preservation planning tips for special libraries

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preservation planning tips for special
libraries
one of many hats

• VASLA Program
• October 13, 2006
• Holly Robertson
• Preservation Librarian
• University of Virginia Library

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a few of my favorite things

• Major themes of preservation
• conservation
• assessment
• care handling
• reformatting
• disaster preparedness
• environmental monitoring
• grants for preservation activities

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this ppt will be online!
www.lib.virginia.edu/preservation
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conservation
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conservation
Preservation vs. Conservation definitions preser
vation the activities and programs that prevent
damage preventive preservation programs include
condition assessment, disaster preparedness
response, environmental monitoring control,
commercial binding, preservation reformatting /
photocopying, storage
conservation the physical (or hands on)
treatment of specific materials
Balloffet, Nelly. Preservation and conservation
for libraries and archives. Chicago American
Library Association, 2005.
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conservation
Types of conservation Collections conservation
(circulating collections conservation) The
treatment and protective enclosure of materials
that are valuable in the aggregate (e.g., the
literature of a subject area or period, posters
of a particular genre). . . . Significant
numbers of materials are conserved annually (tens
of thousands in a large research library) using
archival-quality materials and techniques. The
goal is to preserve large collections of
scholarly significance and therein to improve the
library's overall service performance.
Special Collections conservation (single item
treatment) The treatment of materials that,
while they may be important because of their
relationship to larger collections, also have
intrinsic value (and sometimes great monetary
value) as isolated objectsmuch as do important
pieces in museum collections. They may be
valuable because they are rare, unique, were
owned by an important person, are very beautiful
or for other historical or aesthetic
reasons. Library Preservation At Harvard A
Definition of Terms The Evidence in Hand Report
of the Task Force on the Artifact in Library
Collections
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conservation

• Conservation Assessment a starting point
• Bring a professional to evaluate your
  collections, practices, policies, and plans
• assessing the conservation treatment needs of
  selected items in a collection
• developing detailed plans for improving storage
  or rehousing a collection
• develop plans for arranging, describing, and
  preserving archival and manuscript holdings
• - develop disaster preparedness and response
  plans
• establish environmental monitoring programs
• institute integrated pest management programs
• develop plans for improving environmental
  conditions or security or fire protection
• study light levels in exhibition and storage
  spaces

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conservation
A starting point Priority Actions for
Preservation
www.nedcc.org/leaflets/priority.htm
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conservation

• Selecting a conservator
• Center for Art Historic Artifacts (CCAHA) -
  Philadelphia, PA
• www.ccaha.org
• Northeast Document Conservation Center - Boston,
  MA
• www.nedcc.org/
• Etherington Conservation Service (ECS - part of
  ICI / HF Group) - Greensboro NC
• www.donetherington.com/
• Working with a Conservator -
• American Institute for Conservation (AIC)
• Guidelines for Selecting a Conservator
• http//aic.stanford.edu/public/select.html
• Selecting a Conservator
• http//www.aic-faic.org/guide/form.html

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conservation
Protective enclosures housings an interim
treatment SOLINET searchable vendor
database http//www.solinet.net/preservation/sear
ch_vendor.cfm
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conservation
Care Handling assuring your staff patrons
are aware of preservation concerns
UVA - Care Handling for student
shelvers http//www.lib.virginia.edu/preservation
/presentations/student-shelvers.ppt
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conservation
Making the case for preservation / conservation
A Public Trust at Risk The Heritage Health
Index Report on the State of Americas
Collections (2005) www.heritagepreservation.org/HH
I/
The Evidence in Hand Report of the Task Force on
the Artifact in Library Collections
(2001) http//www.clir.org/PUBS/reports/pub103/con
tents.html
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disaster preparedness
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disaster preparedness
Fire, Water, or Worse Resources for Disaster
Preparedness Response Presentation to VLA
Paraprofessional Program May 2006

• www.lib.virginia.edu/preservation

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disaster preparedness

• why plan for disasters?
• to provide for the safety of patrons staff
• to maintain the institutions ability to continue
  functioning during after a major emergency
• to reduce damage to collections
• to decrease the amount of time it takes to
  implement disaster recovery procedures

