[PADG:2126] Study on Preservation Education

[jeanann croft <jeanann+@xxxxxxxx>]

We are contacting you to request your participation in a new study on
current activities and future needs for preservation education in North
America, entitled :

?Preservation Education Needs for the Next Generation of Information
Professionals?

Nature of the Study

Preservation education is a critical need for librarians and archivists,
particularly as the scope of their preservation responsibilities
continues to widen to include new formats, and as the library and
archival community continues its commitment to building digital
libraries of historically and culturally significant material.
Anecdotal evidence indicates that current educational preparation is
inadequate, given these new responsibilities.  The investigators hope to
obtain a more complete picture of the present course offerings in
preservation, for the purposes of testing the hypothesis that current
preservation education does not provide adequate preparation in the
areas of technical and managerial expertise to deal with the
preservation of material such as digital collections, audiovisual media,
and visual materials.

This study will lay the groundwork for a larger project which aims to
thoroughly document  activities in the field of preservation education
during the last decade, and how university and field service programs
can best place themselves to provide the needed knowledge and expertise
to effectively administer preservation programs in libraries and
archives.  Ultimately, the investigators hopt to formulate specfic
recommendations for directing preservation education in the next
decade.

Type of Participation Sought

We are seeking participation from individuals responsible for
preservation coursework at American Library Association-accredited
institutions (those which offer undergraduate and graduate-level degrees
in library, archival, and/or information studies), as well as
individuals at organizations providing continuing education in the area
of preservation (such as field service programs).

How to Participate:

If you would like to contribute information to this study, please
contact Dr. Karen Gracy by e-mail (PresEd@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx) or phone
(412-624-7679).  You may also visit the following website to submit your
contact information: http://www.sis.pitt.edu/~kgracy/Pres_Edu_Study.htm.

Please note that participation is optional and all identifying
information will be kept confidential.

Investigators

Dr. Karen F. Gracy is Principal Investigator and Jean Ann Croft,
M.L.I.S., is Co-Investigator for this study.  For further information
about Dr. Gracy or Ms. Croft, please consult the project website at:
http://www.sis.pitt.edu/~kgracy/Pres_Edu_Study.htm.

Acknowledgements

Funding for this study is provided by the Central Research Development
Fund of the University of Pittsburgh.