ACRL News Issue (B) of College & Research Libraries 72 / C&RL News ■ January 2001 P r e s e r v a t i o n N e w s Jane Hedberg N ISO sta n d a rd s o n lin e The National Information Standards organi­ zation, NISO, has mounted its standards and technical reports as pdf files on a Techstreet Web site. Two important preservation stan­ dards are included among those free docu­ ments, P erm a n en ce o f P a p er f o r P ublication s a n d D ocu m en ts in L ibraries a n d A rchives (ANSI/NISO Z39.48-1992, R1997) and Envi­ ron m en tal G uidelines f o r the Storage o f P a ­ p e r R ecords (MSO TROl-1995). NISO will con­ tinue to print and sell paper copies of these standards. It is also possible to search and order standards produced by other organiza­ tions (ISO, ASTM, IEEE), although their pdf versions are not free. The URL for the NISO Web site is http://www.niso.org, click on NISO Press, then Standards, Books and Software or go directly to the Techstreet page at http://www. techstreet.com/list_niso_stds.tmpl. D u ra B o o k s a ll w e t Charles Melcher of Melcher Media has a patent pending on a special binding process called DuraBook. It looks like an ordinaiy paperback binding, but the page composi­ tion and leaf-attachment are very unusual. The pages are made o f extruded plastic stretched into fibers that are coated with plas­ tic resins and inorganic fillers, then treated with special chemicals. This creates a very strong substance with a smooth surface for clear, sharp printing. To become a book, this plastic “paper” requires a special adhesive binding process that bonds chemically with the pages. This process is about 25% more expensive than conventional paperback pro­ duction costs, but it results in a completely water-proof book. The first titles published using this process were intended for reading in the bath and have been commercially suc­ cessful. Several publishers are now planning other types of books, including paper boat cut-outs that won’t sink, road atlases, field guides, and children’s books. For more information, see “Splish, Splash, Take a Book to the Bath,” P ublishers Weekly, October 23, 2000, p. 39. B ritis h d ig it a l h a n d b o o k The Library Association has published Digi­ tal Im aging: A P ra ctica l H an d b ook, by Stuart Lee. This 208-page book is an introductory guide to undertaking a digital imaging project. It includes chapters that cover introductory concepts, collection assessment, digitization, metadata and delivery, archiving and preser­ vation, and project management. The book attempts to answer three essential questions: What is digitization? Why digitize? and What are the factors that determine digital image quality? Lee is the Head of the Centre for Humanities Computing of Oxford University Computing Services. The book is available in the United States for $55 00 (hardcover) through Neil-Schuman Publishers; ISBN: 1-55570-405-0. It is also available from England for £24.95 (softcover) from Bookpoint Ltd, Mail Order Department, 39 Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon, OX14 4TD, England; ISBN: 1-85604-353-3, phone: 01235 400 4 0 0 ; fax : 0 1 2 3 5 40 0 4 5 4 ; e-m ail: ordersObookpoint, co.uk. CA M D o n lin e The Conservation and Art Materials Dictio­ nary (CAMD) is accessible for consultation and review on the Web. Developed by Michele Derrick at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, the dictionary has nearly 10,000 entries describing the materials used in the production or preservation of artistic, archi­ tectural, or archaeological objects. The en­ tries cover a broad range of material types, including pigments, minerals, binders, coat­ ings, adhesives, fibers, dyes, surfactants, sol­ vents, reagents, woods, alloys, corrosion in­ hibitors, pollutants, and pest control agents. CAMD welcomes additions and corrections and all users of the site are encouraged to become reviewers of the content. The URL for CAMD is http://www.mfa.org/ conservation/. ■ Jane Hedberg is preservation program officer at Harvard University, e-mail: jane_hedberg@harvard.edu; fax: (617) 496-8344 http://www.niso.org http://www http://www.mfa.org/ mailto:jane_hedberg@harvard.edu 2Ist Century Medicine Evolving to meet and help shape the changing contours o f current practice, H arrisons sets the standard for the new m illennium . • Even MORE treatment than before • New! Clinical Guidelines added throughout • New! Eye-catching icons highlight Genetic Considerations Available from your S ingle Vol: 0 -0 7 -0 0 7 2 7 2 -8 $125 2-V ol Set: 0 -0 7 -9 1 3 6 8 6 -9 $149 local distributor OR CALL TOLL-FREE 1 -8 0 0 -2 6 2 -4 7 2 9 FAX: 1 -2 1 2 -9 0 4 -6 0 3 0 (24 HOUR SERVICE) Available February 2 0 0 1 !