Service design is a holistic, co-creative, and user-centered approach to understanding user behavior for creating or refining services. Use this LITA Guide to help as a toolkit for implementing service design studies and projects at all types of libraries. It begins with directions for how to create a service design team and assembling a user working group for your library and move through the various phases in a service design journey. The authors outline the tools required to gain insights into user behavior and expectation and how to diagnose the difference between a symptom and a problem users face when interacting within the library environment. The guide features a series of examples that the service design team can use to learn how to work with library staff and patrons to find out what current user experience is like and how to refine services to better meet user expectations. Learn how to: *create service blueprints - to outline the service delivery model and understand pain points and places where services can be refined *create customer journey maps - to better understand the actual paths taken by users to fulfill a service. *find the right tool for the situation so you can make an informed decision on usage *create an ethnographic program of your own tailored to your library environment *understand how assessment and post-implementation is key to any project's success *create a service design plan that fits your library and patronage This book is a toolkit, not a step-by-step, paint-by-the-numbers book. It is geared towards libraries of all types and sizes and will provide tools that any library can use and ideas for developing a service design project that fits within the means of your library so that your project will be meaningful, useful, and sustainable. While several books have been written on how to implement service design, this book will be the first to explain how to practice service design in libraries.

Here is a comprehensive, authoritative introduction to the elements of day-to-day operations of local government archives, with special emphasis on best practices and practical solutions and strategies for establishing and improving such things as storage, environmental control, staffing, and intellectual control. It includes a chapter on general consideration for preservation of electronic archival records. Local government records are the records that most directly touch the lives of U. S. residents: deeds and property records, marriage licenses, school transcripts, law suits, and more, yet these records are often the most neglected records in the country. This guide is designed to appeal both to trained archivists as well as to those without formal training but find they are dealing with the administration of an archives program in a municipality, county, parish, township or borough, or a quasi-governmental entity such as a water district or a regional transportation authority. Managing Local Government Archives describes and prescribes the essential elements and best practices of a local government archives program. It is intended to be both a text for classroom instruction and a self-help tool for both professional and paraprofessional archivists. It is also intended to be helpful to local governments considering the planning and implementation of a formal archives program. Coverage encompasses the various domains of archival enterprise as practiced in a local government setting: *acquisition, *appraisal, *arrangement and description, *preservation, *access, *relationship to the records management profession, and *other topics.

Here is a concise guide to the nuts and bolts of converting flat media (books, papers, maps, posters, slides, micro formats, etc) into digital files. It provides librarians and archivists with the practical knowledge to understand the process and decision making in the digitization of flat media. Instead of having to learn by trial and error, they will get a well-rounded education of the practical aspects of digitization and have a better understanding of their options. This is the stuff they don't teach you in school. People can be lured into thinking that all it takes to digitize something is a scanner and some metadata. This guide illustrates the practical aspects of digitization such as: *the physical challenges of scanning books without cutting the spine, *the differences between a "scanner" that uses a scanning head vs a "scanner" that uses a camera, *the different options for workflow for digitized items, and *the reasons for choosing one scanner over another for reasons other than price. Digitizing Flat Media: Principles and Practices is intended to give librarians and archivists the benefit a seasoned digitization professional guiding them and helping them figure out exactly what needs to be done when.

Here is a concise guide to the nuts and bolts of converting flat media (books, papers, maps, posters, slides, micro formats, etc) into digital files. It provides librarians and archivists with the practical knowledge to understand the process and decision making in the digitization of flat media. Instead of having to learn by trial and error, they will get a well-rounded education of the practical aspects of digitization and have a better understanding of their options. This is the stuff they don't teach you in school. People can be lured into thinking that all it takes to digitize something is a scanner and some metadata. This guide illustrates the practical aspects of digitization such as: *the physical challenges of scanning books without cutting the spine, *the differences between a "scanner" that uses a scanning head vs a "scanner" that uses a camera, *the different options for workflow for digitized items, and *the reasons for choosing one scanner over another for reasons other than price. Digitizing Flat Media: Principles and Practices is intended to give librarians and archivists the benefit a seasoned digitization professional guiding them and helping them figure out exactly what needs to be done when.

Like most of Wolfgang Ernst's work, Das Rumoren der Archiv explored the concept of archival and media theory from a current cultural digital context. Ernst challenges the traditional perspective of the cultural heritage institution and how it relied on media for creating, storing and disseminating digital information. Archives have a place in a digital society, and the archivist's role will be more increasingly vital in the future. As Ernst points out, his work will show a way out of the archive, away from the notion that the era of archive is coming to an end. Here is the long-awaited English translation of this seminal work exploring cultural heritage before the archives, throughout history, and from today into the future. Ernst work emphasized a need to recognize media as a method for capturing and preserving our collective cultural identity. It is vital that archivists promoted a greater awareness of how media technology augmented the creation, management, and dissemination of digital content.

