Considers three issues: whether conversion to digital form is a preservation action; the contrasts between selection for digital conversion and selection for traditional preservation; and the potential effects on the field of preservation. Includes an appendix listing cost elements of digital conversion. (AEF)

Argues that a national preservation effort is needed to protect Catholic newspapers. Discusses the American Theological Library Association, the Center for Research Libraries, the Catholic Archives of Texas, the Philadelphia Archdiocesan Historical Research Center, as well as digital preservation efforts and grant possibilities. (AEF)

All institutions face the deterioration of works of art on paper. This latest volume in the Occasional Papers series is a practical guide for professionals needing to store and preserve works of art on paper. The author--Head of Conservation at the Minnesota Historical Society who has 28 years' experience as a practicing conservator, consultant,…

This paper is a response to discussions of digitization at meetings of the National Humanities Alliance (NHA). NHA asked the Council on Library and Information Resources (CLIR) to evaluate the experiences of cultural institutions with digitization projects to date and to summarize what has been learned about the advantages and disadvantages of…

Discusses the results of two collection assessments conducted 13 years apart at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Both assessments focused on the central stacks collection, a repository collection serving the institution's 42 branch and departmental libraries. Findings provide insight into the results of deferred collections care and…

Presents an overview of concerns and problems with digital archiving, with a focus on preservation of government information. Addresses standards and costs. Discusses the U.S. National Archives and Records Administration, and the digital preservation strategies of migration, emulation, and encapsulation. An appendix reviews some of the…

Focuses on the practical aspects of outsourcing cataloging in academic libraries. Factors examined include reasons for outsourcing, materials that are outsourced, and advantages and disadvantages of outsourcing. Concludes that although outsourcing is not a prevailing trend in the academic libraries, it is a viable option if carefully planned and…

Papers on two projects are presented that deal with the effective use of volunteers in rural public libraries. The first paper on simplifying manual circulation techniques, explains a circulation system that volunteers in a rural library can use easily and efficiently. Setting only four due dates a month and filing all materials alphabetically in…

Examines ways of evaluating school library media collections: size; checking the collection against recognized standard bibliographies; and calculating average collection age. Suggests frequency of curriculum revisions, average age of materials in standard bibliographies, and weeding guidelines as possible measures for comparison to collection…

This kit provides 24 essays on book repair: (1) "Conservation at the American Philosophical Society: An Institutional Profile in 1992" (H. Kyle); (2) "The Book Repair Program at Brigham Young University: An Institutional Profile" (R. Silverman); (3) "Book Repair and Conservation: Conservation Center for Art and Historic…

A two-part survey was conducted in a large school district to determine the kind and extent of centralized versus individual school materials processing. Processing included both the cataloging and the physical preparation of materials, which would be done either at the centralized school district facility or by the staff in the individual…

Library binding is one of the activities typically included in newly created preservation departments, but librarians continue to discover that transforming a traditional binding program into one that better meets preservation objectives requires considerable investment of time. This resource guide is intended to help libraries review their…

Library administrators, faced with the problems of acid-paper deterioration, are examining mass deacidification procedures. Mass deacidification of acidic books while they are still physically sound and not yet brittle is the most cost-effective corrective action to extend the life of the paper. There are currently at least five mass…

This study was initiated by the Acting Director of the Division of Technical Services at University of Louisville to examine and analyze the structure of the division and its workflow, use of personnel, and level of productivity. Information on the workflow and structure was obtained from department head workflow charts, statistics indicating the…

This follow-up report combines results from a staff review process and final recommendations of the Acting Director for the reorganization of the Division of Technical Services at University of Louisville in Kentucky. The report is divided into two sections: "Report on Staff Review" and the "Final Recommendations on Reorganization…