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by Robin McElheny
As Associate University Archivist for Programs in the Harvard University Archives, I am responsible for archival acquisitions, processing, collection management, preservation, and reference. Thus, like most of you, I wear many hats during my daily professional life. When I hear Luciana Duranti's call to face the challenges of modern records, I see thousands of records in a wide range of formats, including paper, photographic, magnetic, and electronic media. The University Archives is responsible for the proper disposition of all of them. My colleagues and I must appraise, accession, arrange, and describe these records as we struggle to maintain long-term access to the information they contain.
Modern records may be more voluminous than in the past and the media may be more fragile, but the basic principles of archival preservation management still apply. Surveys, appraisal, and other forms of intellectual control are relevant to all records, regardless of their physical format, and physical maintenance, including environmental control of storage areas, proper handling techniques, disaster preparedness, and reformatting, are critical for the preservation of photographic and magnetic media as well as paper.When I met with other members of the Preservation Section Steering Committee last September, we concurred that the Section must continue to stress preservation basics in the sessions and workshops that we sponsor. Not only should we strive to offer educational opportunities to new members of the profession, we should also remind ourselves that strong archival programs are best sustained by our long-term commitment to maintain access to our collections through practical, cost-effective holdings management. The extent to which we can share information that has a direct impact on our day-to-day preservation efforts will be the true measure of our success.
Please let the Section Steering Committee know how the Section can best address your need for preservation information and training. You can reach me by e-mail at robin_mcelheny@harvard.edu or by US mail at the Harvard University Archives, Pusey Library, Cambridge, MA 02138. I look forward to hearing from you.
Preservation Section members have elected Pamela Hackbart-Dean (Georgia University Libraries) to serve as the Section's Vice Chair/Chair Elect, Sharla Richards (AMIGOS) is the new Member-at-Large, and Mary Lynn Ritzenthaler (NARA) is the newly elected member of the Nominating Committee.
Nominating Committee Reminder!
The Nominating Committee is seeking nominations for next year's election. In 1999, the Section will elect the Vice Chair, a one-year office; one Member-at-Large and one Nominating Committee member, both two-year positions. Please use the attached (page 9) nomination form to recommend individuals for consideration by the Section's Nominating Committee. Thank You.
AMIGOS Bibliographic Council recently announced that Sharla Richards has joined the organization as Field Services Officer for AMIGOS Preservation Service. She comes to AMIGOS from the Southeastern Library Network (SOLINET) in Atlanta, Georgia, where she held a similar position. She currently serves on ALA's Photographic and Recording Media Committee, Preservation and Reformatting Section International Task Force, and chairs the Cooperative Preservation Programs Discussion Group. She is a member of SAA's Preservation Publications Awards Committee, and co-chairs the Outreach Committee of the Preservation Section. Sharla is a 1995 graduate of The University of Texas at Austin, where she received a Master of Library and Information Science degree and held a number of positions.
Tyler Walters has accepted the position to head the Haselton Library and Information Center of the Institute of Paper Science and Technology (an affiliate of the Georgia Institute of Technology, and resides on the Tech campus) in Atlanta, Georgia, beginning on December 14, 1998. IPST is a global leader in graduate education, research and information for the pulp, paper, and related industries. The IPST Haselton Library is comprised of over 80,000 volumes including books, serials, U.S. and international patents, proprietary research reports, IPST publications/print materials, and rare books. It is the largest library of pulp and paper research-related materials anywhere and has an international collecting scope.
At the recent annual meeting in Orlando, Tyler Walters was presented with the Fellows' Posner Award, for his article entitled "Contemporary Archival Appraisal Methods and Preservation Decision-Making," which was published in the summer 1996 issue of the American Archivist. Walters, in association with Ivan E. Hanthorn (Iowa State Library), also wrote an article for the spring 1998 issue of the American Archivist, on current practices in preservation management, which you don't want to miss.
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The SAA Preservation Publication Award Committee would like to encourage members of the SAA Preservation Section to submit their nominations for the 1999 Preservation Publication Award. Established in 1993, this award recognizes and acknowledges the author (s), editor (s), or organization for an outstanding preservation-related work of relevance to the archives community published in North America during the previous year. Eligible publications include articles, reports, chapters, and monographs in print, audiovisual, or electronic formats published in 1998. A full list of criteria is available on the SAA Web site (www.archivists.org). The 1999 Nomination form was published in the November/December 1998 Archival Outlook (also available at: http://www.archivists.org/ awards/awd_frm.htm), and must be postmarked by February 28, 1999. Requests for additional information and/or nomination forms should be addressed to: Alfred Lemmon, 1935 Valence St., New Orleans, LA 70115; 504.523.4662; fax 504.598.7108; alfred@hnoc.org. or Nancey Boothe, Rice University, Fondren Library MS44, 6100 S. Main St., Houston, TX 77005-1892; 713.527.8101; fax 713.285.5258.
