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Last revised May 7, 2006

Course Syllabus for Preservation

Link to Course Outline


Summer 2006 Instructor: Randy Silverman

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COURSE NAME, NUMBER, AND PREREQUISITES

Preservation

IRLS 541-001

No Prerequisites
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COURSE DESCRIPTION

This course provides an introduction to the preservation of library materials. The curriculum includes an overview of the causes of physical and chemical deterioration to various forms of library media and explores the body of knowledge related to ameliorating these problems. The sequence includes a history of papermaking and book production for the purpose of understanding the physical “stuff” of traditional library collections, as well as addressing some non-book media including digital. Inherent causes of book and paper deterioration will be discussed in relation to currently accepted standards for book and paper conservation. Current replication practices will be contrasted with older methods. The role of preventive measures, including appropriate care and handling, archival housing, the use of alkaline paper, and environmental control will be explored. Technical aspects of commercial library binding, in-house book repair, and rare book conservation will be evaluated. Approaches to disaster preparedness and response will also be reviewed.

 
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COURSE OBJECTIVES

Knowledge of the history of books, paper, photographs, and related library media (including paper, parchment, microforms, phonograph records, magnetic tape, and digital media), the ways in which information packages have evolved during the past 4,500 years, some of the noteworthy contributors (papermakers, printers, illustrators, typographers, bookbinders, and designers) who are responsible for this evolution, and the types of physical and chemical deterioration that affect these materials.

Knowledge of current book and paper conservation options for decelerating deterioration including preventive conservation strategies such as the use of appropriate environmental controls, care in collection handling and storage, and proper exhibit practices.

Knowledge of current book and paper conservation treatment options for repairing library and archival media, including library binding, book repair, and rare book and paper conservation methodologies.

Knowledge of ethical considerations related to the preservation of historical, culturally significant library material versus replication of media for access purposes.

Knowledge of disaster planning and response options.

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REQUIRED COURSE MATERIALS

The following required and suggested readings provide an introduction to this course. The textbooks (Baker, Ogden, and Kilgour) are to be read before the first class meeting. Additional reading should be culled from supplementary sources that follow, as possible. Many of the audio visual materials described in the syllabus will be shown in class, so putting an emphasis preparatory reading is preferable to ordering and watching the videos.

Textbooks — A single text book that provides a broad introduction to the field of library preservation is very difficult to identify. Readings from a number of sources are therefore required to gain a broad overview of the subject. This semester we will use three books as required readings.

The first is quite controversial among some librarians and preservation professionals (many have an opinion about it although few can claim to have actually read it!). The book takes the position that national preservation practices, especially during the past couple of decades, resulted in a significant loss of historical material.

Baker, Nicholson, Double fold : Libraries and the assault on paper ( New York : Random House, 2001).

 Double fold was the 2001 National Book Critics Circle Award winner for general nonfiction. (Founded in 1974, The National Book Critics Circle consists of nearly 700 active book reviewers, interested in communicating with one another about common concerns, annually presenting an award for the best book in five categories: fiction, general nonfiction, biography/autobiography, poetry, and criticism). This is a very well written and researched text (a real page turner!) that I hope you’ll enjoy.

The second is a manual comprised of a series of leaflets developed over the years by the Northeast Document Conservation Center (NEDCC) for their institutional clients to answer commonly-asked preservation questions. There is no requirement to purchase this manual (although it is for sale from NEDCC), as the text can be accessed online and downloaded in its entirety (443 p.) at: http://www.nedcc.org/plam3/newman.htm

Ogden, Sherelyn, (ed.). Preservation of library and archival materials: A manual, 3 rd ed., (Andover, MA: Northeast Document Conservation Center, 1999).

A solid, although brief, bracing on the history of the book can be found in:

Kilgour, Frederick G., The evolution of the book (New York : Oxford University Press, 1998). 180 p.

Now, on to the suggested readings. The first is a very authoritative text I would recommend that resulted from a long-range planning study conducted for the National Archives. While now a bit dated, the systematic approach used by the National Research Council produced an excellent, authoritative piece of work.

Committee on Preservation of Historical Records, National Materials Advisory Board, Commission on Engineering and Technical Systems, National Research Council, Preservation of historical records, (Washington, DC: National Academy Press, 1986).

The next two are basic introductions to preservation principles applicable to the wide range of objects that comprise our material culture. They were developed recently as references for the general public, and while the first is the more technical of the two, I think either will give you a good bracing:

Landrey, Gregory J. [et al.], The Winterthur guide to caring for your collection ( Winterthur, DE : Henry Francis du Pont Winterthur Museum, 2000). This book can be ordered directly from Winterthur Museum Book Store for $17.95 by calling 800-448-3883 and asking to be transferred to the Book Store.

Long, Jane S., and Richard W. Long, Caring for your family treasures : Heritage preservation ( New York : H. N. Abrams, 2000). This is available for $24.94 directly from Heritage Preservation by calling 888-388-6789.

A better although denser text on the history of the book, and one well worth reading in place of the Kilgour text is:

Martin, Henri-Jean, The history and power of writing, translated by Lydia G. Cochrane, (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1994).

