IFLA Preservation and Conservation Core Programme

See also: Training in Preservation Microfilming

About IFLA

IFLA is a worldwide, independent, non-government organisation with a constantly growing membership now standing at over 1,300 in more than 130 countries. Its members are library and related associations, libraries and similar institutions, institutional affiliates, and personal members. It is registered in the Netherlands as an Institutional Association. The aims of IFLA are to promote international cooperation, discussion, and research in all fields of library activity. It considers all aspects of library work to be within its province and strives to extend its membership to all countries. IFLA aspires to speak with authority as the global voice of the library profession. The aims of universality, comprehensiveness and representative status give direction to IFLA's structure as well as to its professional programs. IFLA has a complex organisational structure with six Core Programmes and 8 Divisions comprising 32 Sections and 12 Round Tables. It is managed by an elected Executive Board, with the assistance of a Professional Board, and is serviced by a Secretariat in the Hague.

Preservation and Conservation (PAC) Core Programme

The PAC Programme was established in 1986. Unlike other Core Programmes which are each located in a major national library, the PAC Programme operates from a number of national libraries. The International Focal Point is at Bibliothèque Nationale in Paris, France and there are six regional centres located at:

The regional centres communicate to and work with the Focal Point by assisting with its projects, by publicising its goals and activities to others in their own region, and by representing the preservation needs of the region to the Focal Point.

Aims of the PAC Core Programme

  • Raise awareness of preservation issues emphasizing the key role of preservation in the global management of library collections.
  • Develop a policy of coordinated activities with PAC Centres, IFLA structures and other organisations or individuals interested in the preservation of documentary heritage.
  • Encourage scientific research on the causes, prevention and treatment of the deterioration of library documents, the reformatting of information, and the development of national and international standards that support the preservation of library materials.
  • Educate library staff at all levels on preservation practices and encourage the organisation of practical training programs.

The Core Programmes are not financed from membership fees but from voluntary contributions mainly from national libraries and from project funding received through funding agencies such as UNESCO. The Focal Point receives funds from IFLA Headquarters for administrative purposes. The major portion of these funds are used in the production of a biannual newsletter, International Preservation News. The regional centres receive no direct funding, but they are entitled to request funds for specific purposes, eg. conferences, publications, and training tools. Regional centres raise their own project funds or use their own budgets to support activities. Each regional centre pays the postage costs to distribute copies of International Preservation News within their own region. The Focal Point has signed an agreement with IFLA Headquarters which covers primarily the financial responsibilities of both IFLA and Bibliothèque Nationale, and the regional centres sign a Memorandum of Understanding in which participation in the Programme is reviewed annually. All Core Programmes operate to a five-year plan. Many of the normal activities of the regional centres are not specifically aimed at satisfying the objectives of the IFLA Programme, but they do so almost by default.

International Preservation News

The International Preservation News (IPN) is a free newsletter produced by IFLA PAC three times a year. If you would like to be added to the mailing list for this newsletter please email us at the address below.

Enquiries

For enquiries about the IFLA PAC programme at the National Library of Australia please contact:

e-mail: nipa@nla.gov.au

phone: +61 2 6262 1223

page last updated (broken link removed) 18 March 2008

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