NARRATIVE REPORT
This report covers preservation activities performed in the Center for Book Preservation and the Libraries through the period of June 30, 1998. Collection conservation continued to be the primary focus of the University Libraries' preservation program with technicians and student assistants providing routine treatment to the Libraries' circulating collections through book repair and rebinding and the reformatting of brittle books through preservation photocopying. State aid was used to fund the technician's salaries as well as wages of student assistants. Likewise the purchase of supplies needed for conservation treatment and preservation photocopy activities were funded with state aid.
The 1997/98 year saw improved services to the library units most notably -shorter processing times, progress in several reformatting projects in the University Archives and the Law and Music Libraries, the completion and continued progress in several rehousing projects, the photocopying of larger format materials, particularly music scores and enhanced services in exhibit preparation and mounting.
Identification of damaged books continued to be done at unit libraries through the circulation process while brittle book review and reformatting decisions continued to be done by subject bibliographers. Although procedural changes caused by the creation of the Access Services unit are being refined, generally the systems are functioning smoothly. Two procedures which have improved efficiencies and cooperation between the Collection Development and Preservation Offices are more thorough bibliographic searching of multi-volume sets queued for preservation photocopying and streamlined procedures for obtaining missing pages stolen from periodicals and books. With regard to processing books for which replacement pages need to be photocopied and tipped in, the Center implemented the system of assigning job ticket numbers and logging materials in BISON. This system is an extension of tracking brittle books in the Libraries on-line system. Since replacement pages move through several different workflows the ability to locate items quickly is important. As a result of increased special collections materials being processed, a manual log-in system was created to record the receipt and completed processing dates of items which because of their nature are not individually barcoded and catalogued. This system is successful and has again reduced the number of inquiries for items.
With the cooperation of the Collection Development bibliographers, all multi-volume sets in the photocopying backlog were reviewed to assure completeness of title and holdings, to eliminate duplicate volumes and to queue for microfilming if photocopying is an inappropriate reformatting option. Also in 1997, the Center completed the task of reconciling the list of materials charged to the department for more than one year against the actual holdings. Because many had been returned to the stacks without BISON records being cleared, the department initiated new procedures for logging and discharging all books. This change improved customer service and reduced the number of false recalls for items.
In September 1997, student assistants employed at the Center received the minimum wage increase mandated by the federal government in addition to an increase in the hourly wage rate. This resulted from problems recruiting student assistants due to more competitive wages in other campus departments as well as off campus employment opportunities. As a result, student staffing has stabilized. In June 1997, Ms. Chris Ritecz, technicians left the department, after working several months on a part-time basis, to return to Texas where she previously held positions in the book publishing industry. Her departure was off set by hiring additional student assistants to continue the significant progress made in providing better "on time" results to the library units. Her position was later filled by Ms. Judith Jungels who joined the Center for Book Preservation as a full time technician. Ms. Jungels previously worked as an exhibit preparer at the Buffalo and Erie County Historical Society. In addition to her skills as an artist and experience in conservation, her expertise in mounting exhibits has been an asset to the Center. As a result, the department has enhanced its exhibition preparation services and during the year assisted in mounting three major exhibits. During September-October 1997, the University Archives presented -My Dear Mr. Wright: Manuscripts, Photographs and Architectural Works from the Frank Lloyd Wright-Darwin D. Martin Collection". In celebration of Black History Month, the Music Library presented "African Influences on Musics of the Americas". Because of the enhanced services of the Preservation Dept., musical instruments, such as West African drums, Shaker baskets, a Cuban hoe blade and the kora, were able to be mounted and thus enhanced the well received and attended exhibit. Three musical performances within the Libraries were also part of the celebration. A special exhibition of Women's History Collection "Since Seneca Falls: Documenting the Experience of Women in the Niagara Frontier' was presented by the University Archives in March 1998.
Progress was made in several rehousing projects as well as reformatting projects in the Archives. As a repository of the records of the Ecumenical Task Force of the Niagara Frontier relating to the Love Canal and the other hazardous waste issues for Western New York in the period of 1979-1990, Archives staff continued to organize and catalog much of the correspondences, reports, photographs and other materials documenting the issue of hazardous waste. A sizable subset of the collection is the newspaper clippings file of the Love Canal. Since the clippings needed to be photocopied onto the acid free paper, student assistants were hired to prepare the materials. Activities included providing source citations, arranging the articles in chronological order, and trimming and affixing the clippings to fit standard photocopy paper size. Reformatting the clippings files continues to progress. This project provided the opportunity to experiment with flex-time scheduling to utilize the Xerox DocuTech during evening hours. In addition to reformatting, the 300,000 page collection is being refolded as finding aids are being produced by Archives staff. State aid was used to purchase folders and document boxes for this collection and to support the photocopying project through the purchase of supplies and paper.