General information related to library preservation can be found at the following on-line sources:

Preservation 101: An Internet Course on Paper Preservation http://www.nedcc.org/p101cs/p101wel.htm

Eight modules that include self-testing quizzes, this very well designed online tutorial covers archiving; environmental, biological, and mechanical causes of deterioration; cleaning and tools of the trade; planning for emergencies; specifics on storage and care of photographic images; and organizing a preservation program. Also included is a glossary of terms, basic care and handling guidelines, and an annotated guide to further sources, both hard copy and online . Copyright 2002 by Librarians' Index to the Internet, lii.org.

Conservation OnLine (CoOL) http://palimpsest.stanford.edu

Resources for Conservation Professionals. For example, at bottom of page under "Library Binding" you can get ANSI/NISO/LBI standards. Or, click in Conservation/Information for the General Public, then Online Conservation/Preservation Serials and you can get include Abbey Newsletter, AIC Journal, Journal of Conservation & Museum Studies, etc. (Unfortunately the Session 5 1979 citation from Abbey Newsletter is not yet scanned in, but about 20 years' worth are available.)

Conservation DistList Archives http://palimpsest.stanford.edu/byform/mailing-lists/cdl

Discussion and questions by real conservation professionals world-wide. The list is moderated by Walter Henry of Stanford University. For example, click search and enter "Library Binding." The results are postings to the list on the subject.

AIC (American Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works) http://aic.stanford.edu

Try clicking General Information and then Definitions of Conservation Terminology for a good (short) glossary. The Related Web Sites & Resources could be helpful too. Or from the main page try Conservation Specialities or Caring for Your Treasures (each section has a bibliography).

National Film Preservation Board, http://www.filmpreservation.org/index.html

National Park Service Conserve O Grams, available at:

http://www.cr.nps.gov/museum/publications/conserveogram

Library of Congress Preservation Directorate, available at: http://lcweb.loc.gov/preserv/

National Preservation Office of the British Library http://www.bl.uk/services/preservation/fpublications.html

Has some full-text preservation guidance leaflets. Titles include “Good Handling Principles and Practice for Library and Archive Materials,” “Photocopying of Archive and Library Materials,” “The Application and Use of Standards in the Care and Management of Libraries and Archives,” “Preservation of Photographic Material."

Amigos http://63.241.173.83/preservation/leaflets.html

Imaging & Preservation Services, a component of Amigos Library Services, Inc., (a nonprofit, resource-sharing organization in the southwestern United States), provides informational leaflets.

National Information Standards Organization http://www.niso.org/

NISO develops and promotes technical standards used in a wide variety of information services. NISO is a nonprofit association accredited as a standards developer by the American National Standards Institute, the national clearinghouse for voluntary standards development in the U.S.

Regional Alliance for Preservation http://www.rap-arcc.org/

The mission of the Regional Alliance for Preservation (RAP) is to provide comprehensive preservation information to cultural institutions and the public throughout the United States.

Nationaal Archief (the National Archives of the Netherlands) and the European Commission on Preservation and Access, Gateway for Resources and Information on Preservation (GRIP) http://www.knaw.nl/ecpa/grip/

GRIP is a fully searchable database of information on preservation of the documentary heritage.

Digital Preservation Testbed. The Testbed is experimenting with digital information in a unique E-lab to determine the best methods of long-term preservation, not just now, but also over ten, twenty or hundred years. Working for the Dutch government, is researching the answers to questions such as: How can you preserve e-mails that contain important agreements? If asked by Parliament, can an arbitrary ministerial employee find and retrieve important records created and saved by someone else? Is a digital permit still readable after ten years? http://www.digitaleduurzaamheid.nl/home.cfm

Preservation Education Opportunities: The Preservation Education Directory, 8th edition http://www.ala.org/ala/alctscontent/alctspubsbucket/webpublications/alctspreservation/preseddir/contents.htm

 

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COURSE REQUIREMENTS

Participation

Students are expected to attend class, complete all assigned readings prior to class, participate in the class discussions and practicums, and complete a final take-home quiz following the final class. Exceptions to these expectations should be taken up with the instructor.

Research Paper

Your research paper or project will be graded on four components: interest the topic holds for a reader (me, in this case), intellectual strength and relevance of the argument to the general topic of library preservation and material culture, evidence of depth of involvement in the research, and, quality of the mechanics of the paper (organization, grammar, spelling, footnoting, etc. or project).

The topic you choose should be one that has meaning for you and provides an opportunity for you to synthesize some aspect of the course. The paper should be as long as necessary to present a thoughtful, informative and interesting piece of research, but should be short enough to have publication possibilities in professional journals. Collaborative work with one or more classmates is welcome, as long as each individual independently submits a unique paper or project. Poor physical presentation of the work, including misspellings, grammatical errors, inadequate footnoting, and the like will result in a lower grade. All papers should be typed, double-spaced, in 12-point type, and prepared using a standard style guide (e.g., Chicago Manual of Style, American Psychological Association manuscript style, etc.). Papers should be well edited, grammatically correct, and written using standard English. Sources from which information is derived should be accurately cited, including the page number(s) of the citation (the citation is an opportunity to lead the reader to an ongoing exploration of the topic; please try to be as encouraging as possible).