Your nominations are essential to the award process. The SAA Preservation Publication Award Committee looks forward to seeing your nominations in February. SAA Preservation Award Committee
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Nota Bene
The Final Edition of North American Permanent Papers, 3rd ed. Ellen McCrady, ed. June 1998. 60pp. ISBN 0-9622071-4-4. $19.50 plus postage, is now available from Abbey Publications. The last issue of the Alkaline Paper Advocate will appear very soon. For more information please contact: Ellen McCrady, Editor, Abbey Publications, 7105 Geneva Drive, Austin, Texas 78723 Tel: 512.929.3992 or Fax: 512.929.3995, or email: abbeypub@flash.com.
Council on Library Information Resources (CLIR) Commissions Report on a Hybrid Model for Digital Imaging and Preservation Microfilming: The recently made available CLIR Issues, No. 6 (November/ December 1998), includes two important articles on the subject of preservation reformatting, including an article entitled Digital Preservation?, in which Donald J. Waters, Director, Digital Library Federation, discusses the role of digital technology as a tool for libraries and archives. Waters states that "there is little evidence that conversion to digital form is an adequate preservation substitute for microfilming." He calls for a hybrid approach for long-term preservation and the "develop[ment of] reliable and economical means of using technology as an option for improving access . . . ." The CLIR publication also contains a related article entitled, The Hybrid Model of Preservation Reformatting , by Abby Smith, Editor and Director of Programs, in which Smith discusses ongoing research, on the role of digital imaging and preservation microfilming, including a report, recently commissioned by the CLIR , on a hybrid approach to these reformatting techniques, which will soon be available. (You can view CLIR Issues in print, or at URL: http://www.clir.org/ pubs/issues/ issues06.html).
NISO Standard Z39.79, Environmental Conditions for Exhibiting Library and Archival Materials, has been distributed for ballot to NISO members. A copy of the standard is available for review on the NISO web site at URL:http://www.niso.org/standard.html#Drafts.
ANSI has issued brand-new standards relating to storage of magnetic and optical media: ANSI/PIMA IT9.23-1998, Imaging Materials--Polyester Base Magnetic Tape--Storage, and ANSI/PIMA IT9.25-1998 Imaging Materials--Optical Disc Media--Storage, are currently available from ANSI. Visit the ANSI catalog for further information at URL: http//www.ansi.org/catalog/search.html.
Joint RLG and NPO Preservation Conference Guidelines for Digital Imaging. This international conference was held September 28-30, 1998, at The University of Warwick, and proceedings of the conference will be prepared and made available in the coming months. They will be available as both a print and web-based publication; the web-based documents will be available at http://www.rlg.org/preserv/joint/. Background information and supporting documents prepared for the conference will remain available at that site until the proceedings are complete.
In related news.....the RLG DigiNews, October 1998 issue, Volume 2, Issue 5, is now available and contains two feature articles: "Joint RLG and NPO Conference on Guidelines for Digital Imaging" by Nancy Elkington of the Research Libraries Group and Neil Beagrie of the Arts and Humanities Data Service Executive; and "The Role of National Initiatives in Digital Preservation" by Margaret Hedstrom of the University of Michigan School of Information. The issue also contains an article, "Light Levels Used in Modern Flatbed Scanners," by Timothy Vitale of Preservation Associates. URL: http://www.rlg.org/preserv/diginews (from North America Australia) or URL: http://www. thames. rlg.org/ preserv/diginews (from Europe). For more information contact: Robin L. Dale, Research Libraries Group, Inc. 1200 Villa Street Mountain View, CA 94041-1100 650.691.2238/Fax: 650.964.0943.
The Library of Congress announced its annual selection of 25 significant American motion pictures to be added to the National Film Registry. Under the term of the National Film Preservation Act, LC names 25 "culturally, historically or aesthetically" significant motion pictures to the registry each year (LC The Gazette, Vol. 9, No. 43, November 20, 1998).
