Caring For Your Collections (U.S.Library of Congress. Preservation Directorate)
At this excellent site’s core is series of separate, full-text practical guides to the care, handling, and/or storage of books, newspapers, motion picture films, photographic collections, and records and tapes. It also contains guides to specific kinds of problem situations and materials: Emergency Drying Procedures for Water Damaged Collections, Leather Dressing, Preservation Matting and Framing, Preservation Photocopying, and Preserving Works on Paper: Manuscripts, Drawings, Prints, Posters, Maps, Documents. There are numerous helpful links, e.g., to a classified Supply Catalog, information on the Directorate’s annual workshop, “Caring for LC Collections”, a handy FAQ, Specifications, LC Publications, and to related Links.
Guidelines for Preservation, Conservation, and Restoration of Local History and Local Genealogy Materials, © 2001, American Library Association (American Library Association. Reference & Adult Services Division. History Section. Genealogy & Local History Committee)
A useful full-text general guidelines manual, in 4 sections: Introduction, Preservation, Conservation, Restoration, replete with contact information (usually at the national level), notes, and bibliography, as adopted by The Division in June 1992.
Preservation: Frequently Asked Questions (U.S. Library of Congress. Preservation)
NEDCC Site Map (Northeast Document Conservation Center)
This is the website of (in its own words) “…the largest nonprofit regional conservation center in the United States.” They specialize in paper-based materials, i.e., not only books, but photographs. For Long Island libraries, in the event of a fire or flood, this is usually the first place to call, and be talked through the initial worst of it. In their FAQ you’ll find practitioners’ advice on conservation. You’ll find excellent downloadable or purchasable books, manuals and technical leaflets, a worksheet to guide you through to an effective, efficiently executed disaster plan (an ounce of prevention…), Here, you’ll find links to: potential funding sources, NEDCC’s calendar of workshops around the country, to 4 general categories of Internet Resources (Preservation and Conservation; Preservation Education; Book, Paper, and Photograph Sites; Library, Archives, and Museum Organizations). Their publications are highly recommended, e.g.: Handbook for Digital Materials © 2000, Preservation of Library and Archival Materials: A Manual, 3rd ed., rev & exp., © 1999, Low Cost/No Cost Improvements in Climate Control, and Tips for Water Damage to Family Heirlooms and Other Valuables. This is a rich site, with practical advice, well worth serious exploration.
Selected Links to Preservation Websites (SAA. Preservation Section)
Links are grouped under 3 headings: (a) General Preservation Links; (b) Cooperative and Regional Preservation Groups; (c) Preservation Newsletters. Worth exploring.
Archivists Round Table of Metropolitan New York (The Roundtable)
Leading archival association of New York City.
Society of American Archivists (SAA)
The premier national archival association in the U.S. Contains links to SAA sections, roundtables, task forces, etc.
Mid-Atlantic Archives Conference (MARAC)
An association of archivists from New York State to Virginia (including D.C. and W. Virginia). Home page contains 4 basic sets of links: organizational, professional development, benefits, and Archives and Links to Other Organizations. Archival organization links are arranged by scale (international, national, and state). There are links to a variety of sources, including a map, Directory of Regional, and Local Archival Organizations, clickable by individual state.
Long Island Archives Conference [LIAC] -- No website.
Leading archival association of Long Island, N.Y., which interprets the region to include the entire Island (Suffolk, Nassau, Queens, and Kings Counties), yet emphasizing Nassau-Suffolk. Contact information: LIAC President, Thomas Saltzman, Historian, Hempstead Town, 1 Washington Street, Hempstead, NY 11550, tel.: (516) 489-5000, ext. 3493, fax: (516) 481-9124. LIAC Newsletter, Dr. Richard Harmond, Editor, St. John’s University, History Department, Jamaica, NY 11439, tel.: (718) 990-6229.
Preservation of Audio Materials
[Conservation On Line (CoOL)]
http://palimpsest.stanford.edu/bytopic/audio/
Links to information on the history of audio, bibliographies, standards, digital audio, audio preservation associations, mailing lists, and resources at other websites.
