Hand in Hand: Analog and Digital Preservation

Sometimes people are surprised to find out that I have an interest in digital preservation.  I find their surprise surprising.  It’s as if they assume that, because I am a book and paper conservator, I must labor away in an ivory tower filled with moldering books while the modern trappings of technology hold no sway over me, if, indeed, I realize that “digital technology” exists at all.

Image from Lisa Gregory’s ASERL-sponsored webinar “Preservation Planning and PREMIS,” held on April 2, 2013, 11 am EST.

While it is true that my profession entails a love affair with history (i.e. “the past”), and the literal tools of my trade are mechanical devices and hand tools designed centuries ago, my passion for preserving the cultural record crosses the boundary of analog versus digital.  As time ticks relentlessly on, the culture of the present day slips ever backwards into history, and preserving born-digital works becomes just as important as preserving centuries-old manuscripts.  In truth, I see little difference in the mission.  In my day-today activities, I may deal more with the chemical deterioration processes of cellulose than I do with corrupted bitstreams, but I still consider it a significant part of my profession to stay informed about advances in all aspects of library and archives preservation.

I’m lucky to have a supervisor who shares my sentiments.  Our Head of Preservation includes me on the “Digital Team,” which is made up of our Head of Preservation, the Digital Initiatives staff, the Digital Repository Coordinator, the University Archivist and Assistant Archivist, and — when the position is filled later this spring — our Cataloging and Metadata Management Librarian.  This also means that I am invited to educational webinars like the one we all attended today, the ASERL-sponsored webinar “Preservation Planning and PREMIS,” presented by Lisa Gregory, the Digital Collections Manager at the State Library of North Carolina.  The webinar is the first in a series of four about digital preservation.  I enjoy thinking over the theories and practicalities of digital preservation while I’m at the bench, repairing and mending books and documents centuries older than I am.

 

Happy New Year! Looking Ahead To 2013

Along with our wishes for a happy new year, we’d also like to say thank you to our readers for making last year such a rewarding one for us.  We appreciate your shared insights and feedback, and thank you for being part of our virtual preservation community.

2013 is already off to an exciting start, beginning with a frozen pipe which burst in the offices of our Special Collections and Archives over break.  Since I was basking in the Arizona sunshine at the time, Hilary will fill you in on the details of that escapade next Tuesday.  We’re also in the midst of our search for the 2013 Lennox Foundation Intern; if you or someone you know is planning to apply, please note the January 17 deadline.

Parks Library, Iowa State University

As we look ahead to the rest of 2013, are there any favorite topics you would like to see us revisit?  We’ve covered topics as diverse as disaster response, conservation treatments, digitization projects, book and paper arts, commercial binding, reformatting, book reviews, conferences, sustainability, whimsical quizzes, and local preservation events.  Are there topics we’ve never discussed that you wish we would?  Guest bloggers from other departments of the Library from whom you’d like to hear?  Join our conversation!

Wishing you all a productive and fulfilling 2013!

 

1091 Project: Let’s Celebrate!

This month, the 1091 Project takes a quick peek at one aspect of departmental culture in the conservation labs of Iowa State University Library and Duke University Libraries.  To celebrate the end of each Fall semester, ISU Preservation Department holds a “staff development day.”  The staff vote on a type of project or handskill to work on during the day-long workshop, we gather our resources, and then have at it.  This year, we decided to take our theme from the discussion/debate arising from a recent blog post, and settled on upcycling discarded paper-based materials such as books, dust-jackets, magazines, and maps.  Preservation Assistant Mindy McCoy created this Pinterest board full of project ideas to inspire and instruct us.

A bookcart overflowing with craft supplies and materials to be “upcycled.”

Lori, from Digital Initiatives, meticulously cut strips from pages of children’s books which she will later fold, chain together, and weave into a basket.

One popular project several of us tried was building a gift topper bow out of strips of paper secured with double-sided tape. Pictured here are bows made from dust-jackets from architecture coffee table books, a map, and pages from a Russian dictionary.

