Literature--ANL Oct 1993

Preserving the Intellectual Heritage: A Report of the Bellagio Conference, June 7-10, 1993. Commission on Preservation and Access, Oct. 1993. This is a little 36-page booklet, reporting a June 1993 invitational conference of European scholars and administrators, called by the Commission on Preservation and Access to consider ways to cooperate in doing something about the brittle book problem in Europe. There were 23 participants from 11 countries. Reports from the U.S. and four European countries are summarized. The U.S. report discussed only microfilming and the difficulty experienced in getting scholars to help in selecting volumes to microfilm; in Germany, both deacidification and microfilming are emphasized, and selection was seen as something for librarians and archivists, rather than scholars, to do; the Swiss report discussed only their mass deacidification project; the U.K. report discussed both their large national microfilming project and the serious wear experienced by much-used volumes; and the Dutch report described an organized program much like that of the U.S. They passed a resolution with recommendations that a European commission on preservation and access be formed, with representation from the U.S. Commission.

The report gives bios of all participants on the last eight pages. It is available for $10 from the Commission on Preservation and Access. (1A)

Amate, Organo bimestral de comunicaci-n del Sistema Red de Información en Materia de Conservati-n de Documentos. This little newsletter, published under the auspices of the Organization of American States (OAS), started in January 1991, and the latest issue received at the Abbey Publications office is v. 2, #11, October 1992. (They don't start each volume with #1, but number continuously.) Each issue is four pages long, on colored paper that looks recycled. Two prominent departments are Literature ("¿Has Leído?") and Letters ("En Contacto"). Sometimes forthcoming events, usually short courses, are announced, and reports of conferences and educational events are given space. Some of the longer articles, translated where necessary, are:

Conclusiónes y Recomendaciónes de la Segunda Mesa Redonda Interamericana de Centros de Excelencia en el Campo de la Conservación de Documentos (Conclusions and Recommendations of the Second Interamerican Round Table of Centers of Excellence in the Field of Document Conservation)

Amate Base de Datos en el Campo de la Conservación de Documentos (Amate Document Conservation Database)

Seguimos Trabajando: Seminario Internacional de Investigación en Materia de Conservación y Restauración (a brief report of the Columbia University/IFLA/ICA conference at Arden House, May 1991)

Preservación de Documentos en Chile: Proyecto de Restauración y Microfilmación de los Fondos Históricos del Archivo Nacional de Chile (Document Preservation in Chile: Project for Restoration and Microfilming of Historical Resources in the National Archives of Chile)

Curso Regional sobre Conservación de Documentos in Costa Rica

Curso Internacional sobre Conservación en Papel Japones (International Course in Japanese Paper Conservation; the ICCROM course)

Reflexiones de un Microbiologo Conservador de Documentos

Correspondence should be addressed to Licenciada Leonor Ortiz Monasterio, Secretaria Ejecutiva del Sistema Red Latinoamericano de Información en Materia de Conservación de Documentos, Archivo General de la Nación, Eduardo Molina y Albaniles, Col. Penitenciaria Ampliacion, 15350, México, D.F., Apartado Postal 1999, México 1, D.F., Mexico. (2)

"Conservation's Programmatic Concerns: In-House and Contracting Out," a paper presented by Carolyn Clark Morrow at the Rare Books and Manuscripts Preconference, June 25-28, 1991, at Chapel Hill, NC. The preconference was entitled Keeping the Facts in Artifacts: Conserving the Physical Evidence of Special Collections Materials and Its Impact on Research. The preconference papers were to be published in the Summer 1992 issue of Rare Books & Manuscripts Librarianship.

This paper was about the philosophy of managing preservation within the library, and gave attention to the question of where special collections fit in, and particularly whether the Special Collections Department should have its own conservation funds and go its own way. This is an interesting and valuable overview for other preservation librarians and administrators as well as for rare book librarians, because it discusses some delicate issues from the real world of library politics, and does it in a fair and gentle way. (2)

Society of American Archivists Publications Catalog 1994. This is a wonderful source of preservation literature at reasonable prices, not just for archivists, but for librarians and other people. It is strong on preservation of nonbook formats: manuscripts, photographs, maps, electronic records, sound recordings, architectural records, and movie films, but it also offers books on disaster planning, design of buildings and more general topics. To receive a catalog or place an order, call 312/922-0140 or fax 312/347-1452. (2.1)

Preservation Research and Development: Round Table Proceedings, Sept. 28-29, 1992. Edited by Carrie Beyer, National Preservation Program Office. U.S. Library of Congress Preservation Directorate, April 1993. 147 pp., spiral bound. [No ISBN number] (This may be out of print by now; inquire at the Preservation Directorate, 202/707-5213.) This is the volume of edited proceedings. It is consecutively paged and neatly copy-edited and typeset, so it is more compact and easier to consult (though it lacks an index) than the assembled papers that were made available at the conference.

