Volume 12, Number 8
Dec 1988

TAPPI Paper Preservation Symposium

The Technical Association of the Pulp end Paper Industry (TAPPI) held a Paper Permanence Symposium in Washington DC, attended by about 200 people. A thorough report will have to be deferred until later, but a few high spots can be touched on here. This meeting was notable because it brought together for the first tine leading representatives of all groups that have an interest in paper permanence: Congress, standards organizations, research labs, the paper industry, librarians and archivists, and government paper and printing people. The dialog among these people was carried on formally though the 50 or so short papers, and informally at lunch, coffee breaks, and before and after sessions. The whole conference was taped, and proceedings will be published.

There was a two-hour preconference for people actively working for alkaline paper in their own sector (libraries, paper mills, publishers, and so on). This session too was recorded, and the transcription is now being checked over by the almost 50 participants. A condensed version will appear in the proceedings and the transcript will be made available at cost from this office.

John Baker announced at this two-hour meeting that a Center for Paper Permanency had been established at the New York Public Library (NYPL) to serve as a clearinghouse of information about ongoing efforts of various organizations advocating permanent paper. Its address is 160 Fifth Ave., Suite 604, New York, NY 10010 (212/727-1642 and 1643), and it will be run by SKP Associates (SKP stands for Sandra K. Paul). Bill Raggio will be the office person there.

NYPL has also been working to establish a group called "Authors and Publishers in Support of Preservation of the Printed Word," co-chaired by Barbara Goldsmith and Vartan Gregorian. A ceremony will be held March 7, 1989, at NYPL to honor authors and publishers committed to having their first printings (at least) on alkaline permanent paper. (To be continued)