This open access book offers a comprehensive overview of the role and potential of microorganisms in the degradation and preservation of cultural materials (e.g. stone, metals, graphic documents, textiles, paintings, glass, etc.). Microorganisms are a major cause of deterioration in cultural artefacts, both in the case of outdoor monuments and archaeological finds. This book covers the microorganisms involved in biodeterioration and control methods used to reduce their impact on cultural artefacts. Additionally, the reader will learn more about how microorganisms can be used for the preservation and protection of cultural artefacts through bio-based and eco-friendly materials. New avenues for developing methods and materials for the conservation of cultural artefacts are discussed, together with concrete advances in terms of sustainability, effectiveness and toxicity, making the book essential reading for anyone interested in microbiology and the preservation of cultural heritage.

Digital technologies have transformed archives in every area of their form and function, and as technologies mature so does their capacity to change our understanding and experience of material and performative cultural production. There has been an exponential explosion in the production and consumption of video online and yet there is a scarcity of knowledge and cases about video and the digital archive. This book seeks to address that through the lens of the project Circus Oz Living Archive. This project provides the case study foundation for the articulation of the issues, challenges and possibilities that the design and development of digital archives afford. Drawn from eight different disciplines and professions, the authors explore what it means to embrace the possibilities of digital technologies to transform contemporary cultural institutions and their archives into new methods of performance, representation and history.

Archives and special collections departments have a long history of preserving and providing long-term access to organizational records, rare books, and other unique primary sources including manuscripts, photographs, recordings, and artifacts in various formats. The careful curatorial attention to such records has also ensured that such records remain available to researchers and the public as sources of knowledge, memory, and identity. Digital curation presents an important framework for the continued preservation of digitized and born-digital collections, given the ephemeral and device-dependent nature of digital content. With the emergence of analog and digital media formats in close succession (compared to earlier paper- and film-based formats) came new standards, technologies, methods, documentation, and workflows to ensure safe storage and access to content and associated metadata. Researchers in the digital humanities have extensively applied computing to research; for them, continued access to primary data and cultural heritage means both the continuation of humanities scholarship and new methodologies not possible without digital technology. Digital Curation in the Digital Humanities, therefore, comprises a joint framework for preserving, promoting, and accessing digital collections. This book explores at great length the conceptualization of digital curation projects with interdisciplinary approaches that combine the digital humanities and history, information architecture, social networking, and other themes for such a framework. The individual chapters focus on the specifics of each area, but the relationships holding the knowledge architecture and the digital curation lifecycle model together remain an overarching theme throughout the book; thus, each chapter connects to others on a conceptual, theoretical, or practical level.

The museum today faces complex questions of definition, representation, ethics, aspiration and economic survival. Alongside this we see burgeoning use of an array of new media including increasingly dynamic web portals and content, digital archives, social networks, blogs and online games. At the heart of this are changes to the idea of 'visitor' and 'audience' and their participation and representation in the new cultural sphere. This insightful book unpacks a number of contradictions that help to frame and articulate digital media work in the museum and questions what constitutes authentic participation. Based on original empirical research and a range of case studies the author explores questions about the museum as media from a number of different disciplines and shows that across museums and the study of them, the cultural logic is changing.

Fluid preservation refers to specimens and objects that are preserved in fluids, most commonly alcohol and formaldehyde, but also glycerin, mineral oil, acids, glycols, and a host of other chemicals that protect the specimen from deterioration. Some of the oldest natural history specimens in the world are preserved in fluid. Despite the fact that fluid preservation has been practiced for more than 350 years, this is the only handbook that summarize all that is known about this complex and often confusing topic. Fluid Preservation: A Comprehensive Reference covers the history and techniques of fluid preservation and how to care for fluid preserved specimens in collections. *More than 900 references on fluid preservation were reviewed for this project. *An historical survey of preservative recipes provides for guidance for museums with older collections (many fluid preservatives contain hazardous chemicals). *Current standards and best practices for collection care and management are presented. *Current and controversial topics (e.g., the preservation of DNA, alternatives to alcohol and formaldehyde) are discussed and fully referenced. *Health and safety issues involved with caring for fluid preserved collections are discussed. *The final chapter addresses fluid preserved specimens as cultural products and their use in art, literature, film, and song. Although most fluid-preserved specimens are found in natural history and medical museums, it is not at all uncommon to find them in art museums, history museums, and science centers. In addition to animals, plants, and anatomical specimens, fluid preserved collections include some minerals and fossils and many other objects. Fluid Preservation is an essential reference for: *Natural history curators *Natural history collections managers *Conservators *Medical and anatomical museum collections managers and curators *Art and history museum staff who have fluid preserved specimens and objects in their care (e.g., works by Damien Hirst) *Private collectors *Researchers using museum collections as sources of DNA, isotopes, etc. *Health and safety professionals *Exhibit planners and designers *Museum facilities planners and managers *People interested in the history of science *People interested in the history of natural history museums *Museum studies students