The 28 informal presentations given at all four sessions (general and miscellaneous, electronic image management, environmental effects and mass preservation, and imaging media preservation) are included here. Altogether, it makes up a brief overview of actual and needed research in the field of preservation. Three participants came from outside the U.S. Among the longer and more useful contributions are those on the development of permanent record materials since before 1900, by W.K. Wilson; CD-ROM standards, by Mike Rubinfeld; recent and current research at the National Archives, by Lew Bellardo; the research program of the Getty Conservation Institute, by James Druzik; and the Swedish R&D Project on paper preservation, by Ingmar Fröjd. (2.5)

Preserving the Anthropological Record, edited by Sydel Silverman and Nancy J. Parezo. Published 1992. Free from the Wenner-Gren Foundation for Anthropological Research, Inc., 220 Fifth Ave., 16th Floor, NYC 10001-7708, Attn: Mark Mahoney; or call 212/683-5000. 140 pp. [No ISBN number] This little book is evidence that there is now a core of preservation advocates within the anthropological community. The records of anthropology, like those of many other sciences, are hard to preserve because of the importance of original unpublished records, many of which remain in private hands after the research report is published: later scientists often find they need to reexamine the field notes, even the personal diaries, of earlier researchers, in order to build on their work. In this sense scientists have much in common with literary scholars who need to see the original manuscript in order to interpret a crucial passage. Researchers in anthropology also depend on museums and archives as well as on libraries to collect the material, catalog and house it, and preserve it. Mary Elizabeth Ruwell's chapter on the National Anthropological Archives, one of 11 chapters by different authors, is good. (2.6)

NIOSH has five articles on the issue of ozone emissions by copy machines, which they sent on request to the Abbey Publications office. These articles cover the topic pretty thoroughly, and generally show that ozone need not be a health problem if simple precautions are taken, because (for one thing) the odor is easily detectable before it reaches a dangerous concentration. Precautions include using a machine with an ozone filter on it, and changing it when necessary; and providing reasonable adequate ventilation (i.e., providing a large enough room to prevent undue concentration of the ozone). The references are:

"Ozone Production from Photocopying Machines," by M.D. Selway, R.J. Allen and R.A. Wadden. Am. Ind. Hyg. Assoc. J. (41) June 1980, p. 455-461.

"Ozone and Other Air Pollutants from Photocopying Machines," by T.B. Hansen and B. Andersen. Am. Ind. Hyg. Assoc. J. (47) Oct. 1986, p. 659-665. This one is pretty good.

"Occupational Health Guideline for Ozone." NIOSH, Sept. 1978. 5 pp.

"Photocopiers: Do They Pose a Health Hazard?" by David M. Halton. Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety, Hamilton, Ontario, April, 1983. (CCOHS # P83-1E; ISBN 0-660-11439-9) 22 pp.

"Office Copying Machines." [Australian] National Occupational Health and Safety Commission, Dec. 1989. (WAP 89/029, GS 003-1989; ISBN 0 644-09189 4). The commission's fax # is (02) 265-7538. 11 pp. (2C1.2)

"Studies on Degradation of Paper and Conservation III. Studies of Diethyl-Zinc Process," by Y. Yamazaki et al. Japan Tappi Journal 46(6), June 1992, p. 89-96. The authors found that deacidification with DEZ did not affect the strength and optical properties of the paper, and that not all papers that were already aged could be helped by the treatment. (The abstract in the November 1992 Paper and Board Abstracts does not say what they mean by "helped"--whether it refers to retention or increase of brightness or strength.) (2D5)

"'Take 1!' Microfilm Quality-Control," by Irene Wainwright. Southwestern Archivist, Spr. 1993, p. 6-7, 39. This is the voice of experience, on the necessity of good post-filming inspection and quality control. The New Orleans Public Library had to microfilm 940 manuscript volumes, about 200 years old, most of them fragile, varying widely in size, and they were, to put it briefly, a microfilmer's nightmare. The job was more challenging than they or the filming agency, MAPS, anticipated. Lessons learned: the importance of the microfilming contract, the necessity of frame-by-frame inspection of the completed films, and the inestimable value of full, open, and timely communication between the institution and the filming agent. (2E1)

