Section on Preservation and Conservation

Annual Report 1995-1996

Scope statement

The Section represents the worldwide concern for the protection and preservation for use of recorded knowledge as part of our universal cultural heritage. Recording of knowledge and information has been integral to the development and sustenance of literate cultures, but the forms of record are generally impermanent. Awareness of the need for active preservation has been growing throughout the world in recent years. The Section therefore brings together librarians, documentalists and conservation managers from all countries interested in the preservation problems and in the need to provide a better understanding of the professional issue which it poses. The section works in close collaboration with the IFLA Core Programmes especially PAC, IFLA Sections and Round Tables and other bodies in defining and addressing common problems.

Membership

124 (July 1995)
126 (July 1996)

Officers:

Chair:
Ms. Beatrix Kastaly

Head, Department for Newspaper Preservation
Országos Széchényi Kònyvtár
Budavári Palota F-Epûlet
1827 Budapest
Hungary
Telephone: 36-1-111-8052
Fax: 36-1-332-7598

Secretary/Treasurer:
Ralph W. Manning

National Library of Canada
Ottawa K1A 0N4 CANADA
Telephone: 613-943-8570
Fax 613-947-2916

E-mail: ralph.manning@nlc-bnc.ca

Information Coordinator:
Ralph W. Manning

Meetings

August 1996, Beijing, China. In addition to discussing conference and project activities for the next two conferences, the Standing Committee worked on its contribution to the new IFLA Medium Term Programme. It also proposed a change of name to Section on Preservation and Conservation. A report was given on the proposed resolution to UNESCO promoting the use of permanent paper.

Projects

The Section’s only remaining project was completed and resulted in the publication of a new brochure (see below) prepared by Robert W. Frase with the assistance of Jean I. Whiffin and other members of the Standing Committee.

Publications

Frase, Robert W.

Preserving our documentary heritage : the case for permanent paper / prepared for the IFLA Section on Conservation by Robert W. Frase, with the assistance of Jean. I. Whiffin. The Hague : IFLA Section on Conservation, 1996.

IFLA. Section on Conservation. Newsletter. ISSN 1024-2414.

Conference Programmes

Preserving the documentary heritage of Asia (August 27, 1996)

Jia-zhen Liu: The Library preservation in China
Rujaya Abhakorn: Towards a collective memory of mainland Southeast Asia field preservation of traditional manuscripts in Thailand, Laos and Myanmar
Pei Zhaoyun: Rescue and reproduction of Chinese precious documents
Akio Yasue: From myth to science: mass deacidification technology re-examined

Microfilming or digitization for preservation of newspapers and other material (August 29, 1996; workshop jointly sponsored by the Round Table on Newspapers and the Section on Conservation)

Else Delaunay: Preservation microfilming of newspapers
Alan Howell: Preservation digitising of newspapers
Akio Yasue: Preservation microfilming of newspapers : National Diet Library’s experience.

Relationships with other Bodies

The Section maintains a close working relationship with the IFLA Core Programme for Preservation and Conservation. Liaison is also maintained with other organizations involved in international preservation activities, including the European Commission on Preservation and Access.

Annual Report prepared by Ralph W. Manning, January 1997.

Latest Revision: January 23, 1997