The National Film Preservation Foundation (NFPF) has awarded its first grants to preserve culturally important films not protected by commercial interests. Twelve archives in nine states and the District of Columbia are receiving support to preserve such rare works. The National Film Preservation Foundation (www.filmpreservation.org) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to saving America's film heritage. Working with archives and others who appreciate film, the NFPF supports film preservation activities nationwide that ensure the physical survival of film for future generations and improve access to film for study, education and exhibition. Created by the U.S. Congress, the NFPF is the charitable affiliate of the National Film Preservation Board of the Library of Congress. Calls for the 1999 grants cycle will be announced later this winter.
National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) 14th Annual Preservation Conference ALTERNATIVE ARCHIVAL FACILITIES, being held on March 25, 1999 at the National Archives Building, 700 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, DC . The following sessions will include standards, hints, tips, and models on how to utilize alternative space for the storage of archival and library materials:
The Registration Fee is $50.00 Send check payable to: National Archives Trust Fund and/or obtain registration information: Eleanor Torain, Conference Coordinator (NWDP), 8601 Adelphi Road (Rm. 2800),College Park, MD 20740-6001, Telephone: 301.713.6718 Fax: 301.713.6653 E-mail: preserve@nara.gov See program details on the Web at http://www.nara.gov/nara/preserva/conferen/index.html
"Preservation Management: Between Policy and Practice," a European conference organized by the Koninklijke Bibliotheek, National Library of the Netherlands, the IFLA-PAC, and the European Commission on Preservation and Access (ECPA), to be held at The Hague, April 19-21, 1999. Information and registration forms will be posted at www.konbib.nl/pmc. Contact: ECPA, P.O. Box 191121, 1000 GC Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Fax: 011.31.20.62004941, or email: ecpa@bureau.knaw.nl.
News about Pennsylvania's Charter which did not make it into the last issue......_ Linda Ries at the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, Bureau of Archives and History, reported that the Charter given to William Penn on March 4, 1681, by King Charles II of England, for the land that became Pennsylvania, received needed conservation treatment between October 1997 and February 1998, by parchment expert Susan Filter at the Conservation Center for Art and Historic Artifacts in Philadelphia.
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by Prof. Ken Riccardi (LaGuardia Community College-City University of New York)
The general preservation survey is one of the most important tools for safeguarding your collection. Whether you are responsible for an archive or library, the preservation survey is the first step toward ensuring that your holdings will be properly maintained and preserved for future generations of researchers. The general preservation survey acts as a road map to guide you in planning a sound preservation strategy. It provides information about the overall physical environment and makes recommendations for its improvement. The purpose of my article is to share with you my own experiences and to provide an overview of the general preservation survey process.
Types Of Surveys
Essentially, there are three types of preservation surveys. The general, or overview survey, the collection specific survey, and the individual items survey. The general preservation survey involves assessing the environmental conditions of an institution. By environmental conditions, I am referring to temperature, humidity, light, housekeeping, fire and security protection, storage and disaster preparedness. The collection specific survey, entails a thorough inspection of a collection, or a part of a collection, and results in recommendations about proper housing, and/or conservation treatment. An individual item survey, focuses on specific items in a collection and makes recommendations on their condition and conservation treatment. Of the three types of surveys, my article discusses the general preservation survey.
In-House Survey
One way of performing a general preservation survey of your archives or library is the in-house method. An in-house survey is undertaken by your staff and usually involves a commitment of at least six months. Staff members are divided into work groups, each with its own set of responsibilities. For instance, one group would be involved with monitoring the temperature and relative humidity inside the archives or library, while another group reviews fire safety and security procedures. The benefit of using the in-house methodology is that it makes staff members aware of the archives'/library's preservation needs, and how best to address those needs. There are a number of organizations that can assist you with your in-house survey. They offer both written instructions and technical support. A list of regional preservation organizations is provided at the end of this article.
Preservation Consultants
An alternative to the in-house survey, is to retain the services of a consultant. A trained preservation consultant can arrange to visit your institution and conduct a general preservation survey. There are several benefits to using a consultant over the in-house survey. First, it does not require the long-term involvement of staff, thereby saving both time and money. Second, the survey is completed in a much shorter period of time. Third, the consultant will write a comprehensive report that you can use to formulate your preservation program and to seek grant funding for preservation projects. In many instances, you cannot secure grant funding for preservation projects, unless you have completed a general survey of your archives or library. Many funding organizations want you to demonstrate that you understand your preservation needs, and have a plan in place to address them. A consultant recently completed a general preservation survey of my archives and, as a result, I was successful in obtaining grant funding from the State of New York, to purchase equipment for an environmental monitoring project. Another, perhaps less obvious, benefit of using a preservation consultant, is that it provides you with an expert's recommendations that you can use as a tool for securing management's support for your ideas and projects. Over the years, I have found that an expert's report usually carries a certain degree of weight with administrators.
