British Library Preservation Advisory Centre

The British Library Preservation Advisory Centre raises public awareness of preservation issues in libraries and serves as a nexus for developing and promoting improved preservation management of library and archive materials in the UK and Ireland.^[1] It was established as the National Preservation Office by the British Library Board in 1984,^[2] and was renamed to its current name in 2009.^[1]

Purpose and activities

The Centre aims to create strategic policy framework for preserving current library collections, and addressing issues arising as congruent digital collections evolve.^[3] Its mission is expressed in hortatory goals, but its work is focused on practical results:

• To assist cultural heritage agencies and organizations develop strategies for the preservation of cultural heritage assets in museums, libraries and archives, including the further development of the "Preservation Assessment Survey" (PAS)^[4] and training in the use of the PAS tools
• To provide print and web-based information services for individuals and organizations, especially for collections throughout the United Kingdom and Ireland.
• To provide training in preservation management for individuals and organizations including relevant training in the following areas: introduction to preservation management; disaster management; environmental control and monitoring.^[5]

The need for national entities like the Centre has been documented in surveys conducted by the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) Section on Preservation & Conservation and by the Ligue Internationale des Bibliothèques Européennes de Recherches. Other than the United Kingdom, at least seven other countries have set up a similar entity, including Canada and New Zealand.^[6]

The Centre maintains a PAS database and publishes an annual digest and report.^[7]

Institutional support

The governing Board is composed of representatives from eleven institutions; and a corollary Advisory Board includes more than twice that number. Shared-interests bring together a number of disparate contributors and points-of-view, including:

• British Library (BL), British Library website
• Cambridge University Library (CUL), Cambridge University Library website
• Consortium of National and University Libraries (CONUL), Consortium of National and University Libraries website
• Heritage Council of Ireland, Heritage Council of Ireland website
• The National Archives, National Archives website
• National Archives of Ireland, National Archives of Ireland
• National Archives of Scotland (NAS), National Archives of Scotland website
• National Library of Ireland (NLI), National Library of Ireland website
• National Library of Scotland (NLS), National Library of Scotland website
• National Library of Wales (NLW), National Library of Wales website
• Oxford University Library Services (OULS), Oxford University Libraries website
• Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (PRONI), Public Record Offices of Northern Ireland website
• Society of College, National and University Libraries (SCONUL)
• Trinity College Library (Dublin) (TCL), Trinity College Library website

See also

• Digital Preservation Coalition
• Consortium of Research Libraries in the British Isles
• Ronald Milne
• National Digital Information Infrastructure and Preservation Program of the Library of Congress (NDIIPP)

References

• Beagrie, N. and D. Greenstein. (1998) "A Strategic Policy Framework for Creating and Preserving Digital Collections." British Library Research and Innovation Report 107. London: British Library.
• Bennett, J.C. (1997) "A Framework of Data Types and Formats, and Issues Affecting the Long Term Preservation of Digital Material." British Library Research and Innovation Report 50. London: British Library.
• Clements. (1986). "The National Preservation Office in the British Library," IFLA Journal (International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions). 12:25-32.
• Feeney, Mary, ed. (1999). Digital Culture: Maximizing the Nation's Investment. London: National Preservation Office, The British Library.
• Haynes, D., D. Streatfield, T. Jowett., and M. Blake. (1997). "Responsibility for Digital Archiving and Long-term Access to Digital Data." British Library Research and Innovation Report 67. The British Library, London: United Kingdom.
• Hendley. T. (1998). "Comparison of Methods and Costs of Digital Preservation." British Library Research and Innovation Report 106. London: United Kingdom.
• Matthews, G., A. Poulter, and E. Blagg. "Preservation of Digital Materials Policy and Strategy Issues for the UK." British Library Research and Innovation Report 41. London: United Kingdom. 1997.
• Ross, S. and A. Gow. (1999). "Digital Archaeology: The Recovery of Digital Materials at Risk." British Library Research and Innovation Report 108. London: United Kingdom. 1999.
• Stephens, David O. "Digital preservation in the United Kingdom," Information Management Journal, October 2000.

External links

• Preservation Advisory Centre
• leaflets

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