The Library of Congress, Preservation Directorate, is hosting five webinars for Preservation Week starting April 27. Monday through Friday, we will be presenting webinars every day at 11 am (EDT). Registration links can be found below.
The Reel Library: Microfilm Collections at the Library of Congress
Speaker: Greg Cooper, Head of Business Operations Support Section
Monday, April 27, 11 am EDT. Register Here!
Although the Library has shifted toward digital copies of periodicals, microfilm's chapter at the Library of Congress is far from closed. The Library no longer produces microfilm but we still receive it from overseas offices and in some cases microfilm may be the only copy of important material at the Library. We have over one million reels of microfilm in our collections, and researchers continue to make requests every day. The Preservation Services Division ensures that patrons to the Library can continue to use the vast and diverse microfilm collection. Microfilm digitization makes these collections even more accessible, and its peculiarities, such as tape marks, targets, and fingerprints of employees remain in its digitized version. These traces of the employees who worked tirelessly to create microfilm remind us of the human side of preservation and library work. It is fitting that they have left their mark on the pages of history.
Offsite Collection Retrieval
Speaker: Matt Martin, Chief of the Collection Management Division
Tuesday, April 28, 11 am EDT Register Here!
Last year, the Collections Management Division retrieved 54,770 individual items from its offsite facilities for patrons on Capitol Hill. Typically requests placed before 11am are delivered the same day and all other requests are delivered the next business day. The focus of this presentation will be on processes and procedures including the systems, staffing, and equipment used to ensure collections are delivered on time.
Surveying Rolled Wall Maps
Speakers: Paper Conservator Grace Walters and Carissa Pastuch, Reference Librarian, Geography & Map Division
Wednesday, April 29, 11am EDT Register Here!
This presentation will highlight the collaboration between the Conversation Division and Geography and Map Division to complete the Survey Project for Rolled Wall Maps. This multi-year project consisted of evaluating and describing upwards of 230 rolled wall maps and was driven by division-specific objectives.
Preservation Science for Recordings On Magnetic Tape
Speaker: Andrew Davis, Chemist
Thursday, April 30, 11am EDT Register Here!
The Library of Congress holds a collection of over half a million audio recordings on magnetic tape, and its collection suffers the same physical maladies that are familiar to audiovisual curators worldwide: sticky, shedding, and squealing audio tape materials. These symptoms of deterioration well known, but the possible causes and remedies for degradation still inspire passioned debate. The highly commercialized and mass-produced nature of magnetic tapes presents challenges in preserving these “modern” collections in contrast to singular unique historic objects, as the “same” product line may have inherent variations that affect its stability over time. PRTD has scientifically analyzed a range of degraded tapes to better understand how best to preserve them and enable their continued access. This talk will present scientific analyses related to the physical preservation of magnetic tapes, including topics such as sticky shed, remedial thermal treatments, and cleaning methods that have since been adopted by NAVCC.
Demystifying Audiovisual Preservation
Speaker: Alison Reppert Gerber, Head of Preservation Services Section
Friday, May 1, 11am EDT Register Here!
This webinar will provide a brief overview of preservation management basics for analog audio, video, and film collections. Specific topics will include: identification, care and handling, planning preservation projects, and digitization best practices.
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Amelia Parks
Preservation Education Librarian
Library of Congress
Washington DC
ampar@loc.gov------------------------------