Retaining the services of a consultant in any field costs money, and preservation consultants are no different. The average cost of a general preservation survey ranges from $2,500 to $3,000. However, there are various ways to finance this expense. One option is to seek grant funding. Many, if not all, states offer grants, as do a number of private foundations. Another option is to contact a regional preservation consulting organization in your area and determine if they can perform a general, or other type of preservation survey, at a lower cost. The National Endowment for the Humanities has awarded grants to a number of preservation consultants, allowing them to offer the general preservation survey at a greatly reduced cost.
The Survey Process
If you decide to use the services of a preservation consultant, your first step is finding one with the necessary qualifications. Although there are no hard and fast rules, you should consider two important factors. The first is experience. Where has the consultant worked, and what is his/her experience in doing the type of survey you need. Obtain the consultant's resume and a list of institutions that he/she has surveyed. Contact these institutions and inquire about the quality of the consultant's work. The second factor to consider is education. Did the consultant graduate from an accredited program in archival studies, conservation, or library science? Has the consultant completed any special course work in conservation/preservation?
The preservation consultant that you select will ask you to complete a pre-survey questionnaire. This is actually a checklist that covers such areas as building construction and use, collection storage, fire protection, housekeeping, humidity/temperature, lighting, security, and, staffing. It is designed to make you think about your institution's preservation needs, while at the same time providing the consultant with an overview of your archives or library. Following the pre-survey questionnaire is the actual site visit. During this part of the general preservation survey, the consultant will conduct a walk-through of your facility. If your archives or library is part of a larger building, as is the case with mine, the preservation consultant will first examine the overall physical plant. The consultant will want to determine the age and construction of the building, taking into consideration the type of building materials (brick, concrete, wood, etc.), the condition of the roof, and the geographical location of the building. Next, the consultant will examine the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems (HVAC). Where is the HVAC machinery located? Are vents and pipes located near the collection areas? Is the equipment maintained on a regular basis? Housekeeping, general maintenance, and security are also reviewed by the consultant. Is trash picked up in a timely manner? Is there a regular cleaning schedule in place? Is there a pest control program? Is flooding a problem? What type of fire prevention and security measures are in place?
During or immediately after the walk through, the preservation consultant will meet with key members of the housekeeping, engineering, maintenance, and security staffs to discuss his/her observations and ask questions. I strongly suggest that you accompany the consultant during these meetings, because they are quite informative, and will provide you with a better understanding of how your facility operates. It is also an opportunity to introduce yourself to the people you will need in an emergency.
The next phase of the general preservation survey is the inspection of your archives or library. The purpose of this part of the survey is to evaluate the overall environment. The consultant's primary focus will be on assessing humidity/temperature, light/ultraviolet light levels, housekeeping (cleanliness of the storage areas, pest infestation, mold, evidence of food and drink, etc.), storage practices (types of shelving, amount of space available for storing materials, use of archival quality boxes and materials), fire/security safety (fire exits, sprinklers, fire detection equipment, security guards and security cameras, door and window alarms, etc.), and disaster preparedness.
After surveying the facilities, the consultant will review your archives' or library's policies and procedures. This is done to determine whether your institution has a coherent plan relative to access, collection management, disaster recovery, records management and preservation. The consultant's recom-mendations will assist you in strengthening your policies and procedures and, where none exist, guide you towards the implementation of an effective preservation program.
The Report
The final step in the survey process is the report. Depending on the complexity of the general preservation survey and the work load of the consultant, it can take anywhere from two weeks to perhaps two months to write the report. Essentially, the survey report contains the consultant's observations and recommendations about key aspects of your preservation program. The report will cover in detail the areas of disaster recovery, environmental conditions, maintenance, preservation planning, physical plant, storage, and security. The report should also include a brief summary of the consultant's recommendations and an appendix of technical information. I found the supplemental information that came with my report to be particularly useful. Included was information on building maintenance, collection care, environmental monitoring, exhibits, preservation planning, and security.
This article is by no means a comprehensive treatment of the general preservation survey. Its sole purpose is to make you aware of the importance of proper preservation planning and the role which the general preservation survey plays in this process. You cannot begin to plan your institution's preservation program without first determining your strengths and weaknesses. A general preservation survey can help you accomplish this and provide the foundation for safeguarding your collection.
