Conference on mass deacidification

Mass deacidification in practice
European conference organized by
European Commission on Preservation and Access (ECPA)
Niedersachsisches Staatsarchiv/State Archive of Lower Saxony
Buckeburg, Germany
18-19 October 2000

Libraries and archives all over Europe are struggling to keep their
paper collections of the 19th and 20th century available for users.
Acidification and embrittlement, primarily caused by the wide-spread
use of low-quality paper, are threatening millions of books and many
kilometers of archive materials.

Mass deacidification is one of the options available to extend the
useful life of paper materials. After years of careful research and
testing, mass deacidification has now established itself as a viable
preservation choice. At this point in time, several different
processes are being used in large-scale projects at major
institutions.

The aim of this conference is to present examples of how mass
deacidification can be applied in practice. Representatives from
libraries and archives with considerable experience with one or
several different processes will share their views on the role of
mass deacidification in preservation management. They will discuss
why a particular process was chosen and which materials are selected
for mass deacidification. Papers will focus on issues like the place
of mass deacidification in a preservation policy, its relation to
other preservation measures, workflow, logistics, costs and
organizational aspects. There will also be papers devoted to recent
scientific research and new developments.

In addition to papers by experts, a trade exhibition will be
organized of different companies specializing in mass
deacidification.

The intended audience of the conference is: preservation managers in
libraries and archives; librarians, archivists and conservators with
preservation tasks; and administrators and government officials
responsible for preservation and cultural heritage issues.

The conference languages will be English and German with
simultaneous translation.

Venue and EXPO 2000: The conference will be held at the State
Archive of Lower Saxony located in the Castle of Buckeburg (its
oldest part dates from the 13th century). The conference will also
provide an excellent opportunity to visit the world fair EXPO 2000
in nearby Hannover (June 1 -  October 31 2000,
<URL:http://www.expo2000.de/>) . This can be easily reached by train
(37 minutes, direct connection
<http://www.bahn.de/home/index.shtml>).

The conference fee will be 150 DEM/77. This includes coffees, teas,
and lunches plus a conference dinner. Up to date information and a
registration form will also be posted at
<URL:http://www.knaw.nl/ecpa/>

For more information please contact:

    European Commission on Preservation and Access (ECPA)
    P.O. Box 19121
    NL-1000 GC Amsterdam
    The Netherlands
    +31 20 551 08 39
    Fax +31 20 620 49 41

Main sponsor: Neschen AG


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                  Conservation DistList Instance 13:46
                  Distributed: Tuesday, March 7, 2000
                       Message Id: cdl-13-46-017
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