Preservation Management: Between Policy and Practice

Citation

(1998), "Preservation Management: Between Policy and Practice", Asian Libraries, Vol. 7 No. 10. https://doi.org/10.1108/al.1998.17307jab.012

Preservation Management: Between Policy and Practice

Preservation Management: Between Policy and Practice

The Hague19-21 April 1999

Preservation management, encompassing such tasks as damage assessment, planning and setting priorities, selection, budgeting, disaster management, training of staff and users, and fund raising has become of central importance in ensuring access to the intellectual heritage. However, as formal training in preservation management does not exist and is still in many ways a pioneering area, exchange of expertise and experience between professionals engaged in preservation activities is vital. Therefore, the Koninklijke Bibliotheek (KB, national library of The Netherlands), the IFLA Preservation and Conservation Core Programme (IFLA-PAC) and the European Commission on Preservation and Access (ECPA) are jointly organising a three-day conference on preservation management.

The conference will focus on organisational, financial and managerial aspects of preservation. The central theme will be the interaction between theory and practice. In many archives and libraries on a theoretical level some form of agreement has been reached about preservation requirements in general and abstract terms. However, the transition from theory to practice is often fraught with difficulties, and relatively few institutions in Europe have experience with the realisation of concrete projects. At this conference case studies will be presented to illustrate efforts at institutions in various European countries and shed light on such questions as how one plans and costs a large preservation project, and how a preservation programme can be realised. Technical aspects of preservation will only be dealt with insofar as they bear on the general theme; the focus of the conference will be firmly on preservation as a management issue, in a context of planning, costing, staff management and organisation.

Topics for discussion include the following:

• •

  The interaction between preservation policy and practice: what comes first? What constitutes a sound preservation policy?

• •

  The role of national policies: how necessary are they?

• •

  Selection and priorities: assessments, planning.

• •

  Choice of methods: prevention or cure? Their effects for user groups and the organisation.

• •

  Organisational structures: who is responsible and who should be involved? Monitoring quality and progress.

• •

  Staff management and training: schools and courses, in-house training, training at the right level.

• •

  Economic factors: investments, outsourcing, costing and budgeting.

• •

  Public relations: awareness campaigns and funding.

Speakers will be professionals from the European library and archive world with experience in preservation management. The intended audience of the conference is: directors, administrators and government officials responsible for preservation and cultural heritage issues; preservation managers in libraries and archives; librarians, archivists and conservators with preservation tasks; and representatives from training institutions for librarians and archivists. The conference language will be English.

The conference fee will be ECU150, including coffees, teas and lunches; in addition, it is planned to send all participants a copy of the conference proceedings. Participants will be expected to make their own hotel arrangements.

A detailed programme and registration form are available from the ECPA. Information and registration forms are also posted on the Internet at <http://www.konbib.nl/pmc For further information contact: ECPA, PO Box 19121, 1000 GC Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Fax: +31 20 620 4941; E-mail: ecpa@bureau.knaw.nl