National Library of Australia Staff Papers, 1995

Font Size:  Small  Medium  Large

3rd National Roundtable on Libraries & Asia Issues Papers
Syndicate Discussion Group Summary Paper - Preservation of Asian Collections

Jan Lyall, Director, National Preservation Office, NLA (27 January 1995)

Background

Although it is never desirable or possible to keep everything forever, it must be recognised that access to much of the Asian material currently being collected by Australian libraries will be required long into the future. Much of this material is at risk and strategies must be developed now to ensure continued access to information contained in nationally significant materials. This long-term access may be to preserved originals or to reformatted versions of original materials. Reformatting methods include preservation photocopying, microfilming and digitising.

Seven factors influence our ability to provide access to these materials.

Key Points

1. Identification of Nationally Significant Materials

Materials currently being collected do not all have the same significance or value. This means that we need to identify now those materials we are prepared to allow to deteriorate and those for which we will accept some preservation responsibility.

Criteria for establishing the significance of materials and collections need to be established. Criteria for significance are difficult to formulate because the process involves determining future needs. The significance of materials and collections to any one institution may change over time and national coordination will be essential in monitoring the changing Asian collection, retention and preservation priorities and actions of Australian libraries in a DNC context.

Recommendations:

1.1 That libraries with an interest in Asian materials, in collaboration with the DNC Office and the National Preservation Office (NPO), develop a classification system for describing the "significance" of their Asian collections by June 1996.

1.2 That the DNC Office develop procedures to include information about the significance of collections on the Conspectus database by December 1996.

2. Inability of Countries of Origin to Carry out Appropriate Preservation Strategies

Some Asian countries lack the resources, and in some cases the necessary skills, to ensure the preservation of their own documentary heritage. While it has been agreed by IFLA that each country is responsible for the preservation of its own documentary heritage it is not yet possible to assume that this responsibility can be fulfilled by all countries. If Australians want continued access to these materials we need to take action now to ensure that access will be possible.

3. Identification of International Responsibilities

Many countries other than Australia are collecting Asian materials. Some of these are already carrying out preservation activities. To maximise the 'preservation dollar' in all countries, it makes sense to agree on preservation responsibilities and to ensure that adequate bibliographic measures are employed to provide universal access to preserved and reformatted material (see below).

The IFLA Preservation and Conservation Core Programme (IFLA PAC) acknowledges the responsibility of developed countries to assist developing countries. The National Library of Australia has agreed to act as an IFLA PAC centre for the Asia-Pacific region, and the ALIA APSIG has also provided some preservation training to some libraries in the region.

Recommendation:

3.1 That all users of the Asialib e-mail list, present at this meeting, promote the use of the list to develop a national and international communication network to discuss collection, access and preservation strategies for Asian collections.

4. Condition of Materials

Much of the published material produced by Asian countries is on acidic, low-grade paper. This paper has a very short life span. If continued access to it is required, appropriate reformatting strategies employing cooperative programs will be required. The alternative is to rely on other countries, either the country of origin or another country, to maintain the material and to establish the necessary bibliographic control. The same concerns will apply to electronic materials being produced by Asian countries.

Recommendation:

4.1 That Australian libraries with interests in Asian materials, in collaboration with the DNC Office and the NPO, cooperate to establish a cooperative reformatting strategy for significant Asian materials by December 1996. Wherever possible efforts should be made to collaborate with libraries in other countries.

5. Lack of Coordination of Activities

Currently there is little coordination of preservation associated activities either in Australia or internationally. The National Preservation Office has established Australian Preservation and Conservation Abroad (APACA) to coordinate preservation training assistance provided by Australian institutions to the Asia-Pacific region. However, within Australia there has been little recognition in DNC collecting agreements that preservation is a key management issue.

Recommendation:

5.1 That libraries with interests in Asian materials, in association with the DNC Office and the NPO attempt to develop preservation codes for recording the preservation needs of collections, and that this information be recorded in the Conspectus database by June 1996.

6. Lack of Appropriate Preservation Programs in Australian Libraries

Apart from the National Library most Asian collections in Australia are in university libraries. Very few university libraries have preservation policies or programs. Of the 22 Australian libraries surveyed by the DNC Office regarding collections of Asian library materials only 27% claimed to have a preservation policy for those particular collections. Only 36% had a disaster preparedness plan. The survey also indicates that the most common Asian collection 'maintenance' activities are binding and boxing, with few libraries reporting routine conservation treatment, cleaning, fumigation or encapsulation. Concentrating preservation activity and funding on binding and boxing is not necessarily the best preservation strategy. While binding is a good strategy for improving the security of loose materials, from a cost point of view there are certain advantages in boxing over binding.

