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A National Strategy for Cellulose Acetate Collections
September 2001
- Objective
- Assessment
- Storage
- Copying
- Coordination
That Australian institutions will implement strategies to
ensure continuing access to the portion of our documentary heritage on
cellulose acetate.
Introduction
Cellulose acetate, widely used as a carrier for photographic
negatives, motion picture film, microfilm, microfiche and audio, is subject to
deterioration over time.
In August 2000, the National Library of Australia released a
report that broadly scoped the extent of the deterioration problem in Australia
and investigated current approaches for dealing with cellulose acetate
collection material. It was found that the amount of cellulose acetate in
Australian institutions is substantial, that much of it is being stored in
suboptimal conditions, and that there is a high level of uncertainty regarding
the extent of deterioration that has already occurred. Those institutions that
were able to estimate levels of deterioration reported that significant levels
of deterioration had already occurred.
In order to address this problem, in late 2000, a group of
Australian institutions agreed to form a "working group" to discuss some of the
key issues in managing cellulose acetate collections and to investigate
possibilities for cooperation. This process has led to the development of a
national strategy.
Objective
In Australia, cellulose acetate may be found in a variety of
formats within a wide range of collections and institutions. Therefore, many
different strategies tailored to local circumstances will need to be developed
to manage these collections.
- Notwithstanding these differences, by 2005,
all Australian institutions will have in place a strategy for ensuring
ongoing access to their cellulose acetate collections of enduring
value.
These strategies will need to take account of the following
components:
- assessment
- storage
- copying
- coordination
Assessment
Information on the condition, use and importance of
cellulose acetate collections is necessary in order to evaluate risks and
benefits of various strategies for managing these collections. Therefore, as
part of a national strategy:
- All institutions will undertake an assessment of
their cellulose acetate collections. This assessment will collect data
(including A-D strip readings) on the condition and other factors such as
significance and use that will enable analysis of the risks and benefits of
pursuing various strategies to be assessed.
- Assessment Guidelines, designed to assist
institutions with evaluating cellulose acetate materials in collections and in
the identification of appropriate strategies to deal with these
collections, will be made available through a cellulose acetate
information network in 2001.
- OH&S Aspects:
The National Library of
Australia will coordinate a working group to investigate the OH&S issues
surrounding the handling of substantial collections of cellulose acetate. The
findings of this group will be disseminated via the cellulose acetate
information network in 2001.
Storage
Storage environments can be controlled to reduce the risk of
cellulose acetate deterioration in a number of ways:
Where possible,
- low temperature/low humidity conditions should be used to
store cellulose acetate;
- materials affected by the vinegar syndrome should be
isolated from non-affected acetate materials;
- optimal enclosures for items should be chosen, with
enclosure materials known to promote deterioration being avoided. For example,
rusty cans should be discarded, mould or decomposition products should be
removed from containers and inert enclosure materials should be selected.
In order to assist Australian institutions to achieve these
storage requirements, either within individual organisations, or through
cooperative arrangements:
- Information on current cool storage facilities will
be made widely available on the cellulose acetate information network.
Information provided by participating institutions about specific storage
strategies to improve the life expectancy of cellulose acetate will also be
disseminated through this network.
At this stage, it is not feasible to propose a single
storage facility for the nation's cellulose acetate collections.
Copying
Because of the inherent instability of cellulose acetate,
copying will necessarily be a part of any strategy to manage these collections.
Programs for copying cellulose acetate materials need to be developed and
implemented following assessment of collections.
Due to the threat of irreversible loss and to the
resource-intensive nature of copying projects, a "copy once" approach is
recommended, that will deliver a desired level of long-term access. Such an
approach will involve reference to preservation copying standards and best
practices. Quality control should constitute an important part of any copying
program and be completed prior to the disposal of any material.
In order to ensure that a proposed preservation copying
strategy is sustainable and cost-effective, the cost of maintaining access to
copies needs to be considered prior to copying.
- To avoid duplication of effort, the establishment of
online collection databases that enable duplicates or unique items to be
identified will be encouraged.
- A register of standards used for copying materials in
partner institutions will be made available for each format on the cellulose
acetate information network.
