Newsletter of the Section on Preservation and Conservation Newsletter

June 1998
Issue 7
ISSN 1028-3714

Amsterdam
The 64th IFLA General Conference 16-21 August 1998

The theme of this year's conference is:

ON THE CROSSROADS OF INFORMATION AND CULTURE

Information about the IFLA Conference in Amsterdam can be found on the IFLANET WWW server in English:

http://archive.ifla.org/IV/ifla64/64intro.htm

or in French:

http://archive.ifla.org/IV/ifla64/64introf.htm

IFLA Headquarters

P.O. Box 95312
2509 CH, The Hague
The Netherlands
tel. 0031-70-3140884
fax 0031-70-3834827

email: IFLA.HQ@IFLA.NL

Conference Secretariat IFLA '98

CONGREX HOLLAND BV
P.O. Box 302, 1000 AH Amsterdam
Tel: +31 20 50 40 225
Fax: +31 20 50 40 206

email: ifla@congrex.nl

Amsterdam Programme

SECTION ON PRESERVATION AND CONSERVATION

BUSINESS MEETINGS

Standing Committee I:    Saturday August 15, 08:00 - 10:50
Okura Hotel, Starlight I Room

Standing Committee II:     Friday August 21, 08:00-9:50
Amsterdam RAI Conference Centre

OPEN SESSION

Permanent Paper

Rolf DAHLØ (Riksbibliotekjenesten, Oslo) - The rationale of permanent paper

Ivar A.L. HOEL (Royal School of Librarianship and Information Science, Copenhagen) - Standards for Permanent Paper

Inga-Lisa SVENSSON (Mo & Domsjö AB, Örnsköldsvik, Sweden) and Ylwa Alwarsdotter (Stora Fine Paper AB, Nymölla, Sweden) - A Papermaker's View of the Standard for Permanent Paper, ISO 9706

Beatrix KASTALY (National Széchényi Library, Budapest) - Permanent Paper and the Brittle Book Problem in Hungary

IFLA Medium Term Programme, 1998-2001

SECTION ON PRESERVATION AND CONSERVATION

SCOPE

GOALS 1998-2001

1. Facilitate the exchange of information and to promote other cooperative activities, particularly with the IFLA PAC Core Programme.

2. Promote among library staff, library users and government an awareness of the importance of preservation in library management in order to preserve the world's cultural heritage.

3. Promote professional development in the field of preservation, particularly in the area of management skills.

4. Promote 'best practices' and standardization in library preservation activities

5. Facilitate the establishment of national preservation strategies and programmes.

6. Monitor activities related to the digitization of library materials and to promote the concept of library preservation as a part of these activities.

7. Promote long-term preservation of original electronic documents and access to them.

8. Encourage the expansion of universally accessible registers of preservation reproductions and to participate in the codification of preservation information.

ACTION PLAN 1998-1999

1. To introduce the concept and promote the methodology of collection preservation management as a strategy to complement item conservation, by holding a workshop at the Bangkok 1999 Conference. (Goal #3; Goal #4)

2. To participate in the Official IFLA Pre-Conference in 1999 in Thailand on the topic of preservation and conservation. (All Goals)

3. To promote the use of permanent paper by updating, distributing and translating the Section´s Permanent Paper Brochure. (Goal #1; Goal #4)

4. To promote the use of permanent paper by holding an Open Session or Workshop on permanent paper at the Amsterdam 1998 Conference. (Goal #2; Goal #3)

5. To promote the preservation of serial publications, including those in electronic form, by investigating the possibility of sponsoring, in collaboration with the IFLA PAC Core Programme, the IFLA Section on Serial Publications and the IFLA Round Table on Newspapers, a follow-up to the International Symposium on Managing the Preservation of Serial Literature in 1999, 10 years after the first Symposium. (Goal #1; Goal #2; goal #5)

6. To investigate with the IFLA Section on Information Technology and other relevant sections and round tables the possibility of having an Open Session or Workshop in Amsterdam in 1998 on the preservation of electronic documents and access to them. (Goal #1; Goal #6; Goal #7)

7. To prepare a brochure to publicize the IFLA Section on Preservation and Conservation and have it translated into as many languages as possible, including all of the IFLA languages. (Goal #1)

