School of Library, Archive and Information Studies (SLAIS)
University College London
Advanced Preservation
Professor Mirjam Foot
Mondays 2-5pm at UCL, beginning on 27 January 2003
Beginning in January 2003, SLAIS is offering a new optional
module in Advanced Preservation. This module is open to
mid-career professionals who wish to gain greater understanding
and expertise in this field.
Those who would like to participate should contact
[log in to unmask] for more details and registration
fees.
Access to information is a key issue for libraries
and archives, but preservation of the sources is a
necessary prerequisite if we are to ensure that future
generations have the same opportunities. Many of the
problems associated with the survival of materials in
libraries and archives are similar and proper management
of the resources to deal with these is a key skill in an
age dominated by specialisms. Issues to do with both
traditional materials and new media will be discussed,
enabling participants to take a broad view.
The eight sessions will be delivered through lectures
and discussion sessions, given and led by tutors who
are experts in their own fields. There will also be
practical exercises and a variety of visits to surrounding
libraries and archives. A wide variety of different
scenarios will be presented, enabling participants
from different backgrounds to learn from the experience
of others.
Participation in the module will ensure that the guardians
of our heritage will develop good management skills,
understanding of the balance to be maintained between
access and preservation, and the ability to make
cost-effective decisions to ensure access for future
generations.
The module will be assessed by two pieces of course
work: a policy paper of about 3000 words and a practical
case study.
Provisional topics:
• The environment and how to manage it: including
environmental control; storage environments for a wide
variety of library and archive materials; storage furniture.
• Preservation assessment: how to assess the
preservation needs of whole collections; collection surveys.
• Traditional materials: vellum, paper, leather,
fabrics, etc.: history and treatment of materials used
in books and documents before the electronic age;
preservation and conservation techniques, including
mass-techniques.
• Electronic material: preservation options and
techniques for electronic material; long-term access;
storage and archiving.
• Collection care: all aspects of good housekeeping,
use and handling; means of establishing priorities for treatment.
• Exhibitions and displays: exhibition policy and
problems; how to display books and documents safely;
in-house exhibitions and loans; moving library and
archive collections.
• Risk assessment and risk management: risk-assessment
as a tool; disaster planning; mould and pest control.
• Policies and strategies: including issues relating
to preservation, retention, storage, security, and
surrogates; selection for preservation and conservation;
evaluation of preservation and conservation options; ethics.
• Education, training and co-operation: national
and international co-operation; projects and preservation
programmes; opportunities and realities.
• Project management, costs and translating plans
into action: budgeting for preservation; costs and options
for treatments; planning preservation and conservation programmes.
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