ACRL News Issue (B) of College & Research Libraries 832 / C&RL News P R E S E R V A T I O N N E W S Prepared by Barbara Brown College Libraries Committee Commission on Preservation and Access • Alexandria, Virginia. An article entitled “The Library Environment and the Preservation of Li­ brary Materials” by Carolyn Harris and Paul Banks will appear in the Fall 1990 issue of Facilities Manager, the magazine of the Association of Physi­ cal Plant Administrators. Single copies of the ar­ ticle are available free of charge while supplies last from the Commission on Preservation and Access. • C hicago, Illinois. The ALA Association for Library Collections and Technical Services’ Pres­ ervation of Library Materials Section has published a sixth edition of its Preservation Education Direc­ tory. The information provided in the directory is supplied by the 61 library schools and other pro­ grams included. Each entry provides the address and phone number of the library school program, a brief description of each preservation course, list­ ings for other courses that have a preservation component, and the frequency with which each course is offered. The directory is available for $5.00 from the ALA Order Department, 50 E. Huron St., Chicago, IL 60611-2795. ISBN 0-8389- 7422-8. • D u b lin , O hio. OCLC, Inc., has developed guidelines for recording preservation data in either the Cataloging or Union List Subsystems of the OCLC Online Union Catalog. The guidelines are based on recommendations of the OCLC Preser­ vation Task Force, a group of ten preservation officers and librarians from member libraries of both OCLC and the Research Libraries Group. Because many preservation projects are funded By grants from the National Endowment for the Humanities, whose rules stipulate that librarians should communicate information about items planned for preservation to avoid duplication of effort, the database provides an efficient way to communicate such information. OCLC users can record preservation data in three ways: 1) by including it in the OCLC Union List Subsystem local data record; 2) by creating a bibliographic record in the Cataloging Subsystem containing preservation data, either through pro­ spective cataloging or announcing a commitment to film; or 3) by contributing bibliographic preser­ vation records on tape. The OCLC Preservation Task Force members who developed the guidelines are: Wesley Boomgaarden (Ohio State University), Erich Kesse (University of Florida), Lynn Marko (Uni­ versity of Michigan), Carolyn Morrow (Harvard University), Judith Nadler (University of Chicago), Sandra Nyberg (SOLINET), Patricia Smith (Ohio University), Ann Swartzell (UC-Berkeley), Jen­ nifer Younger (University of Wisconsin-Madison), and Nancy Elkington (RLG). • Ithaca, N ew York. Cornell University, Xerox Corporation, and the Commission on Preservation and Access are collaborating on a pilot project to test an advanced technology for recording deterio­ rating books as digital images and producing mul­ tiple, high-quality copies on demand. An 18-month research and development study with potential benefits for libraries worldwide will include scan­ ning 1,000 volumes in Cornell’s Olin Library into a digital image storage system. The test is being funded partially by the Commission, while Xerox is providing technology and extensive staff support. Cornell’s Library and Information Technologies units are participating in the study. The project will explore the technical feasibility and cost-effective­ ness of the process; the criteria for selecting mate­ rials to be preserved; and methods of cataloging, searching and retrieving the stored materials. • T oronto, O ntario. “Turning to Dust,” apro- gram about the preservation of brittle books, aired October 1990 / 833 March 14,1990, as part of the series “The Nature of Things” by the Canadian Broadcasting Corpora­ tion; 60 minutes; VHS format. For ordering infor­ mation, contact CBC Enterprises, E ducation Sales, Box 500, Station A, Toronto, Ontario, Can­ ada, M5W 1E6; (416) 975-3505. • W a sh in g to n , D .C . The School of Library and Information Science, Catholic University of America, sponsored an Institute on Preservation at the Wye Plantation, Queenstown, Maryland, on August 2-4. The Institute was directed by Deanna Marcum, dean of the library school, who also serves as chair of the Commission on Preservation and Access’s Task Force on Preservation Education. The purpose of the Institute was to bring together a group of leaders in preservation, library educa­ tion, and library management to discuss ways in which a broad knowledge of preservation strategies can be incorporated into the professional curricu­ lum. The group also considered mechanisms for providing continuing education opportunities in preservation for practicing librarians. The Task Force is charged with reporting to the Commission concerning its findings on the current status of preservation in the library school curriculum and making recommendations to stimulate innovative approaches for making preservation an integral elem ent of the fundamental professional obligation of stewardship rather than simply a specialized topic in library education. • W a sh in g to n , D .C . Applications of digital technology to preservation and access needs are explored in a new report to the Commission on Preservation and Access from the Technology Assessment Advisory Committee chaired by Row­ land C. W. Brown. The 10-page report is one of a num ber expected from the committee—a group of seven individuals from industry, publishing, and academia that advises the Commission on possible new technologies for dealing with endangered materials. This first report, Image Formats fo r Pres­ ervation and Access (July 1990), compares digital and microfilm imagery and concludes that making either kind of copy is preferable to leaving acidic paper to decay. Complimentary copies of the re­ port are available from the Commission while supplies last. • W a sh in g to n , D .C . “Ideas for Preservation Fund Raising” is the title of a support package published by the Commission on Preservation and Access. The development of local support and funding is essential to a successful preservation program, and the new package provides sugges­ tions and alternatives for colleges and universities seeking to build a base of support for ongoing preservation activities. The package is available for $10.00 from: The Commission on Preservation and Access, 1785 Massachusetts Avenue, N.W., Suite 313, Washington, DC 20036. Orders must be pre­ paid, with checks (no cash) made payable to “The Commisssion on Preservation and Access.” Pay­ ment must be in U.S. funds. • W a sh in g to n , D .C . “Acid-Free Paper,” a 7- minute segment that aired March 1, 1990, on National Public Radio’s “Morning Edition,” fea­ tures an interview with author Barbara Goldsmith. For ordering information contact National Public Radio, Custom Tape Service, Audience Services, 2025 M Street, N.W., Washington, DC 20036; (202) 822-2323. ■ ■ Homelessness: A cross-disciplinary bibliography The University Libraries of the University at Albany, State University of New York, are produc­ ing a cross-disciplinary online bibliography on homelessness. Materials cited come from many disciplines including medical and health sciences, psychology, education, sociology and anthropology, history, law, politics, and public policy, literature, and women’s studies. Included in the bibliography are references to books, journal articles, government documents, some media materials, and some un­ published papers. Newspaper articles have gener­ ally been excluded. Coverage extends chronologically over one hundred years from books published in the late 19th century through books and articles published through the end of 1989. Geographic coverage is comprehensive for the United States and includes some international publications. The homelessness bibliography is being com­ pleted in phases and the current phase is a fully indexed list of over 400 citations. As further index­ ing is completed, more records will be merged with the database currently available. Future phases will be retrospective and no attem pt is being made, at this time, to include updates past 1989. This data­ base is being produced and is searchable on Pro- Cite, a bibliographic software package available on computer workstations in both the University Li­ brary and the Dewey Graduate Library. Subsets of the bibliography can be produced on topics such as homeless children or deinstitutionalization and homelessness and records downloaded to disk or paper copy. For further information about this bibliography, contact Janice Newkirk at the Dewey Graduate Library, University at Albany, SUNY, Albany, NY 12222, or call (518) 442-3558,442-3688. ■ ■