ChatPreservation Week, April 22-26
March 28, 2013
Preservation Week returns to Cabell Library April 22-26. This year, Patricia Selinger, Head of the Preservation Department, will demonstrate the art of book repair in the lobby from noon to 4 p.m. Monday-Friday. These demonstrations will provide a fascinating look at the structure and durability of books. The Preservation Department works to keep library resources available to those who need them now and to future generations. Visitors to the demonstrations will also be able to learn more about how best to take care of their own collections and what to do in case of accidents and disasters. Ms. Selinger will answer questions and have handouts available. The VCUL Preservation Department is at http://www.library.vcu.edu/preservation/.
Throughout the week, the American Library Association (ALA) will offer webinars and webcasts on various topics in preservation. For a complete listing and for access, see the ALA Preservation Week calendar. To get started with preserving your family treasures, see this helpful VCU Libraries guide. See also the ALA's in-depth Preservation Toolkit.
Preservation Week was begun in 2010 to promote the role of libraries and other institutions in preserving public and personal collections and treasures. Some 630 million items in collecting institutions in the United States require immediate attention and care. 80 percent of these institutions have no paid staff assigned responsibility for collections care, and 22 percent have no collections-are personnel at all. Some 2.6 billion items are not protected by an emergency plan. As natural disasters of recent years have taught us, these resources are in jeopardy should a disaster strike. Personal, family, and community collections are equally at risk. Preservation Week is sponsored by the American Library Association (ALA), the Association for Library Collections & Technical Services (ALCTS), the Library of Congress, the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), the Society of American Archivists (SAA), theAmerican Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works (AIC) and Heritage Preservation: The National Institute for Conservation.
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