ACRL News Issue (B) of College & Research Libraries 100/C&RL News Preservation News Jane Hedberg AM IGOS' third Preservation Seminar The AMIGOS Preservation Service (APS) has announced that the third Preservation Management Seminar will be held at St. John’s College in Santa Fe, N ew Mexico, July 9– 17, 1995. The seminar is designed to provid e aca­ demic librarians, who have part-time responsibility for preservation, with the tools for d evelop in g integrated preservation programs. The strength o f the seminar lies in its combination o f intensive instruction and collaborative par­ ticipation. Attendees o f the previous seminars (held in 1991 at Washington and Lee Univer­ sity and in 1993 at Wellesley College) have found working in this manner to be very pro­ ductive. As o f this writing, the faculty will be led by Lisa Fox o f Atlanta and will include Tom Clareson o f APS and Jane Hedberg o f Wellesley College. Attendance at the seminar is limited and there is a deadline for applications. For more information, contact Tom Clareson, APS, AMIGOS Bibliographic Council, Inc., 12200 Park Central Dr., Dallas, TX 75251; (800) 843-8482. Commission and RLG form task force on digital preservation The Commission on Preservation and Access and the Research Libraries Group (RLG) have jointly formed a task force to study the archiving o f digital information. It is broadly charged to investigate all aspects o f refreshing digital in­ formation; to identify key problems, define criti­ cal issues, make recommendations, and con­ sider alternatives. The task force w ill be cochaired by Don Waters, associate university librarian at Yale University, and John Garrett, director o f information resources at the Corpo­ ration for National Research Initiatives. An interim report is expected in May 1995, with the final report due in the summer o f 1995. For more information, contact Maxine Sitts, The Commis­ sion on Preservation and Access, 1400 16th St., NW, Suite 740, Washington, DC 20036-2217; (2 0 2 ) 939- 3400. NIC publishes booklet on fundraising The National Institute for the Conservation o f Cultural Property (N IC ) has published Collec­ tions Care: A Catalyst fo r Funds, a 20-page book­ let containing information on obtaining funds from both private and public sources for pres­ ervation or conservation o f collections. It cov­ ers fundraising fundamentals, successful strat­ egies, resource organizations, and includes a bibliography. This booklet is an updated, ex­ panded version o f a document prepared for the 1994 NIC Annual Conference and ALA’s 1994 Preconference, “Developing the Midas Touch: Rethinking Funding Strategies for Preservation.” Copies are available free-of-charge from Tanya Montgomery, AMIGOS Preservation Service, 12200 Park Central Dr., Suite 500, Dallas, TX 75251; (800) 843- 8482. FYI Scientific American, the popular science jour­ nal, has recently published two articles o f in­ terest to librarians. “The speed o f write” by Gary Stix, an article on use o f the Internet for schol­ arly communication and its potential for chal­ lenging traditional methods o f publication, ap­ peared in the D ecem ber 1994 issue (pp. 106– 11). “Ensuring the longevity o f digital docu­ ments” by Jeff Rothenberg, an article about the complexities o f preserving digital information in usable form, appeared in the January 1995 issue (pp. 42– 47). Jane Hedberg prepares this column f o r the College Libraries Committee, Commission on Preservation and Access. Submissions may be made to: Jane Hedberg‚ Wellesley College Library, 106 Central St., Wellesley, MA 02181-8275; (617) 283-2103; JHEDBERG&LUCY. WELLESLEY.EDU. February 1995/101 ANNOUNCING AN AUTOMATED SYSTEM TO SUPPORT CATALOGING AND PUBLIC ACCESS IN RARE MATERIALS LIBRARIES SUI GENERIS Never has a system name better described both the data it presents and the function it serves. The collection of every rare materials library is unique. And indeed it must be. Your collection is a direct reflection o f the mission, the operating philosophy, and the very raison d’etre of your institution. To be effective, your automation package must respect and enhance your uniqueness. Inforonics has created SUI GENERIS with rare materials libraries in mind. As its basis, we have programmed a kernel of rigid adherence to the MARC form at and the Bibliographic Description of Rare Books. This conformity to national standards allows for interchange of information with bibliographic utilities and other libraries. We also provide a set of generic interface modes, with one designed to lead a novice searcher on an exploration of the database and the others addressing the varied needs of more experienced users. Onto these firm roots we graft the customized functions which make SUI GENERIS true to its name. For one library, this may come in the form of specialized validation over and above - or instead of - standard M ARC. For another, it may entail a creative way of presenting the details of an extensive manuscript collection to a scholar, either on the screen or as a ready-to-print bibliography. For another, it may involve linking descriptions of items, bibliographic or otherwise, with on-screen images. In short, no rare materials library’s SUI GENERIS system will be exactly like that of any other libraiy. To find out more about SUI GENERIS, please call Inforonics and ask for John Finni. We will enjoy discovering what makes your library unique as we explore with you how best to illuminate its uniqueness. INFORONICS, Inc. 550 Newtown Road Littleton, MA 01460 (508) 486-8976 or (617) 964-3556