Conservation Technician Mindy Moe turned a gift topper bow into an ornament with a button, ribbon, hot glue, and a little ingenuity.

Our conservation volunteer Martha went big! She rolled maps into a sunburst around a decorative mirror.

Jim, from Preservation Services, turned a book about fish into a 3D sculpture.

Jim also created this tribute to his friend’s dog Floyd, who has since moved on to that great dog kennel in the sky, but not before chewing up this case binding.

Now let’s see how they’re observing the end of the semester and the approach of the winter holidays over at Preservation Underground!

 

1091 Project: Training, Not Just for Athletes

Currently, we don’t do much in the way of formal care and handling training for staff at Iowa State University Library, for two reasons: (1) Preservation enjoys a high profile in our institution, so there is a general awareness of preservation concerns across the Library, and (2) our Library does not have a lot of turnover; many key staff members have been in their positions for upwards of ten or twenty years, and they are very well-versed in care and handling concerns.  The Circulation staff and Stacks Management staff in particular know what to look for and when to call Preservation for assistance.  Likewise, Special Collections staff enjoy a close working relationship with our department, and they are sensitive to potential issues.  So, “training” really only happens on a case-by-case basis, as specific causes for concern arise.  For example, the University Archivist recently requested that I test some plastic sleeves housing new acquisitions, just in case they contained PVC.  Fortunately, the sleeves proved to be PVC-free, but I appreciated her diligence in contacting us to be sure.

We reach out to educate Library users in various ways.  Special Collections staff provide instruction to each user visiting the Special Collections Reading Room on how to handle the materials safely, when a book cradle is necessary, when to wear cotton gloves, etc.  The Preservation Department holds occasional events which are open to the public (particularly during Preservation Week each April), such as free webinars for specific care and handling of photographs, textiles, and other specialized materials.

The Conservation Unit also works closely with Circulation to educate users on care and handling issues, especially issues such as mold.  In some cases, circulating books have returned to the Library severely infested with mold.  If the book is beyond salvage and a new copy must be purchased for the collection, the user will be charged to replace the book.  On some occasions, users have wanted to keep the moldy item after paying the replacement cost.  Circulation and Conservation work together in such situations to educate the user on the dangers of mold, such as its potential health hazards, and the risk of the mold spreading to other books, drapery, rugs, and upholstered furniture if left unmitigated in the user’s home.

Contrasting with the more informal, small-scale approach to staff and user training which suits our institutional culture right now, Duke University Libraries has developed a more formal training program.  Let’s head over to Preservation Underground to learn more about it.

 

It’s National Preservation Week 2012!

Yesterday was the first day of our week-long celebration of National Preservation Week 2012 at Iowa State University Library. If you missed yesterday’s events, be sure to check out our full Preservation Week schedule for more great events this week.

To promote awareness and good stewardship of artifacts representing cultural, historical, and family heritage, the Preservation Department is offering free preservation consultations to the public at a Preservation Clinic in the lobby of Parks Library.

At yesterday’s Preservation Clinic, we examined approximately 30 items, including books, photographs, gowns, framed portraits, cabinet cards, and more.  Hilary Seo, Melissa Tedone, Mindy Moeller, Mindy McCoy, volunteer Martha Lincoln, and undergraduate intern Alex Menard were all on hand from the ISU Library Preservation department.  We were further assisted by Sarah Raithel, a paper conservator in private practice in Pella, IA, and Pete Sixbey, the objects conservator at the State Historical Society of Iowa.  We spent an enjoyable afternoon examining and discussing some fascinating cultural and historical items, and meeting the people who are concerned with preserving these mementos.

Over half a dozen people attended the free webinar “Taking Care of Family Textiles” at Parks Library.  Our next free Preservation Week webinar, “Preserving Your Personal Digital Photographs,” will be this Thursday, April 26, from 1-2 pm in Rm. 192, Parks Library.

For more photos of Preservation Week events at ISU Library, visit our Flickr album, which we will be updating throughout the week.

How are you observing Preservation Week?