British Library Preservation Advisory Centre Explained

The British Library Preservation Advisory Centre was established as the National Preservation Office by the British Library Board in 1984,^[1] and was renamed to the British Library Preservation Advisory Centre in 2009.

During its existence it raised public awareness of preservation issues in libraries and served as a nexus for developing and promoting improved preservation management of library and archive materials in the UK and Ireland.^[2]

The centre closed on 31 March 2014, and all publications and resources were transferred to the British Library Collection Care webpages. ^[3]

Purpose and activities

The Centre aimed to create a strategic policy for preserving current library collections, and addressed issues arising as digital collections evolved.^[4]

Its work was focused on practical results:

• To assist cultural heritage agencies and organizations develop strategies for the preservation of cultural heritage assets in museums, libraries and archives, including the further development of the "Preservation Assessment Survey" (PAS)^[5] and training in the use of the PAS tools
• To provide print and web-based information services for individuals and organizations, especially for collections throughout the United Kingdom and Ireland.
• To provide training in preservation management for individuals and organizations including relevant training in the following areas: introduction to preservation management; disaster management; environmental control and monitoring.^[6]

The need for national entities like the Centre had been documented in surveys conducted by the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) Section on Preservation & Conservation and by the Ligue Internationale des Bibliothèques Européennes de Recherches. Other than the United Kingdom, at least seven other countries have set up a similar entity, including Canada and New Zealand.^[7]

The Centre published an annual digest and report.^[8]

See also

• Digital Preservation Coalition
• Consortium of Research Libraries in the British Isles
• Ronald Milne
• National Digital Information Infrastructure and Preservation Program of the Library of Congress (NDIIPP)

References

• Beagrie, N. and D. Greenstein. (1998) "A Strategic Policy Framework for Creating and Preserving Digital Collections." British Library Research and Innovation Report 107. London: British Library.
• Bennett, J.C. (1997) "A Framework of Data Types and Formats, and Issues Affecting the Long Term Preservation of Digital Material." British Library Research and Innovation Report 50. London: British Library.
• Clements. (1986). "The National Preservation Office in the British Library," IFLA Journal (International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions). 12:25-32.
• Feeney, Mary, ed. (1999). Digital Culture: Maximizing the Nation's Investment. London: National Preservation Office, The British Library.
• Haynes, D., D. Streatfield, T. Jowett., and M. Blake. (1997). "Responsibility for Digital Archiving and Long-term Access to Digital Data." British Library Research and Innovation Report 67. The British Library, London: United Kingdom.
• Hendley. T. (1998). "Comparison of Methods and Costs of Digital Preservation." British Library Research and Innovation Report 106. London: United Kingdom.
• Matthews, G., A. Poulter, and E. Blagg. "Preservation of Digital Materials Policy and Strategy Issues for the UK." British Library Research and Innovation Report 41. London: United Kingdom. 1997.
• Ross, S. and A. Gow. (1999). "Digital Archaeology: The Recovery of Digital Materials at Risk." British Library Research and Innovation Report 108. London: United Kingdom. 1999.
• Stephens, David O. "Digital preservation in the United Kingdom," Information Management Journal, October 2000.

External links

• Preservation Advisory Centre
• leaflets

Notes and References

1. http://www.oclc.org/news/events/presentations/2001/preservation/marshall.htm Marshall, Vanessa. "Collection Care in Libraries Today,"
2. http://www.bl.uk/blpac/about.html About Preservation Advisory Centre
3. Web site: British Library Preservation Advisory Centre. https://www.webarchive.org.uk/wayback/archive/20140417155143/http://www.bl.uk/blpac/. dead. 17 April 2014. 18 April 2014. UK Web Archive. 4 April 2019.
4. Beagrie, N. et al. (1998) "A Strategic Policy Framework for Creating and Preserving Digital Collections." British Library Research and Innovation Report 107.
5. http://www.bl.uk/blpac/paslib.html PAS overview
6. http://www.bl.uk/services/npo/aboutkey.html goals & objectives
7. http://www.ifla.org/IV/ifla63/63foom.htm Foot, Mirjam. (1997) "Paper: Towards a National Preservation Policy,"
8. http://www.bl.uk/services/npo/publicationsnpo.html NPO/PAS reports