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disaster preparedness

• components of disaster preparedness
• disaster plan
• communication strategy contact info and call
  chain
• defined roles for staffing disaster response
• emergency procedures
• salvage priorities
• recovery procedures
• disaster recovery vendor contacts
• disaster supplies
• disaster planning and response training for staff

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disaster preparedness

• dPlan
• Online Disaster Planning Tool

www.dplan.org
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disaster preparedness

• dPlan
• Online Disaster Planning Tool

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disaster preparedness
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disaster preparedness
dPlan staff contact info
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disaster preparedness
dPlan supplies checklist inventory
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disaster preparedness
dPlan schedule for revision of plan info
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disaster preparedness
SOLINET disaster assistance
www.solinet.net/preservation
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disaster preparedness
Disaster Planning SOLINET disaster planning
leaflets
http//www.solinet.net/preservation
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disaster preparedness
Risk Assessment SOLINETs Disaster Prevention
Protection Checklist
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disaster preparedness
Disaster recovery Conserv-O-Grams National Park
Service
www.cr.nps.gov/museum/publications
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disaster preparedness

• Disaster recovery
• Salvage, Pt. I
• Paper Based Collections
• manuscripts
• books
• maps
• parchments
• art on paper
• photographic prints

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disaster preparedness

• Disaster recovery
• Salvage, Pt. II
• Non-Paper Based Collections
• cased photographs
• negatives
• magnetic audio recordings
• motion picture film
• film based recordings
• transparencies
• optical media
• computer media

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disaster preparedness
Heritage Preservation Field Guide to Disaster
Response ( DVD) 29.95 each Disaster Response
Wheel 7.95 each
www.heritagepreservation.org/catalog/
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disaster preparedness UVA

• Emergency contacts the phone tree

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disaster preparedness UVA

• Quick instructions emergency information sheet

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disaster preparedness plan

• Facility floor plans
• Location of
• keys
• supplies
• fire alarms, fire extinguishers, smoke /fire
  detectors, sprinklers
• shut off and master switches for gas, water,
  power, HVAC
• emergency exits

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disaster preparedness

• ProText
• React-Pak
• disposable aprons
• disposable vinyl gloves
• slip-on stretchable boots
• dust masks
• paper towels
• cellulose sponges
• cotton deck mop and handle
• mop bucket
• heavy-duty trash bags
• "CAUTION" tape
• 4 mil polyethylene sheets
• plastic heavy-duty tape
• water resistant flashlight
• batteries
• polyethylene deli wrap
• RESCUBE box

www.solinet.net/preservation/
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disaster preparedness

• ProText
• Rescubes
• Made of corrugated high density polyethylene
• durable, lightweight
• impervious to water
• folds flat for easy storage
• For safe one-step transport of water-soaked
  books and paper from your library or records
  center to freezers, to vacuum freeze-drying
  facilities and back to your library or records
  center
• SOLINET member discount

www.solinet.net/preservation/
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environmental monitoring

• Environment is the best way to achieve and
  demonstrate stewardship of collections.
• Jim Reilly,
• Director, Image Permanence Institute
• The surest way to preserve your books in health
  is to treat them as you would your own children,
  who are sure to sicken if confined in an
  atmosphere which is impure, too hot, too cold,
  too damp, or too dry.
• William Blades (1829-1890),
• Enemies of Books (right)

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environmental monitoring

• Environment is the best way to achieve and
  demonstrate stewardship of collections.
• Jim Reilly,
• Director, Image Permanence Institute
• The surest way to preserve your books in health
  is to treat them as you would your own children,
  who are sure to sicken if confined in an
  atmosphere which is impure, too hot, too cold,
  too damp, or too dry.
• William Blades (1829-1890),
• Enemies of Books (right)

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environmental monitoring
SOLINET Environmental Specifications for
Storage of Library Archival Materials
http//www.solinet.net/emplibfile/environspecs.pdf
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environmental monitoring UVA
PEM Preservation Environmental
Monitor datalogger
hygrothermograph
Developed by the Image Permanence Institute with
support from the National Endowment for the
Humanities (NEH), the Institute for Museum and
Library Services (IMLS), and the Andrew W. Mellon
Foundation
www.imagepermanenceinstitute.org
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environmental monitoring UVA
Climate Notebook software