- Guidelines on when to retain or discard originals
following copying and best practice for discarding cellulose acetate material
will be developed jointly by Australian collecting institutions with
coordination from the National Library of Australia.
Coordination
This national strategy recognises that a cooperative
national approach to ensuring the survival of Australia's documentary heritage
on cellulose acetate is desirable.
- A web-based cellulose acetate information network
will be established for sharing information, discussing issues, establishing
cooperative ventures and providing access to information to assist institutions
to formulate and implement their own strategies. Participation in the network
will be broadened with the goal of including all Australian collecting
institutions with cellulose acetate collections.
- A resources group will be established to propose and
negotiate cost-effective approaches and to investigate funding for cellulose
acetate projects.
- A campaign to raise appreciation of the value of
Australia's documentary heritage on cellulose acetate and the threat posed to
this material will be conducted.
- As part of the national strategy, projects which will
address the preservation of specific collections of exceptional national
significance or which will serve to identify, in a practical way, some of the
main issues in managing cellulose acetate collections that may then be used in
other projects, will be undertaken.
It is proposed that many aspects of a national strategy for
cellulose acetate collections will be achieved through a web-based information
network. Such a network will provide a flexible framework for assisting
institutions to implement appropriate strategies. This will be achieved by:
- facilitating access to information to assist institutions
in formulating strategies suited to their particular needs;
- providing a forum for discussing issues, sharing
information, and facilitating cooperative ventures.
The Cellulose Acetate Information Network will include links
to a wide range of resources, many of which have already been developed as part
of the Cellulose Acetate Project. It is proposed that it be developed through
the extension of the existing cellulose acetate project home page.
The Cellulose Acetate Information Network will consist of
the following areas:
- Information Page
This page will provide basic information about the
cellulose acetate deterioration problem and the Information Network.
- Assessment Guidelines
Assessment Guidelines were developed as part of the
Cellulose Acetate Project to assist institutions with evaluating cellulose
acetate materials in collections and in the identification of appropriate
strategies to deal with these collections. These Draft Guidelines will
be revised to take account of comments from the Cellulose Acetate Working
Group, made accessible through the network, and publicised. OH&S guidelines
will also be made available through the network.
- Status of Cellulose Acetate Collections
This voluntary register will provide information "at a
glance" about the status of institutions' collections, including progress with
strategies.
- Strategies, Policies and Guidelines
To assist Australian institutions to develop their own
strategies, the network will include links to existing relevant strategies,
policies or guidelines developed by Australian institutions.
- Literature
The Network will facilitate access to literature about
managing cellulose acetate collections through the inclusion of an annotated
bibliography. Where possible, links will be provided to web-based resources.
These links will be regularly updated. Relevant standards will also be
listed.
- Storage
An area on the network dealing with storage will include
the National Library of Australia's Cool Store Report and other documents
relating to storage of cellulose acetate materials.
- Discussion
An online forum for the discussion of issues surrounding
the management of cellulose acetate will be accessible through the network. An
archive of messages will also be made accessible through the site. This may
provide a contact point for enquiries about any aspect of managing cellulose
acetate. It will also be a useful contact point for institutions interested in
pursuing cooperative ventures such as bulk purchasing of materials, sharing of
storage space, etc.
- Register of Experience/Expertise
A list of institutions with experience/expertise in
particular aspects of managing cellulose acetate collections will be maintained
as part of the Cellulose Acetate Information Network.
All participating Australian institutions will be required
to assess their collections and to develop a strategy which conforms to the
principles set forth in this national strategy document. While it is
anticipated that additional sources of funding will be identified to implement
these strategies, participating institutions will also need to identify
resources to carry out their own strategies.
The National Library of Australia will host the cellulose
acetate information network on its server and will be responsible for
coordinating input to the network from partner institutions and for
coordinating the proposed working groups.
A substantial part of the proposed network has already been
developed by the National Library of Australia and institutions participating
in the Cellulose Acetate Project (eg Assessment Guidelines, Register of
Experience/Expertise). All institutions will need to make a commitment to
sharing information about procedures for managing their cellulose acetate
collections through the network and to reviewing certain areas of the network
from time to time.
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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