Library Preservation and Conservation in the '90s : Proceedings of the Satellite Meeting of the IFLA Section on Preservation and Conservation, Budapest, August 15-17, 1995

A frequently proposed solution is to forbid readers to bring their own books into the library and use them there The proponents of this recommendation anticipate that there would be fewer users of the library. This is probably true. In my opinion, however, the ban would also have the result of even more people using the documents of the national library, in place of their own books. Complex treatment of the tasks of archive storage, providing services, and preservation and conservation If we wish to carry out both our archive storage and our serv ice tasks and we do not have at our disposal a separate copy of every document -which is naturally not possible -then it is only by drawing on preservation and conservation that we can meet these requirements. Preservation and conservation have a dual task here: (1) to repair and restore any documents that may have been damaged and to preserve the state of those still in a good (acceptable) condition; (2) to make a copy for use of documents existing in only one copy and which are intended for archive storage.The progress of technology can bring increasing help for both tasks. On the one hand, the possibilities for restoration are advancing and, on the other hand, the technique of transfer to other information carriers is developing with great speed. The original document can now be substituted or transferred to other information carriers in the following ways: a) Facsimile or reprint edition.This is an expensive solution and can only be considered if reissue is financially feasible independent of the library. b) Electrostatic copying. This technique is not suitable for the copying of complete volumes -even apart from the copyright problems that arise; it is not recommended for the purpose of preservation. c) Microfilm d) Optical disc These two procedures can offer a real solution for "copying" and substituting for the original document. The use of microfilm is a well-established practice in Hungary. It is our hope that transfer to optical disc will also become a practice in the near future, although the national librar)'does not yet use this procedure. A number of questions can arise in connection with these two procedures:- The question of sequence: In what order should we make copies? The practice of the National Széchényi Library is that microfilm copies are systematically made of newspapers and materials in the special collections (in the case of newspapers, for example, we first copied all newspapers from the beginnings up to 1945), and, in the case of books, among the books in circulation (in use by readers) we copy those in a condition justifying this. The question of preserving the original document: That is, whether we have to preserve only the content of the original document or the actual physical document. This question cannot arise in the case of codices and incunabula, but in the case of newspapers it does. It is the position of the OSZK that everything must be preserved in the original form too, including newspapers. Let me give one concrete example to show that this is not simply respect of tradition, or what could be called a conservative attitude. We had to supply a newspaper published in 1944 for a court case in the United States, so that the age of the paper and printing ink could be examined. This was because a lawyer argued that a newspaper article incriminating his client was not original but had been Introduction SESSION 1: National Libraries as Museums of Books and Living Libraries at the Same Time - Resolving Contradictions Book Museum or a Big Research Library ? The Dilemma of National Libraries Chronicle of a Disappearing Future: Conservation and Preservation in the Royal Library of Belgium Permanent Paper: Myth or Reality, Dream or Necessity? The Spanish Register of Reproductions Digital Libraries: A New Approach to Preservation for a Broadened Access Preservation Program Management SESSION 2: Preventive Conservation and Disaster Recovery: Preservation of Collections Collection and Preservation of Local History in New Jersey Biological Control of Book Storages in the Russian Academy of Sciences Library (BAN) Maintenance of Air-Conditioning Equipment: Imperative Step against Disasters Freeze-Drying of Water-Damaged Paper Materials: A Report on Practical Disaster Recovery Environmental Research in the Library of the Russian Academy of Sciences SESSION 3: Mass Conservation: Methods and Dilemmas The Batelle Mass Deacidiflcation Process: Establishment at Die Deutsche Bibliothek in Leipzig and Future Applications The Application of the Battelle Mass Deacidiflcation Treatment in the German Library, Leipzig Mass Deacidification of Archival Materials: The Battelle and DEZ Process Compared The Bookkeeper Process: A Real Solution New Developments in Controlled Atmosphere Technology In the Treatment of Brittle Paper, Does the Future Belong to Mechanical or Chemical Reinforcement? SESSION 4: International and Regional Efforts in Preservation and Access: Training for Preservation and Conservation The IFLA Section on Conservation: Library Preservation and Conservation in the 90s The PAC Core Programme Memory of the World: Preserving the Documentary Heritage Building Bridges: The Role of the European Commission on Presentation and Access Education for Presentation: The Challenge of Access to Old and New Technologies Training for Presentation: Needs and Provision Which Kind of Book Conservators in the Third Millennium? The State-of-the-Art in Italy and Some Proposals for the Future SESSION 5: National and Local Activities in Preservation and Training in Central and Eastern Europe Preservation in Russian Libraries: Current Situation, Tendencies, Aspirations for the Future Main Steps to Improve the Care of Book Collections in the National Library of the Czech Republic Permanent Paper in Slovakia: Its Production, Properties and Use Developing of a Computerized Information System on Conservation and Preservation Training of Book Conservators in Hungary

The International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) is the leading international body representing the interests of library and information services and their users. It is the global voice of the information profession.

The series IFLA Publications deals with many of the means through which libraries, information centres, and information professionals worldwide can formulate their goals, exert their influence as a group, protect their interests, and find solutions to global problems.

The International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) is the leading international body representing the interests of library and information services and their users. It is the global voice of the information profession. The series IFLA Publications deals with many of the means through which libraries, information centres, and information professionals worldwide can formulate their goals, exert their influence as a group, protect their interests, and find solutions to global problems.