april08c.indd


Jane Hedberg P r e s e r v a t i o n  N e w s  

Conservation methodology 
Barbara Appelbaum has written Conserva­
tion Treatment Methodology, a 468­page 
book that explores how to make decisions 
about conservation treatments. It provides 
a systematic approach for evaluating the 
physical and cultural aspects of objects, spe­
cific examples of evaluations, and a termi­
nology to facilitate communication between 
conservators and nonconservators. 

Appelbaum proposes characterizing an 
object using a four­part grid. Material aspects 
and nonmaterial aspects are on the hori­
zontal axis and object­specific and nonob­
ject­specific information are on the vertical 
axis. Information obtained by physical and 
scientific examination goes in quadrant I, 
information about material properties and 
deterioration goes in quadrant II, informa­
tion about the history, value and future of 
the object goes in quadrant III, and informa­
tion about artistic or historical context goes 
in quadrant IV. This rigorous characterization 
allows formulation of a realistic goal for 
treatment and appropriate choice of materi­
als and methods. 

The book costs $32.95. Published by 
Elsevier, it is available from booksellers. 
ISBN­13: 978­0­7506­8274­9. 

Digital preservation 
“The Preservation of Digital Materials” by 
Priscilla Caplan is the February/March 2008 
issue of Library Technology Reports (v.44: 
no.2). This issue provides an introduction to 
and overview of digital preservation for the 
nonspecialist. It explains defi nitions, goals 
and strategies, practices, foundations and 
standards, digital formats, repository appli­
cations (e.g., DSpace, Fedora, and EPrints), 
and unique projects (e.g., electronic journals 
and web harvesting). It also reviews initia­

Jane Hedberg is preservation program offi  cer at Harvard 
University Library, e-mail: jane_hedberg@harvard.edu; 
fax: (617) 496-8344 

tives such as the National Digital Informa­
tion Infrastructure and Preservation Program 
(NDIIPP) at the Library of Congress, the 
Digital Preservation Coalition and Digital 
Curation Centre in the U.K., and Digital Pres­
ervation Europe, PLANETS, and CASPAR in 
Europe. Caplan is the Assistant Director for 
Digital Library Services at the Florida Center 
for Library Automation. 

This single issue costs $42 and is avail­
able from the ALA TechSource Online 
Bookstore, www.techsource.ala.org/ltr/the 
­preservation­of­digital­materials.html. Item 
number: TS4402. 

Audio and video 
Dietrich Schüller of the Austrian Academy 
of Sciences has prepared “Audio and Video 
Carriers,” a full­text document based on a 
slide show presentation. The slide show 
was used by Schüller and Albrecht Häfner 
in training workshops organized for the 
European Union Commission Project, Train­
ing for Audiovisual Preservation in Europe 
(TAPE). 

Part 1 of the new 19­page document offers 
a broad overview of the nature of mechanical, 
magnetic and optical carriers of information. 
For each format, it covers the recording 
principle, composition of carriers, stability 
of components, and risk of deterioration 
during replay. 

Part 2 provides information about how 
environmental conditions, handling, and stor­
age can put these materials at risk. 

Part 3 reviews equipment maintenance 
and contains a chart rating 31 formats and 
their related equipment for obsolescence. 
Lastly, Schüller argues that all audiovisual 
processes are prone to deterioration and 
obsolescence, so preservation in this context 
requires conversion to a digital format and a 
succession of migrations to new carriers. 

This document is available as a free PDF 
at www.tape­online.net/docs/audio_and_ 
video_carriers.pdf. 

April 2008  231 C&RL News 

www.tape-online.net/docs/audio_and
www.techsource.ala.org/ltr/the
mailto:jane_hedberg@harvard.edu