About the Preservation and Conservation Core Activity
Established in 1984
The IFLA Core Activity on Preservation and Conservation (PAC) was officially created during the IFLA annual conference in Nairobi in 1984 to focus efforts on issues of preservation and initiate worldwide cooperation for the preservation of library materials. The PAC programme was effectively launched in Vienna during the 1986 Conference on the Preservation of Library Materials co-organized by the Conference of the Directors of National Libraries, IFLA and UNESCO.
Network
Contrary to other IFLA Core Activities, PAC has been originally conceived in a decentralised way: a Focal Point implements the global strategy and Regional Centres manage activities in their specific regions.
The Focal Point (International Centre) has been hosted by the Bibliothèque nationale de France in Paris since 1992 and there are Regional Centres respectively located in Washington (Library of Congress), Caracas (Biblioteca Nacional de Venezuela), Rio de Janeiro (Fundaçao Biblioteca Nacional de Brasil), Santiago (Biblioteca Nacional de Chile), Port of Spain (National Library and Information System Authority of Trinidad and Tobago), Porto-Novo (National Library of Benin), Cape Town (UCT Libraries, South Africa), Tokyo (National Diet Library), Canberra (National Library of Australia), Moscow (Library for Foreign Literature), Almaty (National Library of the Republic of Kazakhstan) and Seoul (National Library of South Korea. The International Centre in Paris (Bibliothèque nationale de France) acts as the Regional Centre for Western Europe, Middle East and Africa. In the future, new sites may be chosen by PAC to act as new Regional Centers.
The International Centre and the Regional Centres are part of a network, whose main working rules are defined in an "agreement" signed annually between IFLA and each centre. Each centre is independent and acts according to the priorities identified in its geographical area. It must comply with the objectives of PAC Core Activity and maintain cooperation with other centres through various activities (publications, seminars, conferences, etc.).
The directors meet regularly for working sessions (Washington 1991; Tokyo 1992; Nairobi 1993; Budapest 1995; Beijing 1996; Copenhagen 1997; Amsterdam 1998; Bangkok 1999; Jerusalem 2000; Boston MA 2001; Glasgow 2002; Berlin 2003; Buenos Aires 2004; Oslo 2005; Seoul 2006; Durban 2007; Quebec 2008; Milan 2009) to define the orientations of the Core Activity.
Christiane Baryla was appointed PAC Director in March 2006.
Advisory Board
An Advisory Board has been set up in March 2002 whose role is as follows: "the Advisory Board would, as its name suggests, act in an advisory capacity to determine priorities and would act as an advocate to solicit financial and other support as necessary. It is envisaged that the business of the Advisory Board would largely take place by email rather than in face-to-face meetings."
Chair:
Réjean Savard (Canada)
Members:
Ms Susan M. Allen (United States), Ms María Isabel Cabral da Franca (Brazil), Ms Jan Fullerton (Australia), Ms Deanna Marcum (United States), Ms Danielle Mincio (Switzerland), Ms Ellen Ndeshi Namhila (Namibia), Lucien Scotti (France), and Per Cullhed (Sweden).
Staff expert:
Ms Christiane Baryla
The Advisory Board first met in Glasgow during the IFLA Conference (August 2002).
Past Announcements
Other Bibliographic references
Cooperation
Useful Addresses
PAC International Focal Point
Bibliothèque nationale de France
Quai François Mauriac
75706 Paris cedex 13
France
Fax +33-(0)1-53-79-59-80
Programme Director:
Ms Christiane Baryla
Tel. +33-(0)1-53-79-59-70
E-mail: christiane.baryla@bnf.fr
Programme Officer:
Ms Flore Izart
Tel. +33-(0)1-53-79-59-71
E-mail: flore.izart@bnf.fr
Last update: 28 September 2009