Extra credit (one half letter grade) is available for submitting papers to a qualified reader (including one of your classmates) for proofreading and editorial comment prior to submitting it to me so the resultant work is tighter and more carefully groomed than would otherwise be the case (this is a norm prior to submission for publication and, if you have not submitted articles for publication to date, you should start to assume getting feedback from an astute reader is an extremely valuable step in the writing process).

Beyond the proficiency of the written or three dimensional work (the strength and organization of the argument, the overall readability of the piece, etc.), I would very much like to see your research and writing benefit you. I sincerely encourage you to select a topic relevant to the themes of this class that allows you to develop areas related to your own interests. You can run your ideas past me if you are at all unsure of a direction, and I may be able to help suggest some topics, but please feel free to chose your own direction. This is an opportunity for you to take control of your library school education and invest your time in an area that is meaningful for you.

While the sky is the limit as far as a topic goes (so long as it has some clear link back to the themes of the course) – as it is any time you choose to write an article for a professional journal – the following are a few suggestions for themes to kick off the creative process:

 

 

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COURSE POLICIES

Academic Code of Integrity

Students are expected to abide by The University of Arizona Code of Academic Integrity, see . 'The guiding principle of academic integrity is that a student's submitted work must be the student's own.' If you have any questions regarding what is acceptable practice under this Code, please ask an Instructor.

Accommodating Disabilities

The University has a Disability Resource Center . If you anticipate the need for reasonable accommodations to meet the requirements of this course, you must register with the Disability Resource Center and request that the DRC send me, the Instructor, official notification of your accommodation needs as soon as possible. Please plan to meet with me by appointment or during office hours to discuss accommodations and how my course requirements and activities may impact your ability to fully participate.

Assignment Policies

Incompletes

The 1997-8 University of Arizona General Academic Manual, p.23 reads

The grade of I may be awarded only at the end of a semester, when all but a minor portion of the course work has been satisfactorily completed. The grade of I is not to be awarded when the student is expected to repeat the course; in such a case the grade of E must be assigned. Students should make arrangements with the instructor to receive an incompete grade before the end of the semester ...

If the incomplete is not removed by the instructor within one year the I grade will revert to a failing grade.

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GRADING

Self Evaluation

When you send me an email attachment of your paper (at the address listed on the first page of this syllabus), please include: 1) a scanned picture of yourself (to help me connect your face and your name), and 2) a one-page self evaluation. In this self evaluation I’d like you to define your grade, both for the final written assignment and for the class as a whole. Base your assessment on what you feel you put into this class/paper and what you got out of it. Please be realistic. You may think this is an odd approach, but remember, you paid for this class. You are the one controlling your own educational experience and it is hard for me to see things from your perspective given the short amount of time we spend together face-to-face. I tend to use this self assessment if it seems realistic in light of my own perceptions, but am also likely to substitute my own grade for yours if I do not concur with your perceptions. Please use the following criteria for your written self-evaluation:

Participation: 40% of the total grade (40 points). Evaluation of participation will be determined by four evenly weighted categories:

Research paper or project: 60% of the total grade (60 points). Evaluation of the research paper or project will be determined by another four evenly weighted categories:

Due Date

A final copy of the research paper or project is to be submitted to me in hard copy by the date we chose together in class. Uncertainty about the paper’s topic or scope, or clarification regarding the guidelines for its completion should be brought to my attention PRIOR to this deadline. Incomplete grades will be granted for certifiable medical emergencies or life tragedies, and extensions can be negotiated as necessary.

Grading

The grade for Preservation will be determined by one ability to communicate an understanding of the course material. This evaluation will be based on a combination of the quality of one’s participation, and the quality of one’s research paper, broken down as follows:

Participation: 40% of the total grade (40 points). Evaluation of participation will be determined by four evenly weighted categories:

Research paper: 60% of the total grade (60 points). Evaluation of the research paper will be determined by another four evenly weighted categories:

Student Data Sheet

Please fill out a paper copy of the following information sheet and turn it in to me on the first day of class so I can be assured of having current contact information for you, and please attaching an image of yourself to the sheet to help me start connecting your name with your face.

Name:

Address:

Home Phone: Work Phone:

Fax:

E-mail:

Image of yourself (please make the image good enough quality I can use it as an effective reminder of who you are).

 

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CONTACTING ME

Randy Silverman, Adjunct Faculty

Associate Preservation Librarian, University of Utah Marriott Library

295 South 1500 East, Salt Lake City, UT 84112-0860

email: randy.silverman@library.utah.edu

w. 801-585-6782; h. 801-487-6970 fax: 801-585-3464

Office Hours

Due to our geographic separation, student-teach contact will mostly be by e-mail or telephone, although I’m happy to meet one-on-one by appointment if you are going to be in Salt Lake City, or during lunch or after class while I’m in Arizona.

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