The report deals with one basic question: what does a large research library do when its catalog shows signs of serious deterioration? The catalog under consideration in this report was the Main Public Catalog of The Research Libraries of The New York Public Library. The catalog has nine million cards, some of which date back to 1857. A 1965…

Asserting that Alaskan Eskimo music is providing cultural regeneration, this article discusses Alaskan Eskimo music in terms of: the interdependence of language and music; music programs and bilingual programs; recent transfer of musical heritage into the schools; and ethnic music as a reflection of adaptation. (JC)

Considering whether American Indian studies programs are revitalization movements and to what extent they originated from outside the Native American community, this article maintains: the Indian nationalist movement is many-faceted; it originated from within the Indian community; Indian self-determination efforts reflect revitalization; the…

Four kinds of processes (biological, photochemical, oxidative, and acidic) can cause books to deteriorate, resulting in substantial problems for libraries. Methods for preventing such deterioration are reviewed, included a treatment developed at the University of Chicago called the "Chicago Process." (LBH)

This review of the 1986 literature on the processing of audiovisual materials covers five topics: (1) standards; (2) selection; (3) cataloging; (4) classification and subject access; and (5) preservation. Fifty-nine references are listed. (MES)

This extensive annotated bibliography of publications on library materials preservation lists conference proceedings, program reports, and articles on a broad spectrum of topics including: (1) standards; (2) selection for preservation; (3) commercial library binding; (4) conservation treatments; (5) reformatting; (6) research; (7) emergencies; (8)…

This comparison of the advantages and disadvantages of microfilm and optical disc as archival storage mediums discusses recent investigations of their longevity, accessibility of stored information, and costs. It is concluded that microfilm is the most practical and longest-lasting conversion medium, although optical disc may provide quicker…

This review of current applications and future possibilities of optical disk technology in law libraries covers the basics of what optical disks are and their advantages and disadvantages in terms of storage capacity, durability, speed, cost, and information retrieval. A sampling of commercial products is provided. (Author/EM)

Outlines the process involved in selecting an outside filming agent for the purpose of preserving a library's or archive's holdings. Guidelines include project planning, selecting a filming agent, and contract preparation and maintenance. A sample contract is included. (Author/EM)

This article discusses the types of preservation projects the National Endowment for the Humanities' Office of Preservation expects to support, the cost of these projects, and some strategies for accomplishing them. Projects conducted by Research Libraries Group, Association of Research Libraries, and Council on Library Resources are highlighted.…

This 14-item annotated literature review summarizes and analyzes scientific developments in and applications of optical and videodisc technology. Implications for information storage and retrieval, prospects for the optical disc in the office, preservation and the new technology, electronic document delivery, and the impact of technology on…

On January 24, 2000, the Council on Library and Information Resources (CLIR) convened a group of experts from different domains of the information resources community to address the question, "What is an authentic digital object?" Five writers--an archivist, a digital library expert, a documentary editor and special collections…

This report provides an overview of selected key national and multinational initiatives in digital preservation occurring outside North America. It examines digital preservation initiatives in four countries--Australia, France, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom--as well as related multinational initiatives. The initiatives were chosen in…

The welfare of mathematics, as a scientific discipline and as a service provider for other sciences and technology, will, in the future, very much depend on how well the profession continues to enrich, to preserve, and to archive the mathematical scholarly literature, its common heritage. It will also depend on the fact that the mathematical…

The preservation of digital data for the long term presents a variety of challenges from technical to social and organizational. The technical challenge is to ensure that the information, generated today, can survive long term changes in storage media, devices, and data formats. This paper presents a novel approach to the problem. It distinguishes…