The work of the National Preservation Office
(NPO) was recognised at the awards ceremony for the Conservation
Awards 2007 held at the British Museum on 27 September 2007 with
the NPO being shortlisted for the Collections Care Award.
Dame Liz Forgan, Chair of the Judges said:
- The National Preservation Office's survey
of preservation needs was variously described by my fellow judges
as fantastic value for money, a springboard
for action and the place where everyone should
start.
- It provides an exemplar of perhaps unglamorous
but utterly essential data-gathering and analysis for the library
and archives sector and beyond. We cannot commend it too highly
and would like to see a similar approach adopted by all concerned
with preservation of the heritage.
- The NPO is to be congratulated on producing an authoritative
report that sets the direction for future strategies both nationally
and locally.
Library and archive material is at risk from
problems such as brittle paper, pests and mould, and the risks of
fire and flood. Poor or fluctuating environmental conditions can
cause paper and leather to deteriorate rapidly. But without proper
assessment, it is difficult to know which are the most pressing
issues, both in individual collections and across the country. This
assessment has now been achieved, thanks to a programme of preservation
surveys managed by the National Preservation office (NPO) in a large
number of UK libraries and archives. Over the past five years, the
NPO has been collecting data from libraries and archives throughout
the UK. We use a standard survey method, the Preservation Assessment
Survey, to look at the condition of collections, and how well they
are managed. The data from 97 surveys, representing over 28 million
items, has now been analysed to create a national picture. This
is the first large-scale national survey of its kind undertaken,
and provides a firm evidence base for targeted action. The survey
results were published in February 2006.
Knowing
the need summarises the preservation needs of the UK's libraries
and archives. It provides firm evidence that action is needed in
key areas. We need to improve environmental monitoring and control,
storage and packaging. We need to plan for emergencies and disasters.
We need to stabilise and conserve deteriorating material, especially
bookbinding's. We need to address the needs of poor quality nineteenth
and twentieth century paper. We need to make sure that there is
a skilled workforce in both in preservation and conservation. The
NPO now targets its services towards the key action areas we have
identified, and provides advocacy for the support of collections.
Many of the libraries and archives which have taken part in these
surveys have used their own results for local improvements and to
obtain funding for the care of their collections.
Durham University Library picked up the Collections Care Award.
The project, with funding from the Museums Libraries and Archives
Council (MLA) North East, helped 50 organisations across the region
equip themselves with the know-how to preserve vital documents,
books and manuscripts in buildings ranging from a castle tower to
an industrial unit. More details can be found in the Awards Dispatch
Newsletter which can be downloaded free of charge from the Conservation
Awards website .