Another important recent acquisition of the Archives, the photographs of the Darwin D. Martin and James Foster families (the Martin family was architect Frank Lloyd Wright connection to Buffalo) were preserved during 1998. Approximately 966 study and archival prints were made of the collection which documents the design of Frank Lloyd Wright. In addition 21 negatives and prints of the Darwin Martin house complex in Buffalo and the Graycliff summer residence south of Buffalo in Derby, New York were made by the UB Art and Photographic Services Department. Both residences were designed by Frank Lloyd Wright and complement the strong collection of his works in the University Archives. State aid was used to fund this service.
The University at Buffalo Law Library maintains the most complete set of the title Buffalo Law journal in the region and during the fall of 1997 successfully obtained permission from the publisher to microfilm the retrospective holdings of the newspaper. The Center contracted Preservation Resources in Bethlehem, PA. to microfilm the title and planned to film a portion of the volumes each year until completed. However, through a budget modification, additional volumes were filmed. Funds initially earmarked for personnel could not be expended due to unanticipated reasons causing the lack of approval for the new SL-2 conservation technician position within the grant period. Remaining funds earmarked for the position were used to hire additional student assistants to work on various pre-housing projects throughout the Libraries.
The Science and Engineering Library completed the reorganization, shifting and cleaning of the periodical and serials collection. In the Map Room, the thematic maps were placed into map stock folders, labeled, and screened for repair. This section completes the major rehousing of the collection - smaller areas of topographic maps are being processes this summer. State aid was used to fund student assistants and also purchase folders.
The Music Library, well known for its collection of avant garde scores, continued to work on the archives of the famous American composer, Lejaren Hiller, who perhaps is best known as the inventor of computer music. Also during the year, the archives of Yvar Mikhashoff, an internationally known performer and arranger, continued to be processed. During the year, preservation staff constructed wrappers, portfolios, and envelopes for many of the non-traditional size scores. In addition, many scores were photocopied and pamphlet bound in-house. State aid was used to purchase barrier board for portfolios as well as oversized spine wrap pamphlet binders and various acid free envelopes and document boxes. In addition, preservation enclosures were constructed for the Music Library's Treasure Room Collection. The Music Library's extensive poster collection was also rehoused and state aid was used to purchase mylar poster envelopes and fund the temporary services of student assistants.
Progress continued to be made in processing the backlog of brittle books and staff worked diligently to incorporate reformatting projects into the routine work flow. Experimentation using non-standard paper sizes to accommodate music scores proved satisfactory and will continue. Also the goal of coordinating the flow of incoming materials to a more predictable pattern is in progress. In the fall of 1997, Ms. Nan Sansone left her position as manager of the brittle books/photocopy program due to her husband's acceptance of a new job in Cincinnati, Ohio. Because of the increased need for reformatting services within the Libraries, her position was upgraded from part-time to full-time status. While the Xerox DT continues to be the exclusively used for reformatting library brittle books, the Savin copier is used for the photocopying of replacement pages which are tipped in by staff or the book is commercially rebound. State funds were used to for the purchase of copier supplies, paper, maintenance contract which was transferred over to Town and Country Office Systems of Cheektowaga a, NY.
In May 1998, approximately 40 library staff, from library directors to circulation clerks, attended the one day workshop "Disaster Preparedness for Libraries" presented by Ms. Karen Brown of the Northeast Document Conservation Center. Topics included risk evaluation, elements of a plan, prevention and planning action including priorities and various salvage methods. An outline of her program is appended to this report. In addition to her very informative presentation, she distributed a packet of informational hand outs ranging from an inspections checklist, disaster recovery teams to drying wet books, records and photographs. The Libraries are currently updating emergency plans and her presentation was an effective way to introduce new staff and returning veteran staff of the importance of emergency preparedness.
State aid continues to support the collection conservation program with the purchase of all supplies needed to repair books at the Center, rehouse collections throughout the University Libraries, and reformat through preservation photocopying and microfilming of materials.
The continued emphasis on collection conservation during 1997/98 by the University Libraries' Preservation Program is consistent with its five year preservation plan which likewise focuses on treatment of the general collections and the reformatting of brittle books. State aid continues to be used to support preservation staff and project activities at the Center for Book Preservation.
August 28, 1998
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