Preservation encompasses both the prevention of damage and conservation - the physical treatment of damaged objects. Deteriorating books, environmental control, building maintenance, housekeeping and storage, electronic systems, security, and disaster planning and recovery are some of the concerns faced by preservation managers. Consequently, collaboration between collection management, conservators, and scientists is essential to successfully safeguarding materials. The Bibliography of Preservation Literature, 1983-1996, highlights the organizations and other resources that will assist in all aspects of collection preservation; from protective wrappers to magnetic media to acquisition and organization. Professional organizations such as the American Library Association, the Society of American Archivists, the Guild Book Workers, and the Association of Moving Image Archivists are cited. While not shying away from controversial issues, the comprehensive volume addresses the pragmatic concerns of modern collection preservation. Provides access to the best strategies and advice available today in an organized, easily accessible format.

Preservation of historical documents and library related materials is a growing problem in all library types and institutions. Fortunately, editors Carol Smallwood and Elaine Williams have pulled together the wisdom of practicing professionals to elucidate how to cope with the many problems that arise when preserving, managing, and digitizing important collections. Preserving Local Writers, Genealogy, Photographs, Newspapers, and Related Materials contains informative chapters on physical preservation, collection management, cooperation with organizations and communities, various formats, and special projects. Each part covers the preservation of specific materials, from newspapers and scrapbooks to photographs and oral histories. In addition, chapters cover repair and restoration of materials, while taking into consideration the current state of funding for agencies with an interest in history. Contributors also shed light on how the racial, economic, and political dynamics of the past affect how collections are gathered, maintained, and presented today. Preserving Local Writers, Genealogy, Photographs, Newspapers, and Related Materials offers plenty to inspire anyone facing backlogs of unprocessed papers or boxes of artifacts. Stories of the rescue efforts of a group of volunteers, or the discovery of a lost diary, show that the hard work of preservation is well worth it. Libraries, archives, and historical and genealogical societies all have their role to play in preserving important historical materials, as do patrons, sponsors, and volunteers; such institutions and individuals will find this book extremely helpful in their preservation efforts.

The Bloomsbury Handbook to the Digital Humanities reconsiders key debates, methods, possibilities, and failings from across the digital humanities, offering a timely interrogation of the present and future of the arts and humanities in the digital age. Comprising 43 essays from some of the field's leading scholars and practitioners, this comprehensive collection examines, among its many subjects, the emergence and ongoing development of DH, postcolonial digital humanities, feminist digital humanities, race and DH, multilingual digital humanities, media studies as DH, the failings of DH, critical digital humanities, the future of text encoding, cultural analytics, natural language processing, open access and digital publishing, digital cultural heritage, archiving and editing, sustainability, DH pedagogy, labour, artificial intelligence, the cultural economy, and the role of the digital humanities in climate change. The Bloomsbury Handbook to the Digital Humanities: Surveys key contemporary debates within DH, focusing on pressing issues of perspective, methodology, access, capacity, and sustainability. Reconsiders and reimagines the past, present, and future of the digital humanities. Features an intuitive structure which divides topics across five sections: "Perspectives & Polemics", "Methods, Tools & Techniques", "Public Digital Humanities", "Institutional Contexts", and "DH Futures". Comprehensive in scope and accessibility written, this book is essential reading for students, scholars, and practitioners working across the digital humanities and wider arts and humanities. Featuring contributions from pre-eminent scholars and radical thinkers both established and emerging, The Bloomsbury Handbook to the Digital Humanities should long serve as a roadmap through the myriad formulations, methodologies, opportunities, and limitations of DH. Comprehensive in its scope, pithy in style yet forensic in its scholarship, this book is essential reading for students, scholars, and practitioners working across the digital humanities, whatever DH might be, and whatever DH might become.

In-House Bookbinding and Repair is a working document that contains information on setting up both a basic bookbindery and repair lab (i.e. the design, equipment, tools, and supplies needed) and instructions on rebinding and repairing cloth-bound books. Highly illustrated to greater enhance its usefulness, this manual also covers various aspects of book repair and conservation, and contains appendixes on manufacturers and suppliers of materials and products discussed in the text, an extensive Glossary of terms, a separate section on World Wide Web Resources, and a helpful bibliography. This manual will prove valuable to libraries of all sizes and locations. Library managers and administrators will find it a worthwhile resource as they contemplate the utility of an in-house lab. Library staff charged with various aspects of bookbinding and book repair will find the manual to be a practical reference tool. The volume is also designed to be used as a primer for related courses in Library and Information Science Studies programs and may be of interest to individuals interested in private practice.

