The Commission on Preservation and Access
Newsletter January 1989 Number 89
Survey of Foreign
Libraries’ Preservation Records The project to explore the feasibility of creating an international database of bibliographic records (see June 1988 Newsletter) is making progress. Hans Rütimann, the project coordinator, has visited the national libraries in Great Britain, East and West Germany, and Austria; the libraries in Venezuela and France are scheduled to be visited in January and February. In addition, following leads from initial visits, Rütimann has met with staff members of the Stadt- und Universitaetsbibliothek in Frankfurt-am-Main, the Bayerische Staatsbibliothek in Munich, and the Swiss National Library in Berne. It is too early for a detailed analysis of possible overlap abroad in the filming of deteriorating library materials. However, it is clear that concern about these materials is widely shared. Apart from differences of opinion concerning preservation problems, the fact is that some large-scale microfilming projects abroad have either begun or are in the planning stages. For example, the Stadt- und Universitaetsbibliothek in Frankfurt is coordinating a project–funded in part by the Volkswagen Foundation (Stiftung Volkswagenwerke)–to film important collections systematically. Representatives from the participating libraries (Berlin, Freiburg, Marburg, Wuerttemberg, Wolfenbuettel, Munich, and Goettingen) will meet this month in Frankfurt to establish final guidelines for the project. Dr. B. Kossmann, Director of the Stadt- und Universitaetsbibliothek in Frankfurt, has agreed to report to conference participants on the Commission’s work and to discuss ways of broadening Frankfurt’s initial concept to include mechanisms for international dissemination of bibliographical data about filmed items. Also important to our project is a study in progress at the Bavarian State Library (Bayerische Staatsbibliothek, Munich). Under the direction of Ors. E. Lapp and U. Montag, a survey of German libraries will lead to guidelines for the acquisition, creation, and bibliographical control of microforms in research libraries. This study will have a significant impact on the German library community, and our ongoing dialogue with the Library could, in the opinion of its director, influence the guidelines.
Brittle Books
Reprint is Available The Commission has a limited supply of reprints of the Brittle Books document describing the evolution of the Council on Library Resources’ studies leading to the establishment of the Commission in 1986. For more information, please write to Pamela Block.
National Advisory Council
on Preservation to Meet in January The National Advisory Council on Preservation, established by the Commission to promote preservation goals in a variety of academic, governmental, and professional organizations, will meet in Washington on January 26. The meeting will include presentations and discussion on matters of current interest in the preservation program, such as, The National Endowment for the Humanities’ preservation program; preservation challenges and concerns in national and state archives; international preservation activities; and the establishment of scholarly advisory committees on preservation priorities in the academic disciplines. Members of the Commission will also be in attendance.
Ellen McCrady Honored by
ALA Resolution Ellen McCrady, publisher and editor of both the Abbey Newsletter and the Alkaline Paper Advocate, has been honored in a resolution sponsored by the Preservation of Library Materials Section of the Resources and Technical Services Division of the American Library Association. The resolution commends McCrady for “her singular work, on behalf of all libraries, to promote the preservation of library materials and the production of alkaline paper.”
Image Permanence Institute
Commended The PLMS section of ALA also commended the Image Permanence Institute of Rochester, New York, for contributing significantly to the clarification of image stability issues as they relate to preservation microfilming; for providing an objective evaluative service for photographic and other imaging media, and for providing guidance on proper archival processing, storage, and handling of imaging media. Both resolutions were passed at the ALA New Orleans meeting in July 1988.
Information Package on
Alkaline Paper Produced By ARL The Association of Research Libraries has published a briefing package on alkaline paper, “Preserving Knowledge: The Case for Alkaline Paper.” Sponsored by ARL, the Commission, and the National Humanities Alliance, the package is being made available to representatives of government, Congress, higher education, and industry as part of a campaign to promote the increasing production and use of alkaline paper.
Meiji Imprints Microform
Project The Waseda University Library in Tokyo plans to film its collection of Meiji imprints totalling about 70,000 monograph volumes and 60,000 bound periodical volumes. The Library will then film the Meiji imprints of other libraries and institutions in Japan and worldwide not found in its own collection. The Library is currently creating a database of bibliographic records of its foreign publications. The Japan MARC records from the preservation project will provide retrospective conversion of the Library’s distinctive Japanese holdings.
Commission on Preservation and Access
1400 16th Street, NW, Suite 740 Washington, DC 20036-2217 (202) 939-3400 Fax: (202) 939-3407 The Commission on Preservation and Access was established in 1986 to foster and support collaboration among libraries and allied organizations in order to ensure the preservation of the published and documentary record in all formats and to provide enhanced access to scholarly information. The Newsletter reports on cooperative national and international preservation activities and is written primarily for university administrators and faculty, library and archives administrators, preservation specialists and administrators, and representatives of consortia, governmental bodies, and other groups sharing in the Commission’s goals. The Newsletter is not copyrighted; its duplication and distribution are encouraged.
Patricia Battin–PresidentPeter Winterble–Program Officer Pamela D. Block–Administrative Assistant Return to CLIR Home Page >>
