With apologies for cross-posting

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Preliminary announcement

                   Mass deacidification in practice

European conference organized by
European Commission on Preservation and Access (ECPA)
Niedersächsisches Staatsarchiv/State Archive of Lower Saxony

Bückeburg, Germany
18-19 October 2000


Libraries and archives all over Europe are struggling to keep their paper
collections of the 19th and 20th century available for users. Acidification
and
embrittlement, primarily caused by the wide-spread use of low-quality paper,
are threatening millions of books and many kilometers of archive materials.

Mass deacidification is one of the options available to extend the useful life
of paper materials. After years of careful research and testing, mass
deacidification has now established itself as a viable preservation choice. At
this point in time, several different processes are being used in large-scale
projects at major institutions.

The aim of this conference is to present examples of how mass deacidification
can be applied in practice. Representatives from libraries and archives with
considerable experience with one or several different processes will share
their views on the role of mass deacidification in preservation management.
They will discuss why a particular process was chosen and which materials are
selected for mass deacidification. Papers will focus on issues like the place
of mass deacidification in a preservation policy, its relation to other
preservation measures, workflow, logistics, costs and organizational aspects.
There will also be papers devoted to recent scientific research and new
developments.

In addition to papers by experts, a trade exhibition will be organized of
different companies specializing in mass deacidification.

Audience
The intended audience of the conference is: preservation managers in libraries
and archives; librarians, archivists and conservators with preservation tasks;
and administrators and government officials responsible for preservation and
cultural heritage issues.

The conference languages will be English and German with simultaneous
translation.

Venue and EXPO 2000
The conference will be held at the State Archive of Lower Saxony located in
the
Castle of Bückeburg (its oldest part dates from the 13th century). The
conference will also provide an excellent opportunity to visit the world fair
EXPO 2000 in nearby Hannover (1 June - 31 October 2000,
<http://www.expo2000.de>). This can be easily reached by train (37 minutes,
direct connection <http://www.bahn.de/home/index.shtml>).

Costs and registration
The conference fee will be 150 DEM/77   , this includes coffees, teas, and
lunches plus a conference dinner. Up to date information and a registration
form will also be posted on the Internet at
<http://www.knaw.nl/ecpa/conference>


For more information please contact:
European Commission on Preservation and Access (ECPA)
P.O. Box 19121
NL-1000 GC  Amsterdam
The Netherlands
tel. ++31-20-551 08 39
fax ++31-20-620 49 41
e-mail: [log in to unmask]
<<http://www.knaw.nl/ecpa>http://www.knaw.nl/ecpa>

Main sponsor: Neschen AG <<http://www.neschen.com/>http://www.neschen.com>




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