"Appetite for Paper Whet by Computers: Electronic Age Offers no Haven from Avalanche of Documents," by Liz Spayd. Washington Post, November 14, 1993, p. A1, A20. This article is full of amazing facts, with quotes from people in the government (especially the Federal Records Center), the paper industry, records storage companies, a law firm, universities--and from the author herself, who describes and counts all the pieces of paper she used in order to write the piece on her computer. (2E4)

"Library Disasters and Effective Staff Management," by Mary Reinsch. CAN No. 55, Oct. 1993, p. 4-5, 31-33. The author says that when natural or manmade disasters transform a formerly secure and predictable work environment into a dangerous and chaotic place, management personnel must appreciate the new and exceptional dynamics created. Over a two-year period, she interviewed people who had been directly involved in major disasters, consulted professionals involved in helping the people affected, and reports what she learned. The phases of preparation, response, recovery and mitigation are considered in turn. (2F)

"Disaster/Hazard Mitigation & Recovery Organizations: A Directory of Government Agencies, Academic Centers, and Professional Associations," by the Natural Hazards Research and Applications Information Center Staff. Technology & Conservation 11(2-3), 1992, 17-21. Outlines numerous organizations that can provide assistance in planning programs to minimize damage caused by natural and human disasters. (Reference from SPNHC Newsletter, Aug. 1993.) (2F3.4)

Security in Academic and Research Libraries. Proceedings of three seminars organized by SCONUL and the National Preservation Office, held at the British Library in London in December 1989 and February 1990. A.G. Quinsee and A.C. McDonald [editors?]. London: The British Library, 1991. £15 (£12.50 for SCONUL members) from the National Preservation Office, British Library, Great Russell St., London WC1B 3DG, England. 79 pp. ISBN 0-9032-6010-7. This was favorably reviewed in CAN No. 49, April 1992, p. 23, by Donald R. Smith. (2G)

"Icy Insects--Freezing as a Means of Insect Control," by Agnes W. Brokerhof. AICCM Bulletin 18:3/4, 1993, p. 19-23. An experimental study on four species of clothes moths. The author notes that a single moderately cold exposure was sufficient, and explains this as an effect of the relatively mild winters in Australia, to which the insects are adapted. In colder climates, it takes lower temperatures, longer exposure, or more than one exposure, because the insects are acclimated to cold. (2H3.2)

pHydrion Test Papers and Products, catalog of Micro Essential Laboratory, Inc., 4224 Avenue H, Brooklyn, NY 11210 (718/ 338-3618; fax 692-4491). This 43-page catalog for 1992-93 contains papers, buffer salts, kits and pH pencils for testing the pH of paper. An interesting new product is the Hydrion pH Indicating Paint, which is applied to a surface where acidic or alkali fumes, spray or fallout are suspected. It changes color on exposure, and can be compared to the color chart that comes with the container to estimate the pH value of the airborne agent, it says on p. 35. (3A9.7)

"The Setting of Modern Inks Before Restoration Treatments," by Martine Leroy and Françoise Flieder. Restaurator 14 No. 3, 131-140, 1993. This is about fixing of modern inks before leafcasting. Four fixatives were considered, and the one that was effective on most colors of inks was chosen: Sandofix WE. Accelerated aging of papers treated with Sandofix WE showed that it was harmless to paper, as long as the paper was deacidified first. (3B1.9)

"Cation-Selective Reagents for Conservation Treatments," by Duane R. Chartier (ConservArt Associates, 826 N. Sweetzer Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90069). Materials Research Society Symposium Proceedings, Vol. 185, 1991, p. 73-79. Certain reagents are much more effective at tying up metal ions than chelates like EDTA. These include crown ethers, cryptands, polyphenols, and several others. They have great potential, the author says, for applications in general conservation problems of selective cleaning, desalination, stain removal and reversal of treatments. (3B2.3)

Picture Framing Magazine had an article by Hugh Phibbs of the National Gallery of Art on framing and preserving sports cards in the November issue. These cards present challenges in a number of ways: poor card stock, unstable ink in the signatures on cards with autographs, and the need to display both sides without attaching anything to the card.

