ACRL College & Research Libraries News

Association of College & Research Libraries

Preservation News

Jane Hedberg

LC releases report on Bookkeeper

The Library of Congress has released the report of its Technical Evaluation Team which was charged to evalu- ate Preservation Technolo- gies’ mass deacidification treatment, Bookkeeper. The introduction to the report states, “The Technical Evalu- ation Team . . . unanimously concludes that [Bookkeeper] demonstrates the potential to meet the requirements for mass deacidification as defined in the RFP is- sued in 1993 by the Library of Congress . . . The Team also recommends that Preservation Technologies, Inc. (PTI) of Glenshaw, PA, be supported for further research and development by the Library.”

Based on evaluative research done during the summer of 1993, the report details a number of positive characteristics of the process; simplicity of design, modest start-up costs, limited physical damage to treated items, the potential for optimization, and no serious health hazards or negative environmental impact. The problems identified—variable application of alkalinity, slight chalky residue, and incomplete success with very acidic materials—may be amenable to further research. As a result of the report, the Library has contracted to treat an additional 600 test books and has requested funds from Congress to begin a limited production project to treat 72,000 volumes.

The 73-page report includes a summary of the findings, individual reports on specific aspects of the evaluation, plus appendices. Sally Buchanan chaired the team on which Wendy Bennett, Michael M. Domach, Susan M. Melnick, Charlotte Tancin, and Paul Whitmore served. Copies are available free of charge from Kenneth E. Harris, Preservation Projects Officer, Preservation Directorate, Library of Congress, LM-G21, Washington, DC 20540-4500; phone: (202) 707-1054; fax (202) 707-3434; e-mail: KHAR@LOC.GOV.

Columbia mounts results of oversize map project

Columbia University Libraries has completed a study of digital preservation techniques for oversized color maps and has mounted the resulting report, plus the images cre- ated, on the World Wide Web. During the project, five maps from the New York State Museum bulle- tin were scanned from mul- tiple sources (the originals, transparencies, and micro- fiche) at multiple resolu- tions and the images gen- erated were evaluated. The report’s conclusions will be used in the development of preservation plans for United States Geological Survey publications. The file is available on the World Wide Web at http://www.columbia.edu/ imaging/html/largemaps/oversized.html.

NEDCC presents conference on digital imaging and preservation

The Northeast Document Conservation Center (NEDCC) will present a one-day conference on digitization, microfilming, and preservation at the John F. Kennedy Library and Museum in Boston on April 13, 1995. The conference will consider the digital imaging and microform projects at Cornell and Yale Universities, as well as broader policy issues. Speakers will include Anne Kenney, associate director, Department of Preservation and Conservation, Cornell University; Paul Conway, head, Preservation Department, Yale University; Richard Ekman, secretary, the Andrew Mellon Foundation; Deanna Marcum, president, Council on Library Resources; and George Farr, director, Division of Preservation and Access, National Endowment for the Humanities. Registration (including lunch) costs $70.00. For more information on the NEDCC conference contact: Gay Tracy, NEDCC, 100 Brickstone Square, Andover, MA 01810.

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; JHEDBERG@LUCY. WELLESLEY.EDU. Submission deadline is the 15th of the month and precedes publication by approximately six weeks.