The National Preservation Office is holding a workshop on 20 June 2005 for potential library and archive users of its Preservation Assessment Survey.
The workshop will be held at the British Library, 96 Euston Road, London NW1 2DB from 10am to 3pm. The cost will be £55 plus VAT, which includes refreshments. Lunch is not provided but participants can use the British Library's restaurant or cafe. Numbers are limited to ten.
The workshop will cover sampling techniques, assessment methods and use of the supporting database.
Details of the survey are below. Please contact [log in to unmask] if you wish to attend or for further details.
NPO PRESERVATION ASSESSMENT SURVEY
What is it? How does it work? What can it do for me? Why should I use it? How do I get started?
What is it?
The NPO Preservation Assessment Survey is a means of obtaining a picture at a moment in time of the state of preservation of a library collection or archive holdings. It is quick to do, and provides information which can be used to develop preservation activity in the institution. It can be repeated in order to generate comparative data at different times or from different parts of a collection.The compilation of survey results from many institutions will allow the NPO to build up a national picture which will be used to develop preservation activity at the national level.
How does it work?
By selecting and surveying a 400 item sample, the PAS provides a statistically reliable report. It factors in not only condition but also use, value and environmental conditions.
To use the method, an institution first has to select the sample, either from the whole of its holdings or from a selected part. The sample is selected on a random basis, either by random selection from a database or by systematic sampling from a random starting point.A stratified sample can be used for more complex collections.
Each item in the sample is assessed. The survey form is simple, and fills two sides of A4. Part 1 asks questions relating to the preservation of the item, including assessment of value and use, and Part 2 examines the condition of the item, and the types of damage it may show.
The information from the forms is keyboarded into an Access database, or may be entered directly into a laptop. The database structure developed by the NPO will organise the data to provide a number of preset reports, or can be interrogated by the institution's staff.
What can it do for me?
Knowing the state of preservation of your collection or archive is not just good management, it is essential when applying for funding, whether internally or for external grants. The way you care for collections has to be monitored, and progress reported. The effect of proposed improvements in preservation provision must be evaluated, and the need for specific forms of treatment justified. The PAS reports can provide this information.
Why should I use it?
The PAS can provide management information in a verified, standard format, which allows comparison across parts of an institution, between different storage areas, between institutions, within regions, and across sectors. External funding bodies and internal management boards find such information invaluable for assessing applications and can be expected to require a survey to be undertaken to support an application. The method takes full account of differences between libraries and archives, and can be used in institutions which have both printed and archive material.
How do I get started?
The National Preservation Office will provide a guide to the survey method, with full instructions on creating the sample and completing the form, a standard form, and a database tailored to your default values. Staff are available to advise by telephone if there are questions that the printed guidance does not answer. Each collection is different, and we now have experience of many surveys and should be able to advise you how to proceed. Introductory workshops are held about four times a year in different locations, for which the charge is normally £50 plus VAT. Provision of the guidance, database and standard reports is charged at £300 plus VAT . Alternatively, NPO staff can visit to help you get started. Visits from NPO staff are charged at £300 per day plus VAT. We can also quote for multisite licences and tailored reports to meet your needs. Please contact us to discuss your package.
Contact: Alison Walker 020 7412 7798 or 020 7412 7612
Alison Walker
National Preservation Office
British Library
96 Euston Road
London NW1 2DB
Tel: 020 7412 7798
Fax: 020 7412 7796
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