Futureofthebook.com: preservation and persistence of the changing book [BookNews]
http://www.futureofthebook.com/
Considers and predicts directions in which the codex book is or may be heading, and issues surrounding its permanence or impermanence, notably in a digital setting. Contains links to related websites, publications, workshops.
Bookbinding
Bookbinding, a Tutorial,
by Douglas W. Jones © 1995 (University of
Iowa. Dept. of Computer Sciences and Center for the Book)
A step-by-step guide to the elements of bookbinding, with links to related sites and organizations.
American Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works
(Stanford University. AIC)
General Information, Conservation Specialties, Caring for Your Treasures, Disaster Recovery, Membership, Health and Safety, Publications, Meetings & Conferences, Grant Information, Becoming a Conservator, Selecting a Conservator, Site Search, What’s New, and more.
Conserve O Grams
(U.S. Interior Dept. National Parks Service. Museum Management Program)
Museum-oriented, there is much practical (how-to) information that will be applicable to other types of institutions (or to private collections, as well, although some of it will probably require a seasoned expert, where dangerous materials and procedures are suggested). It is arranged in 20 groupings: Museum Collection Preservation; Security, Fire, and Curitorial Safety; Agents of Deterioration; Museum Collections Storage; Ethnographic Objects; Furniture and Wooden Objects; Ceramic, Glass, and Plaster Objects; Leather and Skin Objects; Metal Objects; Natural History Specimens; Paintings; Paper Objects; Photographs; Stone Objects; Textile Objects; Packing and Shipping Museum Objects; Museum Exhibits; Archival and Manuscript Collections and Rare Books; and Facility Specifications for Museum and Archive Collections.
Conservation OnLine: Resources for Conservation Professionals
(Stanford University Libraries. Preservation Department. COOL)
Lists Conservation Specialties, Caring for Your Treasures Disaster Recovery, Publications, Grants, and more.
Copyright and Preservation: A Serious Problem in Need of a Thoughtful Solution,
by Robert L. Oakley © 1990
Copyright and Preservation III. Reprise-Applying the Act to the Brittle Books
Preservation Program, by Robert L. Oakley
Disaster Plan
(University of Maryland. Libraries. Technical Services Division. Preservation
Department)
Replete with an inset of the face from the painting, The Scream, it outlines 3 basic steps
“To Report an Emergency,” including whom to call (with multiple telephone numbers). Links to
procedures, in detail, as well as to salvage squad members, maps, supplies, freezing resources, consultants, links to a bibliography and to Conservation On-Line ensue.
Disaster Plans
(Stanford University. Conservation On Line [CoOL])
Plans and partial plans, from over 20 prominent libraries.
Disaster Plans
(Syracuse University Library. Preservation Department)
Clearly
divided into sections and priorities for specific types if materials, a specific
types of supplies to have on hand and or periodically renew, for emergencies and
recovery.
Disaster Preparedness Clearinghouse
(American Library Association. Association for Library Collections &
Technical Services)
Arranged in 4 basic sections:
Disaster Plan for Print Materials; Disaster Plan for Non-Print Materials;
Disaster Plan for Audio Recordings; and a Library Emergency Supply List,
with an added link to the CLRC Disaster Recovery Resource Guide as well as to
history of the department. There are links to Treatments, an Index, and to
Feedback (which should help ensure that their procedures are kept up to date by steady input from the outside world, a good move).
Depositing Films with Archives: A Guide to the Legal Issues
(National Film Preservation Board)
Policy Considerations for Public Libraries Accepting Donations
(Public Library Association)
Here is PLA’s official (as of January 1998) policy guideline. Charge, Values, Historical Context, Assumptions, Non-tax Sources of Revenue for Public Libraries, Potential Impact on Public Libraries of Accepting Non-tax Sources of Revenue, all lead to the brief, 3-sentence Proposed Policy Guidelines.
