Managing Preservation for Libraries and Archives: Current Practice and Future Developments

Citation

Cujic, M. (2005), "Managing Preservation for Libraries and Archives: Current Practice and Future Developments", Journal of Documentation, Vol. 61 No. 3, pp. 445-447. https://doi.org/10.1108/00220410510598599

At the end of 2003 an in 2004 several books about preservation of library and archive material and cultural heritage were published. Most of them address the problem of digital preservation (e.g. Protecting your library's digital sources: the essential guide to planning and preservation by Miriam B. Kahn; Starting a digitization centre by Cokie G. Anderson and David C. Maxwell; Who wants yesterday's papers?: essays on the research value of printed materials in the digital age edited by Yvonne Carignan et al.). Some of them address the issues of managing preservation and access in the digital environment (e.g. Access in the future tense by Abby Smith et al.) and some focus on the traditional preservation techniques (Preservation and Conservation for Libraries and Archives by Nelly Balloffet and Jenny Hille) or on the special collections (e.g. A Guide to the Preventive Conservation of Photograph Collections by Bertrand Lavedrine et al.). A number of books contain preservation measures in cases of disaster (e.g. Disaster Planning: A How‐To‐Do‐It Manual With Planning Templates on CD‐ROM by Deborah Halstead et al.; Disaster Management for Libraries and Archives, edited by Graham Matthews and John Feather).

The problems of digital preservation, as well as the problems of the traditional one, are dealt with in a book Managing Preservation for Libraries and Archives: Current Practice and Future Developments. An international team of 8 contributors address the problems of preservation and conservation of library and archival materials. John Feather, a Professor of Library and Information Studies at Loughborough University in the UK, is the editor and Colin Webb, Majlis Bremer‐Laamanen and Jani Stenvall, Adrienne Muir, René Teygeler, Dietrich Schüller, Graham Matthews and Marie‐Thérèse Varlamoff are the authors of the eight chapters of the book.

Traditional preservation and conservation approaches are being revisited. Latest findings are being presented. Problems of storage and retrieval of different types of media are being discussed and developments of preservation policies for the future are being suggested.

In the “Introduction: principles and policies” John Feather gives overview of preservation principles and policies. He writes about cultural and documentary heritage and heritage institutions, concept and practice of preservation and developments in preservation policies.

Colin Webb is the author of second chapter named “The malleability of fire: preserving digital information”. Author starts with definitions of digital information and how digital information affects libraries and archives and then continues with description of digital preservation, its technical and organizational challenges and preservation management.

The third chapter “Selection for digital preservation: dilemmas and issues” is written by Majlis Bremer‐Laamanen and Jani Stenvall. Authors explore some practical issues of digital data preservation. Chapter focuses on selecting materials for collections in the digital environment from a national point of view.

The fourth chapter “Issues in the long‐term management of digital material” by Adrienne Muir addresses some non‐technical issues of digital information such as intellectual property rights and new types of publishing. Authenticity and integrity of the digital material are being discussed as important issues for digital preservation. Preservation management in the digital environment and the role of metadata are also being considered. Libraries are in the focus of this chapter.

The fifth chapter is written by René Teygeler and named “Preserving paper: recent advances”. It describes cause and mechanism of paper degradation and ways of treatment and storage. It emphasizes the need for standards, control tools for storage conditions, selection procedures for reformatting, conservation treatment priorities and interdisciplinary approach.

In the sixth chapter “Sound recordings: problems of preservation” by Dietrich Schüller, issues related to preservation of sound carriers are being reviewed. Recommendations for storage and handling are given. Problems of long term management and retrieval when it comes to digital sound are considered.

“Preservation management: sources of information” by Graham Matthews is seventh chapter in which selective information sources about preservation methods, policies and management are represented.

The last chapter is named “The future” and written by Marie‐Thérèse Varlamoff. It speaks about present situation in the different parts of the world and analyzes some aspects of preservation in the future.

Preservation of library and archives documents is an ever growing topic LIS field. Managing Preservation for Libraries and Archives: Current Practice and Future Developments offers overview of traditional and digital preservation techniques and guidance in developing preservation policies, today and in the future.

In the situation where professionals in the LIS field are faced with many publications and presentations at professional meetings that tackle numerous dilemmas on the future of preservation in libraries and archives, this book is valuable since prominent authors, at this one place, demonstrate a growing consensus on the issues crucial for longevity of library and archive holdings. The editor, in collaboration with contributors, has ensured a well‐balanced scope and structure of texts that leave an impression that the whole book was written by a single person. Such an editorial approach has enabled that the book presents the growing complexity of the issues presented in an easy‐to‐survey manner. The book implies that despite new problems emerging on daily basis, a level of professional knowledge and skills is attained to successfully solve most of the problems (existing and emerging), if supported by carefully prepared plans and appropriate financial resources.