8. To continue to translate and promote the Disaster Planning Brochure of the IFLA Section on Preservation and Conservation. (Goal #2; Goal #4)

9. To continue to publish the Section´s Newsletter in print and electronic form, collaborating when feasible with International Preservion News. (Goal #1)

10. To investigate means of ensuring that UNIMARC takes preservation needs into account. (Goal #8)

Worldwide Promotion of Permanent Paper

Worldwide Promotion of Permanent Paper

reprinted from National Library News (May 1997, vol. 29, no. 5)

Paper-based materials have been slowly deteriorating on library shelves for 150 years because of their acidic content. A well-known video produced in 1987 coined the term "slow fires" for the insidious decay taking place. Another documentary, produced in Canada as part of David Suzuki's series "The Nature of Things", was called "Turning to Dust" because that is precisely what happens to paper that contains acid.

Deacidification techniques have proven effective in arresting the deterioration. However, these methods are expensive and time-consuming, and it is impossible for libraries to treat all past and future documents produced on acidic paper.

The ideal solution exists: permanent paper, which has a lifespan of several centuries, and is now generally available at prices comparable to those for acidic paper. A further bonus of permanent paper is that its production is more environmentally friendly.

IFLA has spearheaded an initiative to promote the use of permanent paper worldwide by preparing a draft resolution to UNESCO asking that body to encourage its member states to promote the use of permanent paper in their respective territories. IFLA is also urging UNESCO to use permanent paper in its own publications. The National Library of Canada, under the authority of the Canadian Commission for UNESCO, has been instrumental in pursuing this effort. An international meeting was convened at the National Library in October 1996 to finalize the draft resolution, and at the 11th Session of the Intergovernmental Council of the Programme for General Information of UNESCO in November 1996, the draft was approved. It was submitted formally to the UNESCO General Conference late in 1997 where it was passed, having received strong support from many Member States as well as a positive recommendation from the Director General.

UNESCO RESOLUTION ON PERMANENT PAPER

Recalling that the preservation of and access to cultural heritage is one of UNESCO's major concerns,

Considering that, with respect to the preservation of tangible cultural heritage, UNESCO has initiated several international Conventions and Recommendations, including the Convention for the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage, and initiated or participated in several programmes such as "Memory of the World" and "Blue Shield",

Considering that many of the world's cultural, educational and scientific resources in written form on paper are endangered because the acidic papers which have been in common use for the last 150 years disintegrate in a matter of decades,

Considering that permanent paper with a life of hundreds of years is increasingly available at comparable prices,

Considering that major and costly efforts are required to salvage the most important existing publications and documents, and that these efforts could be avoided by the use of permanent paper,

Considering that the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA), in resolutions adopted by its Council in 1989 and 1991, recommends that UNESCO and other UN agencies use permanent paper in their publications and documents and that UNESCO survey the use of such papers in its Member States,

Considering that the International Council of Archives at its 12th International Congress held in Montreal in 1992 recommended that its members encourage their governments to adopt policies promoting the use of permanent paper,

Considering that this was discussed by the PGI Intergovernmental Council and its Bureau in 1993 and 1994,

Considering that the International Publishers Association (IPA) in 1989 recommended to its members the use of permanent paper,

Considering that the International Organization for Standardization through its Technical Committee 46 (Information and Documentation) has adopted International Standard ISO 9706:1994 (Information and documentation--Paper for documents--Requirements for permanence),

Considering that, in a number of countries, laws or regulations have been adopted requiring the use of permanent paper in some or all official publications and documents,

Commends the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions, the International Council of Archives, the International Publishers Association and the International Organization for Standardization for their efforts to promote the use of permanent paper;

Recommends that the member states of UNESCO, by legislation, regulation, encouragement and example, promote the identification and use of permanent paper for publications and documents to be retained for historical or information purposes;

Invites the Director General of UNESCO to ensure that UNESCO documents and publications are printed on permanent paper and carry a statement or logo to that effect; and

arrange for the collection of data through the UNESCO statistical surveys on the extent to which permanent paper is being used world wide.

Comments, Queries, Suggestions?

Section on Conservation

Chair:
Ralph W. Manning

Secretary:
Ms Maria Skepastianu