"Co-sponsored by Association of Research Libraries, Northeast Document Conservation Center."

Library administrators, faced with the problems of acid-paper deterioration, are examining mass deacidification procedures. Mass deacidification of acidic books while they are still physically sound and not yet brittle is the most cost-effective corrective action to extend the life of the paper. There are currently at least five mass deacidification processes available or under development, so that library administrators can begin to plan for the process. A brief and nontechnical description is given of the following five techniques: (1) DEZ (diethyl zinc), a process at the pilot stage; (2) Wei T'o, a liquified gas process that is in use in at least two locations; (3) BPA, the Book Preservation Associates System, currently available in New Jersey; (4) Bookkeeper, a process under development that involves magnesium oxide; and (5) the Lithco process, in the pilot stage. A table summarizes the properties, selection requirements, cycle times, and development stages of each of these processes. Considerations of process use, such as length of time required to treat a collection, potential damage or strengthening effects, and evaluation issues are reviewed. (Contains 103 references.) (SLD)

This report provides an update of the possibilities and limitations of currently available mass deacidification methods, focusing on the major developments in research and application of the main operational systems. This study is intended primarily to support the development of a well-considered preservation policy by librarians and archivists, with a focus on the practical implications of mass deacidification rather than the technical details of the deacidification process. The study provides a brief history of the development of the technical process, a condensed description of the treatment principle, an overview of available research and test results, indicating the main advantages and disadvantages of the process, and an inventory of actual applications for five mass deacidification systems: (1) "Battelle"; (2) "Bookkeeper"; (3) "DEZ"; (4) "FMC"; and (5) "Wei T'o." Several other initiatives are also described, involving large-scale rather than mass treatment technologies, and essentially combining deacidification with strengthening of paper. The main findings are discussed within the framework of a critical evaluation of the current possibilities and limitations of mass deacidification in general. A list of contacts is provided. (Contains 86 references.) (Author/SWC)

This paper is a response to discussions of digitization at meetings of the National Humanities Alliance (NHA). NHA asked the Council on Library and Information Resources (CLIR) to evaluate the experiences of cultural institutions with digitization projects to date and to summarize what has been learned about the advantages and disadvantages of digitizing culturally significant materials. Findings revealed that digitization often raises expectations of benefits, cost reductions, and efficiencies that can be illusory and, if not viewed realistically, have the potential to put at risk the collections and services libraries have provided for decades. One such false expectation--that digital conversion has already or will shortly replace microfilming as the preferred medium for preservation reformatting--could result in irreversible losses of information. This paper defines digital information; identifies weaknesses of digitization as a preservation treatment; discusses the benefits and drawbacks of digital technology for access; and highlights issues institutions must consider in contemplating a digital conversion project. (AEF)

Preservation: Issues and Planning provides a definitive and authoritative analysis of how to plan for and ensure the long-term health of an institution's collection in this digital age.

With discussion on how paper conservation procedures work, how they are put to use, and how deterioration may be prevented, this comprehensive volume examines how vast quantities of documentation can best be preserved. It provides detailed information and recommendations about various preservation methods, including mechanical copying, photographic film, magnetic recording, and optical disk recording, and on the expected useful lives of each. Also included are a method for scoring and assessing the condition of collections and a decision tree that provides a guide for orderly progress in preserving a collection of documents. Printed on permanent, acid-free paper.

The ostensible purpose of a library is to preserve the printed word. But for fifty years our country’s libraries–including the Library of Congress–have been doing just the opposite, destroying hundreds of thousands of historic newspapers and replacing them with microfilm copies that are difficult to read, lack all the color and quality of the original paper and illustrations, and deteriorate with age. With meticulous detective work and Baker’s well-known explanatory power, Double Fold reveals a secret history of microfilm lobbyists, former CIA agents, and warehouses where priceless archives are destroyed with a machine called a guillotine. Baker argues passionately for preservation, even cashing in his own retirement account to save one important archive–all twenty tons of it. Written the brilliant narrative style that Nicholson Baker fans have come to expect, Double Fold is a persuasive and often devastating book that may turn out to be The Jungle of the American library system.

"[This book] is designed to meet the needs of book conservators, museum technicians, and curators in libraries and archives who require a practical method for the construction of protective boxes."--from foreword.

This work skeptically explores the notion that the internet will soon obviate any need for traditional print-based academic libraries. It makes a case for the library's staying power in the face of technological advancements (television, microfilm, and CD-ROM's were all once predicted as the contemporary library's heir-apparent), and devotes individual chapters to the pitfalls and prevarications of popular search engines, e-books, and the mass digitization of traditional print material.