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About ANICA

Introduction

Survey of Cellulose Acetate Collections

Cellulose Acetate Working Group

ANICA linked resources

Status of Collections

Members' Corner

Disclaimer


Introduction

The ANICA website provides a forum point for sharing information and accessing resources about preserving cellulose acetate collections in Australia. The creation of the ANICA website fulfils one of the recommendations in the National Strategy for Cellulose Acetate Collections, released in 2001, and supports the vision:

'That Australian institutions will implement strategies to ensure continuing access to the portion of our documentary heritage on cellulose acetate.'

The information gathered on this network is intended to help collection managers and preservation staff make informed decisions about preserving their cellulose acetate collections.

If you would like to become involved in this national initiative, or would like further information about this project, please contact our office:

National & International Preservation Activities (NIPA)
Preservation Services
National Library of Australia
Email: nipa@nla.gov.au
Telephone: (02) 6262 1223

Survey of Cellulose Acetate Collections

Cellulose acetate, once known as 'safety film', has been very widely used for photographic and movie images, microfilm and sound. Under all but the most stringent storage conditions, acetate deteriorates to an unusable state, releasing acetic acid. This phenomenon, known as the 'vinegar syndrome', is becoming familiar in libraries and archive collections all over the world, threatening to result in loss of access to a large slice of twentieth century documentary material.

Deteriorating cellulose acetate material can undergo the changes illustrated below, causing information on material affected to become difficult to access.

In January 2000, the National Library of Australia (NLA) embarked on a project to develop a national strategy for dealing with deteriorating cellulose acetate collections. Initially information about various options for dealing with this problem was collated; and information about the extent of the problem, both within the NLA and nationally was obtained. The Cellulose Acetate Report, Stage One, gives the results of this study. The report is available in Word (375KB : 54 pages) and PDF (194KB : 54 pages) formats.

The Cellulose Acetate Working Group

The Cellulose Acetate Working Group was established as a result of a recommendation in the Cellulose Acetate Report. The Working Group aims to work cooperatively on issues affecting deteriorating cellulose acetate collections in member institutions.

Members of the Working Group include staff from the following institutions:

  • Albany Public Library and Local Studies Collection
  • Archives Office of Tasmania
  • Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC)
  • Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies (AIATSIS)
  • Australian War Memorial
  • City of Melbourne
  • Macleay Museum (University of Sydney)
  • Museum Victoria
  • National Archives of Australia
  • National Library of Australia
  • Northern Territory Library and Information Service
  • Powerhouse Museum
  • ScreenSound Australia
  • State Library of New South Wales
  • State Library of Queensland
  • State Library of South Australia
  • State Library of Tasmania
  • State Library of Victoria
  • State Library of Western Australia (formely LISWA)
  • Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery
  • University of Melbourne Archives
  • Western Australian Museum
  • W & F Pascoe Pty Ltd

The working group communicates via the acetate-l discussion group, enabling members to discuss ideas with colleagues in a supportive environment.

Issues that the working group have addressed so far include:

  • Development of the Assessment Guidelines, Storage of Cellulose Acetate collections Report and the National Strategy for Cellulose Acetate Collections.
  • Discussion of Occupational Health and Safety issues when dealing with cellulose acetate.

For more information about the Working Group please contact our office at nipa@nla.gov.au.

ANICA linked resources

The ANICA website features several resources that were developed during the Cellulose Acetate project. These resources are available as links from the ANICA homepage and from this page within the text below.

One of the findings of the Cellulose Acetate Report was the need to share expertise in aspects related to dealing with cellulose acetate collections. As a result of this a 'Register of Experience/Expertise' was established. This register is regularly updated.

In cooperation with the cellulose acetate working group the NLA has also developed Assessment Guidelines to help collection managers find cellulose acetate in their collections, and to provide information on issues such as condition, value, and access requirements which will help managers develop a preservation strategy for their collection.

The Annotated Bibliography provides a list of documents about cellulose acetate preservation. Wherever possible, annotations have been provided to indicate the scope of the source.

The Storage of Cellulose Acetate Collections paper aims to summarise some of the important issues emerging from the recent literature discussing preservation and storage of cellulose acetate based film. It also provides information about cool storage facilities in Australia. It is hoped that this information will assist institutions considering options for the storage of their cellulose acetate collections.

Status of Collections

As Australian collecting institutions implement the National Strategy, updated information about their progress will be posted on the Status of Collections page. It is anticipated that institutions will benefit from sharing information about their projects and any challenges they are facing.

Members' Corner

The members' corner portion of the ANICA website enables Australian collecting institutions to disseminate information about their current cellulose acetate projects to an identified group of members. If you are part of an Australian collecting institution and would like to become a member please contact nipa@nla.gov.au.

Disclaimer

While the information contained on this website has been prepared with due care and skill, findings and best practices in relation to Cellulose Acetate are likely to change over time. Accordingly, the information contained on this website is for general information only and should not be treated as a substitute for advice of a qualified conservator. While every effort has been made to present information which is accurate, the National Library accepts no responsibility for any damage or liability whatsoever for any damage or loss that is incurred as a result of the information presented on this website.


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