Preservation Section 2012 Business Meeting

Location

We ecourage questions or ponderances about the topic to be submitted in advance so we can pose them directly to the panel during the discussion period. Please email them to j.r.waxman@gmail.com.

The following speakers have enthusiastically agreed to speak about this theme:

Michele Cloonan, Professor and former Dean, GSLIS, Simmons College

"The Pedagogy of Preservation"

Abstract: This paper will examine how preservation education has evolved from focusing on academic library collections to considering cultural heritage more broadly. The archives field had a lot to do with this shift: as archives programs grew, the demand for preservation courses grew as well. A second change in focus began with the creation of digital collections. Today's broader focus on physical and digital collections has lead to new partnerships and career paths for students. The paper will conclude with some preditions about future directions. 

Ann Marie Willer, Preservation Librarian, Massachusetts Institute of Technology 

"Other Duties as Assigned: The Evolving Responsibilities of Preservation Administrators"

Abstract: This presentation will summarize what a "typical" preservation administrator used to do and will compare it to a summary of changes as revealed in recent job postings, the speakers experience and reports from colleagues in the field. Highlights include: an evolution in how we advocate for and treat traditional book and paper collections; a need for a broader knowledge base that includes familiarity or expertise in metadata, the building and management of institutional repositories, the mechanisms of digital preservation, copyright, and audiovisual reformatting and preservation; the ability to closely interact with-- and even supervise--IT staff; an increased emphasis on funding (grants, donors, or cost-recovery) and the attendant skills of marketing and business management.

Ian Bogus, MacDonald Curator of Preservation, University of Pennsylvania

"Digital Preservation: It's More Familiar Than You Think!"

Abstract: For years the words “digital preservation” struck fear in the hearts of librarians and archivists most comfortable with preserving traditional materials. This talk will illustrate how the strategies for preserving digital content is actually very similar to those available for traditional materials. The difference lies mostly with terminology. Preservation options for either traditional or digital materials involve weighing multiple options based on various criteria such as the source material, value, and scarcity. Selecting the appropriate option requires the same thought process: what needs to be preserved in this object and what are the tools available to do it? The intent is to help non-tech archivists become more comfortable making digital preservation decisions.

Karen Gracy, Assistant Professor, SLIS, Kent State

"Preservation Education: A Research Agenda for the Next Decade and Beyond"

Abstract: The last decade has brought significant change to the preservation education landscape.  While some long-established preservation and conservation education programs for library and archival materials have been eliminated or moved to new institutions, other programs in new specializations such as audiovisual preservation, digital preservation, and digital curation have been established. Preservation programs in LIS departments have also shifted and expanded their domain, encompassing not only the preservation of physical objects and collections to the preservation of information in all types of media, both analog and digital. In reflecting on all of these transitions, the preservation profession must consider questions about the evolving nature of the field, and how   best to prepare our current and future practitioners. In the last forty years, the pedagogical models and techniques for preservation education have emphasized a particular set of skills that emphasized the management, care, and treatment of analog materials, however, the skill set for care and curation of audiovisual and digital media demands a much stronger IT skill set and the integration of theory and practice from allied fields such as archival science, museum studies, and knowledge management.