Preservation Committee Meeting

PRESERVATION COMMITTEE MEETING MINUTES
February 18, 1999

Present: Alvarez, Carignan, Carrico, Chawla, Hahn, Hellman, Scott.

1. Role Assignments: Carignan distributed a list enumerating the rotation of meeting roles for current Preservation Committee members.

• Recorder - Alvarez
• Facilitator - Hellman
• Timekeeper - Scott

A. Background--priorities of FY99, set by previous year's committee.
Carignan distributed copies of "Preservation Projects by Budget FY99." She reviewed them and explained that, although these priorities are established, there is flexibility in the funding projects.

B. Division of Tasks
Committee members divided the branches, units, and collections whose heads they will interview regarding their preservation needs.

• Alvarez: Archives and Manuscripts, LAB, Literary Manuscripts, Marylandia and Rare Books, NPBA
• Carrico: Architecture, Art, NTL
• Chawla: Chemistry Engineering
• Hahn: McKeldin general & reference collections
• Hayes: Government Documents, Nonprint Media Service
• Hellman: East Asia, Prange
• Scott: Performing Arts Library

C. The Interview and Documentation
Carignan explained the "Preservation Priorities Questionnaire for FY00 Planning" that will be used by committee members to gather information to determine preservation projects to be funded in Fiscal Year 2000. She suggested that meeting with the responsible individual to complete the questionnaire is preferable to simply requesting that it be completed and returned. She will circulate photocopies of questionnaires completed last year for committee members and branch/unit/collection heads to use in preparing this year's priorities. The committee will begin reviewing the completed questionnaires at the March 18 meeting. Committee members were asked to aim for completion by March 10, so that copies of these questionnaires can be circulated to other committee members for their review prior to that meeting.

D. Evaluating the Results
Carignan distributed copies of "Preservation Projects by Budget FY99" enumerating the projects and funds budgeted in Fiscal Year 1999 for Conservation, Microfilming, Deacidification, and Replacement as well as projects to be completed on-site by preservation staff and those of high priority for which outside funding could be sought. She clarified the criteria to be used in evaluating the results of the surveys to be conducted by committee members and answered questions various committee members posed about the projects on the list. Deacidification projects will be considered separately from other projects. Hellman explained that she will be reporting on what projects have actually received funding this year. Hahn cited the PC Advisory Committee's practice of making a mid-year assessment of expenditures to allocate expenditures effectively in phases.

3. Future Meetings: March 18, April 15, May 20, June 17 (third Thursday of each month) from 2:30 to 4 p.m. in the TSD Conference Room. Members will conduct interviews, complete questionnaires, and circulate copies of completed questionnaires to other committee members by March 10, if possible, so that the committee can begin evaluating the possible FY00 preservation projects at the March 18 meeting.

At this point the meeting was adjourned.