Editor's note: There are various organizations that can assist you with planning and conducting a preservation survey at your institution. You can start by contacting one of the conservation centers in your area, and discuss your particular preservation needs with their representative. The following list includes organizations which are members of either the Regional Alliance for Preservation (RAP), the Association of Regional Conservation Centers (ARCC), or both((You can visit the Solinet Website at: http://www.solinet/rap/ contact.html, for a list that includes further contact information for RAP and ARCC member organizations. If you have any questions regarding ARCC members, you may also contact ARCC's chair, Ann Russell, who can be reached by phone at: 978.470.1010 or email: annr@nedcc.org).
The workshops, Preservation Microfilming Management (Erroll Somay, Virginia Newspaper Project) and Preservation Management (Evelyn Frangakis, NAL & Mary Lynn Ritzenthaler, NARA), held at this year's annual meeting, were a great success! We are happy to report that proposals for three, one-day workshops, submitted for the next annual meeting of the Society of American Archivists, have been accepted and will be offered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, August 23-24, 1999. The working titles are, Preservation 101 (Pam Hackbart-Dean, Georgia University Libraries), Writing Your Disaster Preparedness Recovery Plan (Jill Rawnsley, Conservation Center for Art and Historic Artifacts), and The Reformatting Challenge: Management Issues (Sally Buchanan, JeanAnn Croft, University of Pittsburgh). The Committee is still working on developing a workshop on health & safety issues, to be held at one of the regional meetings this coming year, and is planning the Fourth Preservation Publications Fair, to be held at the annual meeting of the Preservation Section in Pittsburgh in 1999. Finally, we continue to work on revising the Model Preservation Management Policies Manual and plan to submit a publications prospectus to SAA in the near future. (See page 8 for more details) (Glenda Stevens & Anke Voss-Hubbard Co-Chairs, Education Committee).
Several program proposals were submitted on behalf of the Preservation Section. These included programs tentatively titled: Managing Digital Continuity, The Information Afterlife: Ensuring Maximum Life Expectancy for Digital Data, Photographs: Storing, Digitally Reformatting, Displaying, Appraisal and the Long-Term Preservation of Audio-Visual Archival Documents, Look Before You Leap: Preservation Implications During Acquisition and Accession (co-sponsored with Acquisitions and Appraisal Section), and The National Film Preservation Foundation's LAP (Laboratory-Archive Partnership Grants) Program. Titles and participants have yet to be finalized. Look for further details in the next issue of the newsletter (Kathleen Collins, Chair, Program Committee ).
SAA Annual Meeting - Orlando - September 2, 8:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m. In attendance: Pamela Hackbart-Dean, Nancy Marrelli, Robin McElheny, Christopher Paton , Sharla Richards, Sarah Talley, Tyler Walters.
After an introduction and review of the agenda by Section Chair, Tyler Wallters, Cris Paton, of the SAA Program Committee, spoke briefly about program proposals for the 1999 annual meeting. "Meeting the Challenge of Contemporary Records," is the theme for next year's meeting and sessions could address the creation of records, preservation of records, and issues pertaining to access and use. This presentations was followed by reports from the Section's committees: Outreach Committee (N. Marrelli): A. Status of Section Web site development: Web site has a home and Julie Graham has set it up. Robin McElheny, as incoming chair, should send a letter of thanks on behalf of the Section to JG's supervisor. Nancy will send name and address to RM. Operating procedures should/will follow guidelines established by SAA for section web sites. Web site will include links to other sources of information about preservation. Ideas? It will also include Section leadership contact info. Should the "Selected Readings" be posted on the web site instead of paper distribution? Nancy thinks not, as some Section members may not have Internet access. This needs further discussion and checking w/ SAA Publications Office to determine how they can help distribute the Selected Readings. B. New co-chairs, Tom Clareson and Sharla Richards. Sharla Richards urges other members of the Steering Committee to call on her and Tom whenever outreach is needed. Example: as a member of ALA, she is happy to serve as liaison to both library and archives preservation communities.