The October issue includes a) "The Framer-Conservator Relationship," by Tim Killalea, b) "The Dog Ate It! And Other Common Types of Damage to Photographs," by Ana B. Hofmann (a conservator at the Jose Orraca Studio), and c) "Conservation Photo Mounts," by Hugh Phibbs. (3B2.59)

"The Care of Leather and Skin Products: A Curatorial Guide," by Toby J. Raphael. Leather Conservation News, vol. 9, 1993, p. 1-14. Adapted from an article the author wrote for the National Park Service Museum Handbook, Pt. I, published 1992. The four primary causes of deterioration, the author says, are: 1) humidity and exposure to moisture, 2) soiling, 3) insects, and 4) negligence and mishandling (which includes treatments, storage and display). He recommends storage at 40-70% RH, and protection from oxygen, pollutants and light. He warns against use of saddle soap (because it cannot be removed, and it has such a high pH, 9-10, among other reasons) and leather dressings, and describes safe ways to clean leather objects.

Newsletter, STEP Leather Project. No. 1, [June] 1992. 14 pp. The STEP Leather Project, it says at the top of the front page, is a project under the three-year environmental research program, "Protection and Conservation of the European Cultural Heritage," which is managed and financed by the Commission of the European Communities, Directorate General for Science, Research and Development. Apparently there will be one issue for each year of the project, 1989-1992. A total of nine European conservation and research labs are carrying out research to accomplish three goals:

To identify and quantify the chemical and physical changes which occur in naturally deteriorated vegetable tanned leather brought about by exposure to atmospheric pollutants and other environmental factors.
To establish the parameters and conditions of an artificial aging method which bring about the same changes in new leather as in naturally aged leather.
To establish a standard test method to determine the resistance of leather to artificial aging and the effect of leather conservation methods. Twenty historic leather samples, five alum tawed sheep skins and some new vegetable-tanned calf skins have been analyzed using about 18 tests, and aged with pollutants and light.

This issue contains reports of the analyses carried out by the different labs in Denmark, France, Netherlands, and England. The coordinator is René Larsen, School of Conservation, Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts, Esplanaden 34, 1263 Copenhagen K, Denmark. (3D)

"Why Does Parchment Deform? Some Observations and Considerations," by Maria Cristina Berardi. Leather Conservation News, vol 8, 1992, p. 12-16. The traditional method of repairing parchment pages is to sew the edges together. The work reported here investigated whether deformation in parchment is related to thickness, and whether patching with adhesives can be safely done without inducing stress between the new and the old piece. Conclusion: "It is risky to join different parchments selected on the basis of species homogeneity, thickness and grain direction." Sewing is not so bad if the old parchment is strong enough; but repairing with Japanese paper is better. (3D1)

"Conservation of Parchment, February 1-5, 1992," by Thea Burns. AIC News, 18(3), May 1993, p. 9-11 (A nearly identical report by the same author ran in the June 1993 IIC-CG Bulletin.) This is a knowledgeable and substantial report of the course and workshop at the Smithsonian's Conservation Analytical Laboratory. The instructor was Abigail Quandt and the students, all mid-career professionals, came from six different countries. Topics discussed included relaxation and flattening of distorted surfaces, consolidation of flaking media and pigments, and repair of tears and losses. Hinging methods have to anticipate parchment's reaction to changing humidity; currently used methods include string mats, Japanese paper hinges at the top edge only or around the perimeter, and Japanese paper mounts.

They discussed the recent research by Hansen, Lee and Sobel, which supports storage of parchment at relative humidity of 30%, but thought the recommendation of 30% RH was perhaps too low when considerations other than the long-term preservation of the collagen (such as the inks and pigments on its surface) were taken into account (3D1)

The Paper Conservator (J. Inst. Paper Cons.) vol 16(1992). Special issue: Vellum and Parchment. Editor: Helen Shenton. Institute of Paper Conservation, 1992. 105 pp. (No price given, but the Paper Conservator comes with membership in IPC, which costs £38 or $76/year to overseas members.

There are 12 contributions from 11 authors, six of whom are currently working in England and the rest of whom work in Austria, Ireland, Belgium and the U.S. All of the papers are in English, with French and German summaries. They cover the following topics: the nature of parchment, a conditioning chamber for parchment, printing parchment or vellum, conservation of parchment objects using Gore-Tex laminates, conservation of pleated illuminated vellum leaves, the vellum of the Book of Kells, vellum papers, the conservation of Codex Eykensis, alternative methods of mounting parchment for framing and exhibition, conservation of 14th century documents with pendant seals, laser raman spectroscopy for nondestructive analysis, and the incorporation of gut membrane, parchment and gelatine into textile objects.

