission on Preservation and Access titled “Preservation in the Digital World.” This re- port is intended to describe the changing nature of pres- ervation as it encompasses new electronic media and to create a framework for un- derstanding that change.

Conway postulates that the preservation con- cepts that have been developed for print and other traditional media during the past twenty years may not all be appropriate for digital media. He argues that while preservation of traditional media emphasizes the physical in- tegrity of the object, preservation of digital media must emphasize the intellectual integ- rity of the object. Access to information stored in digital form is so short lived, compared to traditional forms, that preservation management should begin before creation of the digital ob- ject. The Commission hopes this report will stimulate discussion and exploration of these important issues. Copies are available for $15.00 from the Commission on Preservation and Ac- cess, 1400 16th Street NW, Suite 740, Washing- ton, DC 20036-2117; phone: (202) 939-3400; fax: (202) 939-3407. Prepayment is required. Commission sponsors receive publications free of charge.

ECPA offers Internet access

The European Commission on Preservation and Access (ECPA) has recently developed both a discussion list and a World Wide Web site. They are intended to engender interest in and distribute information about preservation activities in Europe. The Web site contains descriptive material on the ECPA, announcements, a calendar, conference summaries, a list of publications, and a list of preservation institutes and organizations, all written in English.

One may subscribe to the discussion list by sending the one-line message: subscribe EPIC- LST <name> to listserv@nic.surfnet.nl. The address of the Web site is http://www.library. knaw.nl/epic/ecpatex/ welcome.htm.

Commission/CLR publish project list

The Commission on Preser- vation and Access and the Council on Library Re- sources (CLR) have pub- lished a new report, “Digi- tal Collections Inventory Report.” As collections of documents on the Web have proliferated, the Com- mission/CLR realized the value and inherent difficulty in identifying digital collec- tions of interest to scholars.

This 64-page report is the result of their pre- liminary project to inventory digital collections. It lists collections in four broad categories, plus Web sites that lead to digital collections.

Copies are $20.00 from the Commission on Preservation and Access (see address in first item); phone: (202) 939-3400; fax: (202) 939- 3407. Prepayment is required. Commission sponsors receive publications free of charge.

NEDCC offers microfilming workshops

The Northeast Document Conservation Center (NEDCC) has scheduled four more workshops about preservation microfilming. Designed to train project administrators in planning, implementing, and managing filming projects, the workshops will also include information on digital technologies and their role in hybrid preservation systems. Susan Wrynn, director of Reprographic Services at NEDCC, is the principal instructor. The first workshop is May 13–15 in Sacramento; the second is June 10–12 in New Mexico; the third is September 9–11 in North Carolina; and the fourth is October 7-9 in New York City. Registration is $210, including purchase of Preservation Microfilming: A Guide for Librarians and Archivists, or $150 without purchasing the guide.

For more information, contact Gay Tracy, NEDCC, 100 Brickstone Square, Andover, MA 01810; phone: (508) 470-1010; fax: (508) 475- 6021; e-mail: nedcc@world.std.com. ■

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; JHEDBERG@WELLESLEY.EDU.