C&RL News, May 2008
Vol. 69, No. 5
by Jane Hedberg
Preservation and digitization
The Council on Library and Information Resources (CLIR) has published Preservation in the Age of Large-Scale Digitization: A White Paper by Oya Rieger of Cornell University. This 52-page report examines the strategies of four large-scale digital initiatives (LSDIs)—Google Book Search, Microsoft Live Search Books, the Open Content Alliance, and the Million Book Project—and preservation of the digital collections they are creating.
It considers how selection, quality of content creation, technical infrastructure, and organizational infrastructure will affect long-term availability and usability. Rieger makes 13 recommendations for safe-guarding these valuable and costly digital collections. Acting on those recommendations will require significant collaboration among cultural institutions, so she outlines the long-term benefits of such collaboration.
The report is available as a free 600KB PDF at www.clir.org/pubs/reports/pub141/pub141.pdf. Print copies may be ordered for $20 each at www.clir.org/pubs/abstract/pub141abst.html.
AV workshop
The Conservation Center for Art and Historic Artifacts (CCAHA) is presenting a two-day workshop, “A Race Against Time: Preserving Our Audiovisual Media,” July 24–25, 2008 in Boston. Lectures, case studies, and round table discussions will cover media identification and preservation, surveying and selecting materials for preservation, reformatting options, contracting for services, and funding opportunities. The faculty includes Alan Lewis, a private consultant; George Blood from Safe Sound Archive; Tom Clareson from PALINET; and Sarah Stauderman from the Smithsonian Institution Archives.
Workshop registration costs $200. For more information, contact Kim Andrews, CCAHA, 264 S. 23rd Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103; phone: (215) 545-0613; fax: (215) 735-9313; e-mail: kandrews@ccaha.org; URL: www.ccaha.org.
Digital conference
The Northeast Document Conservation Center (NEDCC) is presenting “Digital Directions: Fundamentals of Creating and Managing Digital Collections,” June 10–12, 2008, in Jacksonville, Florida.
This conference reviews the entire process for creating digital objects, from concept to sustainability. It will cover collaboration, planning, selection, scanning basics, image capture, metadata, outsourcing, vendor relations, digitizing text, audio, video and film, delivery systems, copyright, rights management, standards, best practices, disaster planning, and funding. This is a new and expanded version of NEDCC’s School for Scanning.
Conference registration costs $625. Registration deadline is Friday, May 16, 2008. For more information, contact Julie Carlson, NEDCC, 100 Brickstone Square, Andover, MA 01810-1494; phone: (978) 470-1010; fax: (978) 475-6021; e-mail: jcarlson@nedcc.org; URL: www.nedcc.org.
Banks/Harris award
Janet Gertz, director of preservation at the Columbia University Library, has received the 2008 Paul Banks and Carolyn Harris Preservation Award from the Association for Library Collections and Technical Services. As described in the award announcement, Gertz is an outstanding mentor, advocate, practitioner, author, and leader. She has always shared her great expertise freely, and with verve, generosity, and humor.
The award citation and $1,500 will be presented to her during the ALA Annual Conference in Anaheim, California.