The DNC survey results were not reliable when it came to questions of preservation reformatting, but seem to indicate that there is little Australian microfilming of Asian collection materials and little attempt to record instances of microfilming these materials on national databases.

Preservation funding might be optimised by a 'microfilm and discard' approach rather than maintaining the original materials indefinitely, especially in the case of some Asian materials that are in particularly poor condition. The development of preservation budgets and strategies should be based on consideration of such options in consultation with other institutions that have adopted or are contemplating similar strategies.

Recommendations:

6.1 That all future DNC collecting agreements should include standardised preservation agreements with undertakings, for example, to develop and regularly update a comprehensive preservation policy, to develop and regularly update disaster preparedness plans, and to record preservation intentions and actions on appropriate databases. The draft will be prepared by the DNC Office in collaboration with the NPO and the NBD and Standards Branch of NLA by June 1995. Draft to be mounted for comment on DNC listserver. Final wording to be agreed by December 1995.

6.2 That the NPO play a role in raising awareness about preservation management and funding options by ensuring that all participants at this meeting are placed on NPO's mailing list.

6.3 That a more detailed survey of Asian collection microfilming activity be carried out by the DNC Office, the NPO, and the NBD and Standards Branches of the National Library by December 1995. The survey should examine scope of microfilming programs and associated issues such as expenditure, microfilm storage, bibliographic procedures and standards of microfilming. This data will assist in determining the prevalence, appropriateness and cost effectiveness of present preservation microfilming activity.

7. Poor Bibliographic Control

Good bibliographic control is essential to providing access to preserved material, especially reformatted material. It also provides a mechanism to record preservation intentions. Greater use of this facility needs to be made.

The Commission on Preservation and Access (CPA) has developed and is promoting universal bibliographic standards. The CPA has also assisted in the establishment of a European Register of Microform Masters (EROMM). This data base is now mounted on RLIN. Every effort should be made to ensure that Australian records of microform masters are accessible worldwide.

Recommendations:

7.1 That all Australian Libraries with Asian collections use the NBD system to record the location of preservation master negative microforms and to record preservation intentions, especially in the case of preservation reformatting by June 1995.

7.2 That the NPO encourage the Commission on Preservation and Access to extend its interest to the Asia-Pacific region.


Summary Of Recommendations

1.1 That libraries with an interest in Asian materials, in collaboration with the DNC Office and the National Preservation Office (NPO), develop a classification system for describing the "significance" of their Asian collections by June 1996.

1.2 That the DNC Office develop procedures to include information about the significance of collections on the Conspectus database by December 1996.

3.1 That all users of the Asialib e-mail list present at this meeting rpomote the use of the list to develop a national and international communication network to discuss collection, access and preservation strategies for Asian collections.

4.1 That Australian libraries with interests in Asian materials, in collaboration with the DNC Office and the NPO, cooperate to establish a cooperative reformatting strategy for significant Asian materials by December 1996. Wherever possible efforts should be made to collaborate with libraries in other countries.

5.1 That libraries with interests in Asian materials, in association with the DNC Office and the NPO attempt to develop preservation codes for recording the preservation needs of collections, and that this information be recorded in the Conspectus database by June 1996.

6.1 That all future DNC collecting agreements should include standardised preservation agreements with undertakings, for example, to develop and regularly update a comprehensive preservation policy, to develop and regularly update disaster preparedness plans, and to record preservation intentions and actions on appropriate databases. The draft will be prepared by the DNC Office in collaboration with the NPO and the NBD and Standards Branch of NLA by June 1995. Draft to be mounted for comment on DNC listserver. Final wording to be agreed by December 1995.

6.2 That the NPO play a role in raising awareness about preservation management and funding options by ensuring that all participants at this meeting are placed on NPO's mailing list.

6.3 That a more detailed survey of Asian collection microfilming activity be carried out by the DNC Office, the NPO, and the NBD and Standards Branches of the National Library by December 1995. The survey should examine scope of microfilming programs and associated issues such as expenditure, microfilm storage, bibliographic procedures and standards of microfilming. This data will assist in determining the prevalence, appropriateness and cost effectiveness of present preservation microfilming activity.

7.1 That all Australian Libraries with Asian collections use the NBD system to record the location of preservation master negative microforms and to record preservation intentions, especially in the case of preservation reformatting by June 1995.

7.2 That the NPO encourage the Commission on Preservation and Access to extend its interest to the Asia-Pacific region.