This volume is one of a number of recent and very significant publications and seminars or conferences on conservation of parchment and vellum. (3D1)

Directory of Information Sources on Scientific Research Related to the Preservation of Sound Recordings, Still and Moving Images and Magnetic Tape, compiled by Margaret S. Child. Commission on Preservation and Access, Sept. 1993. 16 pp. $10. The directory focuses on information from the public sector and nonprofit institutions, not private-sector research, and it is a companion volume to the Directory of Information Sources on Scientific Research Related to the Preservation of Books, Paper, and Adhesives (OP, available from ERIC as ED 319 045) issued by the Commission in 1990. (3E)

Topics in Photographic Preservation, v. 5. Compiled by Robin Siegel. AIC Photographic Materials Group, 1993. This volume includes selected papers presented at four of the group's meetings 1990-1993, plus four additional papers, a total of 18 in all. One of them is on fingerprints on photographs, by Klaus Hendriks and Rüdiger Krall. The cause and nature of fingerprints, and the reason they leave a mark on photographs, were investigated. John McElhone's paper, "Determining Responsible Display Conditions for Photographs," on p. 60-72, reports an investigation to find the best compromise between visibility of the items displayed and likelihood of damage to different kinds of photographs, and closes with 11 recommendations. "Guidelines for Care and Identification of Film-Base Photographic Materials," by Monique Fischer and Andrew Robb, is actually a reprint of a six-page handout from the Art Conservation Program at the University of Delaware/Winterthur Museum. It is very clearly laid out, with two pages of tables on dating, tests, edge printing and so on. (3F)

"Report on the Getty Conservation Institute, Part 2: Or, a Break in the Clouds and All is Explained," by Ted Bundy. ConservatioNews 13:2/3, June/Sept. 1993, p. 1, 13-16. Author Bundy's day-by-day report shows his total involvement and makes you feel as if you were there. His last paragraph says, "The Getty Preventive Care of Photographic Prints and Negatives workshop was one of the best courses I have ever taken. I would advise anyone who has not attended to take advantage of this intensive training session and the fantastic instructors provided by the Getty." (3F1)

IPI Storage Guide for Acetate Film. Image Permanence Institute, Rochester, NY, 1993. $25 + $2 shipping and handling; write to Rochester Institute of Technology, Image Permanence Institute, 70 Lomb Memorial Drive, Rochester, NY 14623-5604 (716/475-5199, fax 475-7230). In four parts: a 24-page booklet, a wheel for estimating useful life at different temperatures and humidities, time contour graphs that tell you about the same thing in another format, and a "time out of storage" table that shows how conditions in a cold storage vault, and varying lengths of time spent in reading-room conditions, affect the lifespan of cellulose triacetate or "safety" film. In other words, they tell the approximate number of years before the vinegar syndrome would become a serious problem for fresh, brand-new film. The "vinegar syndrome" is a stage in the deterioration of cellulose acetate, in which a vinegar smell is produced as the acetate film shrinks, causing the emulsion to buckle. After this stage is reached, the rate of deterioration accelerates. There is no way to reverse the deterioration, but by controlling storage conditions one can postpone it onset indefinitely.

In writing for a nontechnical audience, as the authors of the booklet have done, the big challenge is to make the text both accurate and understandable. They have done this exceedingly well, and their writing skill makes the text a pleasure to read. The first sections of the booklet explain how to use the wheel, time contours and "time ot of storage" table; then there are well illustrated sections entitled:

Chemical Deterioration of Film Bases
The Course of the Vinegar Syndrome
Does the Guide apply to nitrate film
Polyester Base Film
The General Philosophy of Film Storage
History of Film Supports
References [37 total] and Film Storage Standards [5] (3F)

"Some Recent Photographic Preservation Activities at the Library of Congress." by Sarah S. Wagner. Topics in Photographic Preservation, vol 4, 1991. Compiled by Robin Siegel. AIC Photographic Materials Group, Washington, DC, 1991. Available from the AIC office.