• Views Collections Managers View, Engineers
  View, or Conservators View.
• Compare data from several locations /
  timeframes
• Download outdoor data to compare indoor and
  outdoor temperatures, RH, and dew point
• Promote information-sharing among collection and
  preservation staff, building engineers, and
  administrators.
• Create detailed reports and graphs of
  environmental conditions from your data.
• Alert collection staff to dangerous conditions.
• Create awareness of conditions that could cause
  mold to grow, lead to physical damage, promote
  rapid material decay, or waste HVAC dollars.
• Learn about preservation of various formats -
  find descriptions of a particular material, its
  response to the environment, storage condition
  recommendations, alerts, and limits.

www.imagepermanenceinstitute.org
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environmental monitoring
www.nedcc.org/leaflets/locost.htm
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environmental monitoring
Exhibits environment, environment, environment
http//www.nedcc.org/plam3/tleaf25.htm
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grants for preservation
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grants for preservation
CCAHA Fundraising for Preservation and
Conservation workshop
www.ccaha.org
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grants for preservation
NEH Preservation Assistance Grant 5000
outright (no match) Annual deadline May

• http//www.neh.gov/grants/guidelines/pag.html

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grants for preservation

• Eligibility
• Small institutions those that have not
  previously received an NEH grant
• Any U.S. nonprofit organization with 501(c)3 tax
  exempt status is eligible, as are state and local
  governmental agencies and tribal governments.
  Grants are not awarded to individuals. NEH will
  give priority to smaller institutions, and to
  institutions that have not previously received an
  NEH grant.
• Applicants must also
• care for and have custody of the humanities
  collections that are the focus of the application
• have at least one staff member or the full-time
  equivalent, whether paid or unpaid
• be open and be able to provide services or
  programs at least 120 days per year.

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grants for preservation

• Eligible projects
• General preservation assessments
• draft a long-range plan for the care of
  humanities collections
• assess policies, practices, and conditions
• Consultations with professionals to address a
  specific preservation issue, need, or problem
  Applicants may hire a consultant to
• develop disaster preparedness and response plans
• establish environmental monitoring programs
• institute integrated pest management programs
• develop plans for improving environmental
  conditions or security or fire protection
• study light levels in exhibition and storage
  spaces
• develop plans for arranging, describing, and
  preserving archival and manuscript holdings
• developing detailed plans for improving storage
  or rehousing a collection
• assessing the conservation treatment needs of
  selected items in a collection
• Purchase of storage furniture and preservation
  supplies
• Purchase of environmental monitoring equipment
  for humanities collections

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grants for preservation
IMLS / Heritage Preservation Conservation
Assessment Program
www.heritagepreservation.org/CAP
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grants for preservation

• IMLS / Heritage Preservation
• Conservation Assessment Program
• Eligibility
• Any not-for-profit museum that cares for and
  owns or uses tangible objects
• exhibits them on a regular basis
• is open to the public at least 90 days annually
• has at least one full-time paid or volunteer
  staff person or the equivalent
• and is located in one of the 50 states of the
  Union, the District of Columbia, or U.S.
  territories

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grants for preservation

• IMLS / Heritage Preservation
• Conservation Assessment Program
• Eligible projects
• general conservation assessment of your
  museum's collection, environmental conditions,
  and site
• professional conservators who spend two days
  on-site and three days writing a report to
  develop strategies for improved collections care
  and provide a tool for long-range planning and
  fund-raising
• if your institution has living collections
  (zoos, aquariums, nature centers, botanical
  gardens, and arboreta), you can be provided a
  zoologist, botanist, or horticulturalist as the
  collections assessor
• if you have a historic structure (a building
  more than 50 years old), you may also get an
  architectural assessor.

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grants for preservation
Institute for Museum and Library Services
(IMLS) www.imls.gov/applicants/ National
Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) www.neh.gov/gra
nts/ National Endowment for the Arts
(NEA) www.neh.gov/grants/ National Park Service
(NPS) www.nps.gov/pub_aff/grants.htm Save
Americas Treasures (NEH, NEA, NPS) http//www.sav
eamericastreasures.org/ Heritage Preservation
www.heritagepreservation.org
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any questions?

• Holly Robertson
• hollyr_at_virginia.edu
• 434.924.1055