Preservation Information
(University of Texas. Fulsom)
Useful links to 11 sites (+
sub-sites) dealing with the preservation of film and magnetic media
Frequently Asked Questions - Funding Sources
(Northeast Document Conservation Center)
(1) How to find conservation funding,
(2) Federal and (3) State (Northeastern U.S.) funding sources,(4) Private funding sources,
(5) approaching grant deadlines, and (6) Grantwriting Tips.
Funding Resources for Preservation
(Solinet)
Following the short introduction, links are grouped into Public, then
Private & Regional, then State (Southeastern U.S.) funding
sources, usually with links, followed by Information Resources (including linked readings).
National Film Preservation Foundation
(The Foundation)
Offers a variety of grants for film preservation.
AIIM International
(Association for Information and Image Management)
Primarily views the problem from a business / content management standpoint..
For those interested in trends toward the commercialization of information, this
is a good site to examine.
Image Permanence Institute
(IPI)
Also try Googling the term, “Image Permanence”, and you will find a number of articles related to IPI.
Recommendations for the Evaluation of Digital Images Produced from Photographic, Micrographic, and Various Paper Formats
(U.S. Library of Congress. American Memory Project)
A 40 p. downloadable report, produced as the National Digital Library Program,
by LC contract with the Image Permanence Institute (IPI) of Rochester, NY. The report provides “…recommendations for methods to evaluate the performance and products of scanning service providers.” It uses “standard targets” and describes “tools and devices needed to measure image quality.”
Association of Moving Image
Archivists (AMIA)
Links to organizations and events
Digital
Preservation Management: Implementing Short-Term Stragegies for Long-Term
Problems (Cornell University Library)
A 6-part
tutorial, in English or French-language versions (from 2003)
Your Gummint Nixes Digital Preservation, by K.G. Schneider (Free Range
Librarian) [Fe 10, 2007]
Preservation League of New York State
(The League)
Clickable links present: Programs, Grants & Funding,
Publications, Reports, Endangered Historical Sites, and Awards. Has
mostly to do with preserving historical building sites
Welcome to Preservation 101
(Northeast Document Conservation Center)
A step-by-step do-it-yourself course, in 6 lessons,
with glossary, bibliography, and Care and Handling Guidelines,
made possible by a grant from the National Center for Preservation Technology
and Training
Preservation Suppliers and Services
(Northeast Document Conservation Center. Technical Leaflet)
A classified directory (from “Appraisals” to “Transport”), providing useful contacts
(around the U.S.), clickable topics and subtopics (Feb 2001). Well worth examination, and should prove
handy in an emergency or when contemplating a project requiring specialized expertise in these areas, beyond ones own.
Preserve & Protect: Resources on the Web
Preservation resources (in general)
and links to New York (i.e., predominantly New York City) resources.
Preserve/Net: The
Preservationist’s Resource (Cornell University)
Preservation organizations, educational and job opportunities, and
classified preservation websites
ACLTS Preservation and Reformatting Section
(American Library Association. Association for Library Collections &
Technical Services)
Organized mainly by by ALCTS Committee (e.g.,
Books and Paper: Methods, Materials, Standards; Intellectual Access Education; Reformatting: Analog and Digital; Photographic and Recording Media: Methods, Materials, Standards) and
Discussion Group (e.g., Cooperative Preservation Programs; Preservation Administration, Physical Quality and Treatment of Library Materials; Reformatting; Library Binding; Binding Automation; Photographic and Recording Media).
Provides links to many Liaisons & Representatives, as well as Programs, Resources and Activities.
Preservation Digital Reformatting Program
(U.S. Library of Congress. Preservation Reformatting Division)
“The goal...is to preserve the Library’s collections and offer broad public access to at-risk materials. Digital reformatting is considered one among many options for crafting an integrated preservation strategy for collection materials….”
Click on igital reformatting program selection criteria, principles and specifications, phased delivery, and
life cycle management of LC digital data for useful approaches to a daunting task.
Disaster Recovery Planning
Film & Magnetic Media
Funding
Motion Pictures
Preservation
Reformatting