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ISSN 1039-3498 | no. 54| December 2001


Vanessa Marshall Visits the Library

Dr Vanessa Marshall, Director of the National Preservation Office at the British Library

Dr Vanessa Marshall, Director of the National Preservation Office at the British Library

Dr Vanessa Marshall, Director of the National Preservation Office (NPO) at the British Library spent two days at the National Library of Australia, in September 2001, on her way to visit the State Library of Victoria and the NPO, National Library of New Zealand.

A group of around 35 conservation, digital and information professionals attended a half-day seminar presented by Dr Marshall. Her discussion focused on the changing role of the National Preservation Office and about setting the NPO’s strategic aim: the adoption of a planned approach to preservation by libraries and archives in the UK. Although the NPO has been in existence since 1984 it was not until 1996 that Dr Vanessa Marshall was appointed as the first Director. Prior to that, the National Preservation Advisory Committee, whose membership comprised conservators, preservation administrators and educators, managed the NPO. Initially, the Office’s primary role was to provide a focal point and to raise preservation awareness.

Of particular interest to many present is the development of a standard survey methodology to assess preservation condition. The Preservation Assessment Survey (PAS) provides a snapshot of current preservation conditions in a library or archive (it is not an item by item condition survey tool). Impressively, it appears possible to survey a small sample and achieve a statistically valid result. For example, the British Library’s collection of 18 million items required a sample of only 400 items! PAS software is available from the NPO.

The UK’s Digital Preservation Coalition at www.jisc.ac.uk/dner/preservation was discussed. This coalition is being established as a consortium, launched during September, 2001 by which it is hoped that joint action can address the challenges of providing long-term management of and preserving access to digital information in the UK. Related issues include standards, culture change, resources, technology response and cooperation.

Dr Marshall touched briefly on a feasibility study into a mass deacidification program for the UK and Ireland. There continue to be many pluses and minuses with mass deacidification. It is still no panacea and this current feasibility study is probably the last time that a national, collaborative project will be mooted. Further information is available at www.bl.uk/concord/proj99report1launch.html

Dr Marshall is definitely of the view that collaboration and cooperation are the only ways we are ever going to achieve results when dealing with these huge issues of preserving, accessing and promoting our heritage, in whatever form it may exist.

During her two-day visit, Dr Marshall received an overview of preservation operations at the National Library of Australia and met with senior Library staff. She was also briefed by staff involved in digital preservation and the digitisation of the Library’s collections. Dr Marshall was particularly impressed with the PANDORA Archive and was pleased to discover that the NLA does more than just talk about digitisation. She also praised the PADI gateway as being an incredibly useful resource.
—Lydia Preiss

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