A survey of preservation activities in large academic libraries revealed widespread problems of deterioration of library materials. Some countermeasures are described. (Author/PF)

No single library can hope to acquire and organize for use more than a fraction of the primary sources of popular culture. Interinstitutional cooperation in identifying and preserving these fragile records of American culture is underway, but many unsolved problems remain for librarians and scholars. (8 references) (Author)

Describes ways in which collection development at the Smithsonian Institution Libraries has been affected by the libraries' position within a museum context. The discussion covers the adoption by the libraries of a nomenclature that applies to management of museum objects collections and their capitalization on allied interests in such areas as…

Results of survey evaluating physical condition of 36,500 volumes and nature of collections in Yale University Library system reveal that 37.1 percent of books sampled overall had brittle paper and 82.6 percent had acidic paper. Sampling methodology, survey instructions, abbreviations for publishing countries, and methods of statistical analysis…

Discusses the future of academic libraries from the perspective of their resources and bibliographic control, focusing on collection philosophy, book selection, the collection itself, resource sharing, adequacy of library space, preservation, new cataloging rules, a national bibliographic data base, and subject access. A need for a national…

A study of library collections at Amherst College, Grinnell College, and Franklin and Marshall College to assess the applicability of a selection model for preservation candidates in nonresearch libraries is reported. Brittle books held by fewer than five libraries were identified, supporting the model for preservation and cooperative collection…

Describes the Research Libraries Group (RLG) conspectus for collection evaluation and how it is being used to foster cooperation among North American libraries. Discussion of the internal benefits includes library planning, collection policy formation, staffing allocation and training, funding allocation and requests, accreditation, faculty…

Discussion of deteriorating library materials focuses on a study that investigated preservation activities at the Oberlin Group of college libraries of nineteenth-century American and British periodicals. Results from the study and from a review of the literature are used to help develop a model for preservation decision making. (12 references)…

Reports results of a pilot study and full survey of preservation/conservation concerns about the non-rare book collections at the Syracuse University libraries. The methodology is described, including physical characteristics of the collections that were examined and statistical analyses used. (CLB)

Examines some of the policies and procedures that can be implemented to minimize the possibility of theft or willful damage to manuscripts by researchers or staff. Topics discussed include reading room procedures, record keeping, marking collections, and legislation that addresses thefts from repositories. (10 references) (Author/CLB)

Describes, from the flood to the start of freeze-drying operations, the preservation efforts of Stanford University regarding books damaged by water in the Green Library in November 1978. Planning, action, and mopping-up activities are chronicled, and 20 suggestions are offered as guidance in future similar situations. (JD)

Digital technologies should be considered a method of preservation for library materials. Current conservation strategies of restoration, deacidification, and microfilming are expensive, and they limit access. Digitization offers improved access while preserving materials and reflects a change in the library role from depository of printed…

Reviews the use of microfilm as an acquisitions and preservation tool in academic libraries, and discusses how this use has fallen short of predictions that microfilm would revolutionize research methodology and scholarly productivity. This history is used to provide cautionary guidance in approaching the era of electronic documentation. (35…

A survey of Library of Congress staff following implementation of four optical disk reader stations measured their satisfaction with training, documentation, equipment and printing, and system reliability and usefulness. Staff found no major flaws with the system, and they saw its usefulness primarily as an access tool. (CDD)

Describes the restoration project for approximately 50,000 volumes damaged in a flood at the Stanford University Libraries: the freezing and vacuum drying of damaged books, their subsequent repair by a special project staff, and various tests conducted in the vacuum chamber on how best to dry the books. (Author)