This week's assignment was not exactly what I expected. I really thought that it would be a rather easy and straight forward affair. However, it really wasn't. It took me much longer than I thought it would. While the different areas were well marked out, for some of the topics I would first have to go to the library encyclopedia that St. Kate's has access to in order to confirm what the topics were. I also found things that I hadn't expected when searching different topics. When I was looking up an article for Digital Preservation I found a great article that described the overall way preservation techniques and how it has developed. Which is rather good since I was having a hard time finding an article otherwise. It's not like typing the search term "Preservation" or "library preservation" into a search engine will get me what I wanted. There were WAY too many articles. I started to feel like a failure for a librarian. I should be able to find a simple article! Of course I did find it when I wasn't actually looking for that topic....Otherwise the major issue I was having was finding things no older than 2007. Occasionally I would forget to limit my search and then I would find the perfect article, and it would be from 2001 or from 1998. How annoying. In the end the assignment did allow me to look at a lot of different articles and learn how many aspects there are to so many topics withing the umbrella topic of 'Preservation'.
Class on Sept 23rd was interesting . The "rainy day story" was especially enlightening. I personally understand exactly why you would save items by freezing them, but I don't know if I would have immediately thought of it. Of course it was not a surprise me that the food service people wanted their freezer back after a couple weeks. It was especially interesting that you could use a freezer to dry books. I can see how this would take a really long time and would not be that easy, but for specialty items its a good way to help the items dry out. It makes me wonder about any other short-cuts or random ways that can be used to save books in emergency situations. Hopefully we will hear more in the future!
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Thursday, September 16, 2010
Class Reading - Leaflets 1-6, Section 2
This weeks class reading was 6 'leaflets' explaining various environmental concerns regarding Preservation and Conservation of materials. These covered quite a bit of ground and one thing I had not really thought of in regard to maintaining materials was temperature. Especially in regards to the concern of a book after it has been in cold storage. Odgen, in leaflet 2.1 states, "...the radical, rapid temperature changes [materials] experience may cause condensation on them." They suggest gradual acclimation of materials. This seems like a logical idea, but also one that I would imagine can be overlooked rather easily (much as many children have accidentally killed their fish after changing the tank water and putting the fish right back in the water).
I also thought the comment that the perfect place to keep materials is a cool, sealed box in a windowless room was rather striking. While this may hep maintain the materials is isn't reasonable for the average (or really, any) library. However it makes a good point. Light can be very damaging: one of my memories from before the invention of the DVD was the VHS tapes had melted from sitting in the sun that video rental stores would use to demonstrate 'unacceptable treatment'. While damage to books from light may not be as noticeable as quickly it makes sense that it is something to be concerned about. This made me wonder about throw the physical space of libraries have changed as newer preservation and conservation practices have developed. Is it more common for new libraries to have a different layout? new windows? different heating/cooling technologies?
This question had me searching for information on the newer libraries in the Twin Cities area. I found a news article http://www.startribune.com/local/west/93811564.html?page=2&c=y about the new Maple Grove Library (opened May of this year) which mentions various aspects of its design including windows, heating/cooling, and user-friendliness. Looking at pictures of this new building (on the library web site: http://www.hclib.org/News.cfm?ID=4548&agency=MG ) I have noticed a few things. In order to make the Maple Grove Library a 'community center' the library has added LOTS of windows and an outside reading area (talk about books being exposed to light! Yikes!) and an automated sorting machine for the book return (which can't be that kind to books). However the library also has taken pains to maintain constant temperture control: they have a heating/cooling system that works with an outside water source and they grow plants on the roof of the building (which regulates temperature and helps water run-off which would prevent water damage to materials in the future). Does this mean that all libraries sacrifice some of their conservation and preservation effort to satisfy the patron's needs? After looking at this I have begun to think that it does, in order to satisfy your patrons, whomever they may be, you need to take into account what they need. Which is why your collection won't be in a sealed box in a windowless room.
Sunday, September 12, 2010
Class - September 9 (Assignment 1: Web Site Reviews)
The first class had me thinking a lot about how materials are cared for, what environment they are in and how various things can affect their longevity. It made me wonder about how the region of the world a library is located in could affect its materials, and how that affects the library's budget. Wouldn't you need a larger budget dedicated to having a controlled budget in an area of the world where there was more humidity, or where the weather was less predicable? I have been trying to find resources on this, however I can't seem to find much. I'm not surprised as many libraries don't necessarily have it in a specific part of their budget as it would include air conditioning/heating, materials, etc. I am guessing that while it costs a good portion of money in order to really find out if location changes how much is spent you would need to look at similar-sized libraries in various places throughout the country and go over detailed budgets and look for information on these areas.
After going through the first class I had a much better idea on how to go about looking for web sites to review for assignment #1. However, it was still difficult to find reasonable websites that would work for the assignment. I found web sites where the topic was Preservation or Conservation, however it was not necessarily geared toward Library professionals. I also found websites for specific libraries, like Harvard or Cornell, however these sites were for their specific library, which makes it rather useless for the assignment. I did find 3 websites that could work. I am adding the links below and will chose two for the assignment. I also found a very good example article of a web site review from College & Research Libraries News so I think I have a good handle on the first assignment.
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