Preservation Committee Meeting: April 22, 2024

Conference Call / Zoom

Members attending:

• Gabriel Hamer, Newberry Library
• Patti Gibbons, University of Chicago
• Tonia Grafakos, Northwestern University
• Jade Kastel, Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum
• Heidi Marshall, Columbia College Chicago
• Bonnie Parr, Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum
• Shelby Strommer, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, chair
• Bradley Wiles, Northern Illinois University

CARLI Staff attending:

• Elizabeth Clarage
• Nicole Swanson

Tasks Assigned

• Minutes taken by Gabriel Hamer.
• Preservation Tips:
  • April: Tips for working with a disaster vendor: Tonia
  • May: Wrap-up: Shelby
  • May 31 is the Committee’s Annual Report due date.

Decisions

• March minutes are approved.
• Preservation Webliography:
  • Shelby added links under Digital Preservation were approved
• 2023-2024 Committee Project/Continuing Education Programming
  • Heavy Metals in 19th Century Books will be held April 30, 1-2:30pm. Tonia, Patti, Shelby will present.
  • IFSI Fire Salvage in-person workshop is postponed.
  • Digital Preservation for Small Institutions with Digital POWRR will be held July 23. Other programs on digital preservation will be held July 16 and 30.
• Preservation Survey
  • Nicole/Elizabeth will help put Bonnie’s survey summary into Box.
  • Committee will discuss preservation survey more extensively at its May 13, 2024 meeting.

Announcements

• Member Announcements:
  • Bonnie Parr (Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum) – She will be giving a talk on preserving family history documents at her local library for Preservation Week.
  • Heidi Marshall (Columbia College Chicago). Columbia College Chicago will be exhibiting materials from the Chicago Anti-Apartheid Collection in their Student Center. The exhibit opens Thursday, 4/25 and will be open through the summer.
  • Shelby Strommer (University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign). There will be presentations and events for Preservation Week at U of I including book snake making, disaster presentations, etc.
  • Library of Congress and ALA CORE will have webinars for Preservation Week.
• CARLI Announcements:
  • Digital Content Life Cycle Webinar Series coming soon – Tuesdays in June and July. Registration is open.
  • Archives Task Force working on their webpage with reference materials and forms from member libraries. The page went live last week.

Discussion

• Heavy Metals in 19th Century Books, April 30, 1-2:30 p.m.
  • Presenters are Tonia, Patti, and Shelby.
  • 140 registrants so far!
  • Bonnie will do the welcome/housekeeping.
  • Nicole and Elizabeth will be moderating chat.
  • Shelby will handle slides.
• Patti, Bonnie, and others will have an eye out for materials to burn in IFSI workshop – discards, old shelving, A/V, etc.
• Presentation Survey
  • Shelby proposes we start planning for next round of survey, but assign it to 2024-2025 committee.
  • ALA sunsetting their preservation survey – learn from their mistakes; be mindful of the amount of data we’re collecting and why we want it!
  • Summary of 2015 findings (Bonnie):
    • 51 of 131 CARLI institutions submitted responses
    • Most did not have preservation/conservation dept.; preservation duties assigned to non-specialists.
    • Top preservation/conservation activities: preventative conservation.
    • Least done activities: conservation treatment, digital/A/V preservation.
    • Needs: long-range plans, staff training, collection surveys, disaster planning, conservation treatment, preservation of digital, A/V.
    • Most have collection security, binding/repair of general collection, protection from light.
    • Most said there was little damage or loss to collections.
    • Most did not have funds allocated to conservation, preservation, or digitization activities.
      • If they did, it was mostly for preservation supplies.
    • Most had contract for commercial/library binding.
    • Most did not write grants for conservation projects; if they did, mostly for digitization projects.
      • NEH biggest grantor; U of I had most grants.
    • Staff training needs: digital preservation, media preservation, disaster prep.
    • Most did not have special collections; would collaborate with archives.
    • Overall: lack of funding and staffing, few institutions with “robust” conservation/preservation programs.
  • Survey may help committee gauge what smaller institutions need.
  • Survey could also help advertise CARLI as a resource to those new to the field.
  • Smaller institutions have a need for partnerships, sharing resources.
  • Shorter survey annually, larger survey every 4-5 years?
• Digital preservation for small institutions with Digital POWRR on July 23. Program on July 16 and 30 on digital preservation and related topics.
• Open House @ Newberry on hold from 2020 (Gabriel) – coincide with SAA 2023 in Chicago (8/15-8/17)
  • In terms of Committee members, Jade and Heidi might be going to SAA meeting.
  • Gabriel will talk with supervisors about more concrete options.
• Future/continuing education (tabled)

Next Meeting Dates and Deadlines

The next Preservation Committee meeting will be May 13, 2024 at 1:00 p.m.

Future Committee Meeting Dates:
May 13, 2024, minutes taker: Heidi Marshall
June 10, 2024, minutes taker: Shelby Strommer

Deadlines:
Tonia, Patti, Shelby will have slides for heavy metals webinar done by Friday, April 26.