This paper discusses the author's experience directing the Purple Mountain Observatory Library, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) in Nanjing, China. Routine collection development, management and preservation issues are described, and the unique challenges and opportunities involved in operating a remote observatory library are highlighted.

Special collections libraries collect and preserve materials of intellectual and cultural heritage, providing access to unique research resources. As their holdings continue to expand, special collections in research libraries confront increased space pressures. Off-site storage facilities, used frequently by research libraries for general…

Digital curation refers to the actions people take to maintain and add value to digital information over its lifecycle, including the processes used when creating digital content. Digital preservation focuses on the "series of managed activities necessary to ensure continued access to digital materials for as long as necessary." In this…

This article establishes the level of skills and experience in preservation and conservation management using a case study methodological approach conducted in the 3 university libraries at the University of Zambia. The findings revealed that 20 (57%) of the library staff had not received formal training in preservation and conservation of library…

"ARL" is the bimonthly report on research library issues and actions from ARL (Association of Research Libraries), CNI (Coalition of Networked Information), and SPARC (Scholarly Publishing and Academic Resources Coalition). "ARL" reports on current issues of interest to academic and research library administrators, staff and users; higher…

Storing and curating authentic academic literature and making it accessible for the long term has been a time-honoured task of national libraries. By guarding existing knowledge and facilitating its use to produce new insights, national and university libraries have formed an integral part of the research environment, complementing the roles of…

These minutes of the October 1987 ARL (Association of Research Libraries) membership meeting include the following papers on preservation in the research library: (1) "A Challenge for Research Libraries" (David C. Weber); (2) "The Moral Imperative of Conservation" (James H. Billington); (3) "The Role of the Library…

Considers 10 areas of internal operations in which the Research Libraries Group/North American Collection Inventory Project (RLF/NCIP) Conspectus can be used as a management aid: collection priorities, collection management, space utilization, preservation programs, staffing allocations, material fund requests, accreditation, materials selection,…

Delineates the types of decisions involved in the preservation of library collections and suggests decision-making structures and criteria for each type of decision. The information gaps which limit the ability to make intelligent preservation decisions are also discussed. (Author/JL)

This Association of Research Libraries (ARL) publication presents data from 119 U.S. and Canadian research libraries that were members of ARL during the 1991-92 fiscal year. The Preservation Statistics Questionnaire was designed to yield statistical information on the current level of preservation efforts in research libraries and on the key…

The following 12 papers in this report from the Association of Research Libraries (ARL) address management and preservation of research library resources, access to information resources, scholarly communication, research collections, and information policies: (1) "Management Issues That Keep Directors Awake at Night: (Joanne Euster); (2)…

This document examines the changes in organization and staffing of preservation programs since SPEC (the Systems and Procedures Exchange Center) surveyed members of the Association of Research Libraries (ARL) in 1985. It is based on responses of 109 ARL libraries to ARL preservation surveys, and additional contacts with 21 ARL libraries that have…

This SPEC (Systems and Procedures Exchange Center) Kit is based on a survey of Association of Research Libraries (ARL) member libraries in June 2000. The goal of the survey was to identify issues to be addressed and actions ARL might take to advance the preservation goals of the members. The survey was designed to gather data on recent changes,…

Recognizing recent efforts by members of the Association of Research Libraries (ARL) in establishing departments or designating full-time staff for preservation efforts, the Systems and Procedures Exchange Center (SPEC) undertook a survey to identify ways research libraries are reorganizing for these new activities. Telephone interviews were…

This document presents data from 118 U.S. and Canadian research libraries that were members of the Association of Research Libraries (ARL) during the 1997-98 fiscal year. Since 1987-88, the number of preservation programs managed by a preservation administrator has grown irregularly from 66 to around 80 in more recent years. A fluctuating growth…