The Library of Congress's American Memory Optical Disk Project is putting entire LC collections on optical and video disks in order to make the materials available to the public, at the same time reducing handling of the originals. Photographs are an important part of such projects, which have also been carried out at the National Library of Medicine and other institutions with major collections. The LC project is driving photographic preservation, much as exhibitions drive conservation of the objects to be exhibited. Six types of preservation activity, as used for three collections (panoramas, daguerreotypes and mammoth glass plate negatives and prints) are described, with enough detail to be really useful to other professionals. Further details are given in 19 endnotes and in a diagram of the basic daguerreotype glass package they used for daguerreotypes without housing, or with inadequate housing. There is also a summary of research from 1986 to date on treatment of deteriorated cyanotypes. (No reliably safe and effective treatments found; they wound up relaxing them, mending minimally and encapsulating with a stiff paper board support). (3F1.1)

"Preservation of 19th-Century Negatives in the National Archives," by Constance McCabe. Journal of the AIC 30(1991):41-73. This describes a project to preserve nearly 8,000 glass plate negatives. The author discusses in gratifying detail the photographic process, nature and condition of the negatives, and steps in preservation (tape removal, duplication, rehousing, etc.) There are 40 photographs illustrating the condition of negatives and types of storage. (3F1.2)

The 1991 RLG survey of 675 institutional and commercial micropublishers (publishers of microform editions of books, newspapers, etc) has been published by the Commission on Preservation and Access, which funded it. It covers microform production and quality control, storage conditions and inspection practices. Principal conclusions and recommendations are: 1) Both institutional and commercial publishers adhered to preservation standards to about the same degree, but all could improve significantly. 2) The preservation community would be well advised to develop clear, unambiguous language to describe the purchase, transfer, and assignments of rights of microfilms of each generation. 3) Routine inspection programs for stored microfilm should also be immediately devised and implemented.

The survey report is available for $5 from CPA; refer to the Survey of Micropublishers (3F3)

Film Preservation 1993: A Study of the Current State of American Film Preservation. This four-volume report was submitted to Congress by James Billington, Librarian of Congress, as directed by the National Film Preservation Act of 1992. The GPO will be distributing copies. Some of the points it makes are:

Fewer than 20% of the features of the 1920s survive in complete form; for features of the 1910s, the survival rate falls to about 10%.
A large number of "lost" American films of the 1910s and 1920s can be found only as single prints in foreign archives.
Funding for the largest federal film preservation programs has fallen to half its 1980 level, when adjusted for inflation

Next the Librarian and the National Film Preservation Board will develop a national film preservation plan. (3F4)

"Tape Story Tapestry: Historical Research with Inaccessible Digital Information Technologies," by Shane Greenstein. Midwestern Archivist, v. XV #2, 1990, p. 77-85. Followed by Bruce Bruemmer's "Commentary" on p. 86-89. Greenstein's saga of frustration tells of his 1987 search for computer tapes inventorying the federal government's computer equipment. Every year since the late 1950s, the government has been inventorying its automatic data processing equipment, but somehow Greenstein was unable to find these records, although he went through all the formal channels and searched with incredible diligence. The tapes on which the inventory was recorded were never sent to the National Archives. Bruemmer says in his commentary that the search was hard because systems for preserving this information did not exist. In the end, Greenstein says he succeeded by going through informal channels. (3G)

Directory of Book Arts Supplies & Suppliers. Canadian Bookbinders and Book Artists Guild, 1993. 16 pp. The first four pages list type of supply, and the suppliers they can be ordered from; the other pages list suppliers, with address, phone, fax and types of supplies they carry. For information on the availability of this booklet, write or call the CBBAG Supplies Committee, 35 McCaul St., Toronto, ON M5T 1V7, Canada (416/581-1071) (3J3)

"ICA and International Archival Cooperation," by Frank B. Evans. NAGARA Clearinghouse, v.8 #2, Sprint 1992, p. 1, 7-8. The International Council on Archives (ICA) was founded in 1948 and has five categories of memberships, for national and state archives, professional associations of archivists, archival institutions, individual members and honorary members. Its nine standing committees include one on conservation and restoration and one on reprography, and there is a working group on the archives of science and technology. It cooperates with UNESCO in publishing the RAMP studies (Records and Archives Management Programme), a journal and a semi-annual newsletter.

In 1984 the theme of its triennial congress was The Challenge to Archives: Growing Responsibilities and Limited Resources, which bears an interesting resemblance to the theme of the May 1994 conference of the IIC-CG: Doing More with Less: Today's Reality. (4B)

Volume 17, Number 5 Oct 1993

Literature

Volume 17, Number 5
Oct 1993