june08c.indd


Jane Hedberg P r e s e r v a t i o n  N e w s  

Digital preservation 
The PARS Working Group on Defining 
Digital Preservation of the Association for 
Library Collections and Technical Services 
(ALCTS) has released a new defi nition of 
digital preservation, expressed in three 
levels of complexity. The short defi nition is 
one sentence, the medium definition is one 
paragraph, and the long definition is three 
paragraphs with lists of the activities neces­
sary to ensure content description, integrity, 
and maintenance. This definition was ac­
cepted as an information document by the 
ALA Council in January 2008. 

For more information and text of the 
definitions, go to www.ala.org/ala/alcts 
/newslinks/digipres/index.cfm. 

Emergency responders 
The “Lessons Applied” initiative of the Heri­
tage Emergency National Task Force has pro­
duced a new poster/booklet, “Working with 
Emergency Responders: Tips for Cultural 
Institutions.” This publication explains who 
emergency responders are, what members of 
the cultural community should say to them, 
how to build relationships, and what they 
need to know. Many of the recommended 
actions should be implemented before an 
emergency occurs, but others are applicable 
during and after an emergency. 

Posters are available for $2 each from Heritage 
Preservation at www.heritagepreservation. 
org/catalog/product.asp?intProdID=39. The 
booklet is available as a free PDF at the 
same URL. 

FACET 
The Sound Directions project at Indiana Uni­
versity and Harvard University has released 
the Field Audio Collection Evaluation Tool 
(FACET). It is an open source software tool 

Jane Hedberg is preservation program offi  cer at Harvard 
University Library, e-mail: jane_hedberg@harvard.edu; 
fax: (617) 496-8344 

that ranks the risk of deterioration or format 
failure for audio collections created in the 
field, and assists collection managers in set­
ting preservation priorities. It covers open 
reel tape (polyester, acetate, paper, and PVC 
bases), analog audio cassettes, digital audio 
tape, lacquer discs, aluminum discs, and 
wire recordings. FACET consists of software, 
a procedures manual, a 92­page document 
that describes the audio formats, and sample 
worksheets. 

FACET is available free­of­charge at www. 
dlib.indiana.edu/projects/sounddirections 
/facet/index.shtml. 

Storage workshop 
The Conservation Center for Art and Historic 
Artifacts (CCAHA) is presenting a two­day 
program, A Space Odyssey: Storage Strategies 
for Cultural Collections, September 23–24, 
2008, in Philadelphia. This workshop will 
cover the basics of storage, allocating re­
sources, funding, space planning, open and 
off­site storage, moving collections, storage 
furniture, optimal environments, environ­
mental monitoring, HVAC systems, cold stor­
age, and regulating environments in historic 
structures. Speakers include Georgina Bath 
from the Smithsonian American Art Museum, 
Walt Crimm from EwingCole Architects, 
Cathy Fields and Julie Frey from the Litchfi eld 
Historical Society, Kristen Froehlich from 
the Atwater Kent Museum of Philadelphia, 
Michael Henry from Watson & Henry Asso­
ciates, Emily Kaplan from the Smithsonian 
National Museum of the American Indian, Jim 
Reilly from the Image Permanence Institute, 
and Barbara Lemmen, Lee Price, and Glen 
Ruzicka from CCAHA. 

Registration costs $225 for CCAHA mem­
bers and $250 for nonmembers. For more 
information, contact Kim Andrews, CCAHA, 
264 S. 23rd St., Philadelphia, PA 19103; 
phone: (215) 545­0613; fax: (215) 735­9313; 
e­mail: kandrews@ccaha.org; URL: www. 
ccaha.org. 

352C&RL News June 2008

http:ccaha.org
mailto:kandrews@ccaha.org
mailto:jane_hedberg@harvard.edu
www.heritagepreservation
www.ala.org/ala/alcts