Search results

Reports the findings of a BLRIC‐funded research project, which set out to identify and evaluate current and recent co‐operative preservation activities, and produce guidelines which will help librarians and archivists to engage in successful co‐operative preservation activity.

Describes a research project aiming to develop models to facilitate co‐operative initiatives and partnership arrangements which will improve the identification and collection of local publications under legal deposit and the coverage of these publications in the BNB. Underlines the importance of locally‐held collections and outlines the concept of “the national published archive”. Argues the need for a review of, and changes to, legal deposit, highlighting the need for greater co‐operation between the legal deposit libraries and others, whilst noting existing co‐operation. Maintains that the success of any distributed national published archive will depend upon a co‐operative approach, between the legal deposit libraries themselves and other information providers at local and regional levels. Above all, any new arrangements must be sustainable – able to withstand, for instance, future local or regional reorganisations of the kind recently experienced, and properly funded.

Describes the development and testing of a standard assessment method for the preservation needs of paper‐based and photographic materials (including microforms) in libraries, which will facilitate an assessment of national preservation needs and priorities. After outlining how the research was carried out, it briefly describes the assessment method which was finally developed; explains why a sample‐based approach was adopted and how libraries should choose their samples; discusses the core preservation management issues identified during the earlier part of the research and shows how a set of questions relating to these issues was developed for inclusion in the method.

This article has been withdrawn as it was published elsewhere and accidentally duplicated. The original article can be seen here: 10.1108/01435129610112743. When citing the article, please cite: Paul Eden, Graham Matthews, (1996), “Disaster management in libraries”, Library Management, Vol. 17 Iss: 3, pp. 5 - 12.

Reports a British Library Research and Innovation Centre funded research project which aims to develop a method for assessing preservation needs in UK libraries and archives, and to develop the method in such a way as to facilitate an assessment of national preservation needs and priorities. Discusses what is meant by a preservation needs assessment, provides an overview of recent and ongoing preservation surveys and presents preliminary findings relating to key practical issues. Highlights the primary importance of good preparation and planning, the need to concentrate on “asking the right questions” to meet stated aims and objectives and the need to ensure that the assessment is not planned and carried out in isolation. The development of a national preservation needs assessment ‐ fundamental to the development of a UK national preservation strategy ‐ is considered in the light of these findings.

Discusses case studies of general enquiry services in 20 high‐profile national voluntary environmental organizations. Highlights public concern about the environment and the important role these services play in meeting demand for environmental information. Shows that they supply many different categories of enquirer with a wide range of environmental information, and that in doing so they both serve organizational aims and raise general awareness of environmental issues. This often means striking a delicate balance between what information can be provided free and what requires a charging policy. Found that some organizations increasingly employ marketing techniques to establish a recognizable profile in the minds of the public, their enquiry services working closely with publicity and membership departments. Also found some confusion in the minds of the public regarding which organization(s) to contact, and overlap and duplication of material. Suggests further research to look at ways of overcoming these problems.

Presents interim findings of a year‐long project examining disaster management policy and practices in British libraries and suggests areas which should be covered in a disaster training programme, having drawn on the experience of librarians, archivists, museum officers, heritage organizations, disaster salvage and recovery companies, commercial binders, fire service officers, loss adjusters and local authority insurers. Refers to the possibility of inter‐library co‐operation. Concludes that all libraries and information centres need to take practical measures to minimize the risk of disaster and be prepared to react quickly and effectively should a disaster occur. Disaster training is therefore an essential requirement of any disaster management programme.

Introduces a one‐year research project, based on a questionnaire survey of nearly 300 archives and record offices, and interviews with librarians, archivists and conservationists. Posits that the research will gather and analyse information on written preservation policies and strategies; reprography policies; environmental control; housekeeping routines; staff training; user education; security; disaster management; and statistics for preservation planning. Initial findings highlight concern regarding the increasing emphasis on user services and damage caused by photocopying; the problem of disintegrating collections printed or written on poor quality paper; the central role of microform as a surrogate medium; interest in the feasibility of establishing a central repository for microfilm; and interest in the surrogacy potential of digitization. Expects that the research will produce good practice guidelines for libraries, archives and record offices and will result in detailed recommendations as to what a national preservation policy might contain and the issues it should consider, thus pointing the way towards a national preservation policy and significantly strengthening the case for it.

Discusses the results of a questionnaire survey into preservation policies and practice in British libraries, focusing on responsibility for preservation, preservation policies, disaster control planning, staff training and user education, co‐operative initiatives, factors inhibiting preservation activity and spending on preservation. Findings indicate that preservation is considered most applicable to special collections and to rare or valuable items, and that funding is a major problem even in libraries with a strong commitment to preservation. Increased activity in areas such as disaster control planning indicate a greater awareness of preservation issues than in the past. Highlights the advantages of written preservation policies and the success of co‐operative initiatives such as Newsplan, suggesting that a national preservation policy would enable libraries to take a more rational approach to problems such as what to preserve and funding allocation, while helping to clarify their national heritage responsibilities.