Education Committee (P. Hackbart-Dean) Reported that meeting workshop proposals include: Preservation 101, Preservation Reformatting Disaster Planning and Recovery, Health & Safety Issues. It is also possible that a 1-week intensive workshop on preservation management will be offered in 2000. The Committee has been working on a proposal for a model preservation management policy manual. This would be a kit consisting of policies and procedures from various institutions, much like an ARL Spec kit. The Committee likes the idea, but distribution issues need to be resolved. New co-chair ? Anke Voss-Hubbard is the incoming chair. Glenda Stevens may be willing to serve as co-chair; Robin will ask her at the business meeting (Glenda Stevens is incoming Co-Chair). Publications Committee (S. Gampfer, report by T. Walters) Selected Readings update: Distribution issues remain unresolved. Editor of American Archivist feels that Selected Readings does not fit the profile of AA articles. Committee tends to feel that web distribution is the best option, but who will mark up the text? Are there other options, such as $ from NEH, to distribute the list in paper form? What to do about Preservation Papers? Publications distribution issues. Infinity (A. Voss-Hubbard, report by T. Walters) Task Force on Preservation Education (C. Brown, report by T. Walters) Discussion of draft report.
Nominating Committee (T. Walters for E. Frangakis) Program Committee ( K. Collins ) Preservation Publication Award Committee (S. Richards ). No nominations were submitted this year, 1998, so no awards were made. How can we better publicize these awards? Section's Business Meeting (T. Walters) Agenda-Tyler distributed copies of the agenda. Margaret Byrne will be the guest speaker, with the presentation "Visual Literacy and the Challenge of Preservation." Other business: Section operation. General discussion of the need for less bureaucracy in the Section, with fewer committees and task forces, more reliance on the Steering Committee to carry out specific tasks -simply as recognition of the fact that most Section work is done by a core group of people (Minutes submitted by Robin McElheny, Chair, and Pam Hackbart-Dean, Vice-Chair).
The Education Committee of the Preservation Section of SAA invites you to submit your preservation policy and procedures statements for selection for inclusion in a Model Preservation Management Policies Manual that is in the making. The object of the project is to provide a manual that can assist archives in developing and implementing effective preservation management programs. An outline of good preservation elements is listed below. Your preservation policy and procedures statements incorporate these elements in whole or in part and can be helpful to your fellow archivists as they prepare their own individualized institutional programs.
It is the plan of the committee that this resource be made available both via the Internet and in hard copy. A possibility is publication by SAA. However, we would want to have preservation policy and procedures statements in hand before submitting our proposal to the Publications Board of SAA. We ask for your help on behalf our committee in its effort and on behalf of your fellow archivists as they take on a task for which you can provide a model. Please direct copies of your documents to either of the Co-chairs of the Education Committee by April 30, 1999. If you have questions please contact them as well.
Glenda B. Stevens
Jim Wright Archivist
Texas Christian University
Box 298400, Fort Worth, TX 76129
817.257.7595 Fax: 817.257.7282
E-mail: g.stevens@tcu.edu
Anke Voss-Hubbard
Rockefeller Archive Center
15 Dayton Avenue, Pocantico Hills
Sleepy Hollow, New York 10591-1598
914.631.6321 Fax: 914.631.6017
E-mail: vossa@rockvax.rockefeller.edu
Elements of The Manual
Preservation assessments are made to identify the current situation and needed improvements. They address: site, collections, policies, practices, procedures, roles and responsibilities.
Preservation policies articulate commitment of institution and staff to the integration of preservation concerns into all archival operations. They include policies for the following areas:
Preservation Goals and Strategies Environmental Controls Interiors/Storage Exteriors/Buildings Acquisition Care and Handling: Paper-based Materials, Photographs, Artifacts, Audiovisuals and Electronic Records Disaster Planning Exhibition Mold Pest Control Housekeeping Public Access Security Staff and User Training Preservation procedures carry out the policies. They imply action. Environmental Control Procedures relating to: Monitoring Relative humidity/Temperature Air quality/Filtering Lighting Mold control Pest control Housekeeping
Holdings Maintenance Program Procedures relating to:
Preservation supplies Reboxing, refoldering Humidification and flattening Custom housing Oversize documents
Preservation Priorities Procedures relating to:
Collection condition survey Assignment of priorities Reformatting Procedures relating to: Appraisal and selection for reformatting Prerequisite conservation treatment Reformatting options (digitization, photocopying, preservation microfilming, other) Conservation treatment of individual items Repair Treatment Deacidification
Many thanks to all of you who contributed to this issue. The submission deadline for the next issue (Spring/Summer 1999) is May 28, 1999. I urge all Section members to contribute to Infinity. Please contact me with ideas and proposals for future issues. I look forward to hearing from all of you. Happy New Year! Anke Voss-Hubbard
Society of American Archivists Preservation Section. Created September 3, 1997; updated February 14, 2006
URL: http://www.archivists.org/saagroups/preserv/text/vol142.htm
Comments and questions regarding this web site can be directed to Julie Graham
