IFLA Core Activity on Preservation and Conservation (PAC)
Strategic Plan
2004-2005
Mission
The Core Activity on Preservation and Conservation has one major goal: to ensure that significant library and archive materials, published and unpublished, in all formats will be preserved in accessible form for as long as possible. The primary role of the PAC program is to raise awareness: to make information and heritage professionals, governments and the public conscious of the fundamental position occupied by preservation in the management of an institution.
Using its Regional Centers, PAC aims to have a presence worldwide. It will be assisted at national, regional and international levels by cooperation with other professional organizations, institutions and NGOs as well as with IFLA’s professional groups, chief among which is the Section on Preservation and Conservation.
The rapidly evolving digital technologies are presenting new challenges which will be included in the activities of the program. PAC’s major strategies include training, production and dissemination of information, research and participation in the development of new standards.
Considering the risks threatening the documentary heritage, PAC intends to intensify its participation to co-operative and worldwide programs such as UNESCO’s "Memory of the World" and "Blue Shield" Committees.
Goals
1. Develop and re-organize the existing network of preservation professionals
(Professional priorities: (f) Promoting resource sharing; (g) Preserving our intellectual heritage; (h) Developing library professionals)
Actions
1.1 Reorganize PAC network in creating new sub-regional centres:
- in Latin America and the Caribbean,
- in Africa,
- in Asia.
Actors: PAC Paris, PAC Caracas, PAC Tokyo, ABINIA, ACURIL, National libraries of Brazil, Chile, Trinidad & Tobago, Benin, South Africa, China
Agenda: 2004
1.2 Investigate the need for additional PAC centres or new partnerships within:
- North America
- Africa
- The Middle East
- Asia
Actors: PAC Paris, PAC Washington, Regional Section Asia
Agenda: 2005
2. Raise awareness of preservation issues, train staff and technicians, produce and disseminate information, and encourage people to respect the documentary heritage
(Professional priorities :(g) Preserving our intellectual heritage; (h) Developing library professionals)
Action
2.1 Publish PAC newsletter "International Preservation News", and PAC collection
"International Preservation Issues" with an increased number of translations.
Actors: PAC Paris, plus PAC Regional Centers, ICA Committee on Preservation
Agenda: three times a year
2.1 Reorganise the distribution of IPN within the new PAC centres, update and develop the existing mailing lists.
2.2 Actors: All PAC centres
Agenda: first semestre 2004
2.3 Promote the development, implementation and updating of disaster plans among national libraries.
Agenda:
- establish a questionnaire and launch a survey >Õ 2004
- implement the establishment of disaster plans Õ2005
Actors: PAC, Section PAC, CDLN, CENL, ABINIA, Section on National Libraries, National committees of the Blue Shield.
2.4 Encourage United Nations State Parties to sign the Hague Convention and Protocols for the Safeguard of Cultural Heritage in the Event of Armed Conflicts and Natural Disasters.
Actors: PAC , Section on National Libraries, CDNL, CENL, ABINIA
Agenda: 2004-2005
3. Assess needs in preservation through surveys and promote the development of
national and international standards, guidelines and best practice in the field of preservation
(Professional priorities: (f)Promoting resource sharing ; (g) Preserving our intellectual heritage; (h) Developing library professionals; (i) Promoting standards, guidelines and best practice)
Action
3.1 Additional survey on newspapers in Africa
Actors: PAC (Paris, Cape Town, Porto Novo), Section on Newspapers, Regional Section -Africa.
Agenda:
- establish a new questionnaire and distribute it Õ end of 2003
- study answers Õ June 2004
- suggest recommendations Õ end of 2004
- plan and implement future preservation or reformatting actions, raise funds Õ 2005
3.2 Co-operate in the elaboration and publication of a Register of existing standards, guidelines, codes of best practice in preservation, in print or electronic form, indicating in which language.
Actors: PAC, Section PAC, ICCROM, ICA, CRCDG, BnF
Agenda: 2003-2004
3.3 Promote the translation of IFLA Principles on the Care and Handling of Library Materials into Chinese.
Actor: Shangaï Library
Agenda: August 2004
3.4 Translate the IFLA Package on the Care, Handling and storage of Photographs into French and publish the package in a trilingual version (English-Spanish-French)
Actor: PAC Paris
Agenda: June 2004
3.5 Translate IPI 4 /A Blue Shield for the Protection of our Endangered Cultural Heritage into Spanish.
Actor: PAC Caracas
Agenda: 2004
4. Encourage scientific research on the causes of deterioration of library documents in
all formats, including digital materials and promote reformatting as a preservation option.
(Professional priorities: (b) Defending the principle of freedom of information; (f) Promoting resource sharing; (g) Preserving our intellectual heritage; (h) Developing library professionals)
Action
4.1 Promote the use of permanent paper.
Actors: PAC, Section PAC
Agenda: 2004-2005
4.2 Continue the Digitization of the Latin American Newspapers from the 19th Century
Actors: PAC Caracas, ABINIA, Andrew Melon Foundation
Agenda: 2004-2005
5. Develop a policy of coordinated activities with institutions, with national or international organizations, with NGOs as well as with information professionals interested in the preservation of the documentary heritage
(Professional priorities: (b) Defending the principle of freedom of information; (f) Promoting resource sharing; (g) Preserving our intellectual heritage; (h) Developing library professionals)
Action
5.1 Organize workshops on disaster preparedness: Advocate and take preventive measures to minimize damage caused by natural disasters in the Caribbean area
Agenda Õ May 2004 in Trinidad & Tobago
Õ 2005 in Cuba
Actors: PAC Trinidad & Tobago, PAC Caracas, PAC Washington & PAC Paris in co-operation with ACURIL, NL Cuba
5.2 Promote the setting up of National Blue Shield Committees in co-operation with ICOM, ICOMOS, ICA
Actors: all PAC Centers, Section on National Libraries,
5.3 Publish a CD ROM on the Gran Colombia Newspapers that circulated between 1820-1830
Actors: PAC Caracas, Mellon Foundation
5.4 Elaborate and implement co-operative preservation projects concerning Cuban libraries and archives through PAC participation in SSRC Advisory Board.
Actors: PAC Paris, PAC Caracas, SSRC (Social Science Research Center, USA)
Agenda: 2004-2005
5.5 Cooperate with ICA (International Council on Archives)
Actor: PAC Paris (member of ICA Committee of Preservation in Temperate Climates)
Agenda: meeting in Estonia on preservation during exhibitions, June 2004
5.6 Cooperate with ICCROM (International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property).
Actor: PAC Paris
Agenda: joint meeting ICA, IFLA, ICCROM in 2005
5.7 Cooperate with UNESCO (Memory of the World Sub-Committee of the Register)
Actor: PAC Paris
Agenda: Meetings of Sub-Committee and evaluation of proposals: 2004-2005
Meeting of International Advisory Committee in China: June 2005
5.8 Cooperate with EPA (Ecole du Patrimoine Africain)
Actors:PAC Paris, and PAC Porto Novo, PAC South Africa
Agenda: 2004-2005
Marie-Thérèse Varlamoff
Programme Director