The preservation of library and archival materials can encompass everything from bookbinding and paper repair to new techniques for maintaining and exploiting digital text, sound or images. Managing Preservation for Libraries and Archives brings together an international team of contributors presenting the latest findings on key areas of preservation and addressing the most common storage and retrieval problems for different types of media. The authors also revisit traditional preservation and conservation approaches and suggest how to develop policies for the future. First summarising historical developments, the book sets out key preservation principles, rationales for selecting materials for preservation, and how to choose the best methods. Different contributors report on state-of-the-art preservation techniques for paper media and sound archives, explain how the appropriate techniques can be applied and how storage and access can best be managed in the long term. Later chapters analyse the benefits and problems of digitising different types of materials; the long-term viability of digital media; issues of access to digital surrogate documents as opposed to the original medium; and the challenges in the digital context of bibliographical control, cataloguing, metadata, distribution and copyright protection. An extensive chapter on international information sources provides signposting to a wealth of guidance on the latest techniques. Managing Preservation for Libraries and Archives will guide readers working in the library, archives, museum and heritage sectors through the choices between digital and traditional preservation techniques, and prepare them for likely future developments in managing both preservation and access.

New technologies are making information more fluid, but what does this mean for information providers? Without a doubt, it means that traditional roles are evolving and that the task of providing information demands greater expertise in exploiting new technologies and navigating their uncharted ebbs and flows of information. The Association for Library Collections & Technical Services (ALCTS), a division of the American Library Association, offers a host of well-integrated and forward-looking services to help you find your way through these changes. It is a leader in the development of principles, standards, and best practices for creating, collecting, organizing, delivering, and preserving information resources in all forms. It offers educational, research, and professional service opportunities. And it is committed to quality information, universal access, collaboration, and lifelong learning.

Fire, flood, earthquake, vandalism, a terrorist attack-the issues of safety measures, emergency response, and disaster recovery have now become an important part of the planning strategies for most organizations. For the information organization, such as a library, archives, or record center, this responsibility has taken on new dimensions with the proliferation of various forms of electronic media. The authors take the approach that disaster recovery planning must touch every department of an organization and that emergency response must be a carefully mapped strategy. This broad-based approach to "integrated disaster planning" explains each phase of disaster planning, with chapters covering prevention planning, protection planning, preparedness planning, response planning, and recovery planning. The authors consider collections, records, facilities, and systems and include a chapter on post-disaster planning as well. The authors also cover federal and local assistance programs and list other sources for financial assistance. Although the main thrust of the book is the protection of documents, human safety in case of disaster is stressed explicitly and implicitly throughout. Indispensible for every information organization.

New in paperback! This book fills a need for a selective bibliography focusing on design that will not only house collections appropriately, but also be comfortable for readers and staff. The books and articles cited here provoke thought about new technologies and materials and will enable information professionals to feel comfortable when they communicate with the various other professionals involved in the actual work of construction or renovation. Contents: Part One: The Design of Libraries and the Preservation of Books-A Summary History. Part Two: A Guide to the Literature, with chapters on planning, design, the interior, the environment, safety, and preservation. Appendixes include case studies, bibliographies of bibliographies and of journals, and a directory of organizations. With index. Cloth version previously published in 1991.

Examines the essential elements of planning a move, and offers practical guidance to ensure minimum disruption to service.
Topics covered include: planning; resources, equipment and furniture, staff, security, safety and insurance. Examines the opportunities for service review and development.

Series Information:
Leicester Readers in Museum Studies

eBook available with sample pages: HB:0415112842

Sponsored by the Museum Education Rountable

Originally published in 1986. Here is a valuable and engaging overview of the cataloging aspects of the United States Newspaper Program, the most extensive and comprehensive original cataloging enterprise undertaken in America. The importance of newspapers for purposes of historical research is obvious. The USNP was a cooperative national effort among the states and the federal government to locate, catalog, and preserve on microfilm newspapers published in the United States from the eighteenth century to the present. Running until 2007, the USNP was an essential program of preserving journalism history as well as records of historical events. This book talks through the cataloging process in Pennsylvania as an example.

Disaster planning might not seem a pressing concern - until disaster strikes. Recent events have reminded us that any collection or service may be at risk, and libraries and archives must have prevention and recovery measures in place. Written by academics and practitioners, drawing on firsthand experience and research worldwide, including Australia, Scandinavia and the USA, Disaster Management for Libraries and Archives reviews and explains the importance and scope of disaster management planning, and what can be done before, during and after incidents. The book begins by explaining how to develop a disaster control plan, outlining the different phases from prevention to recovery, and goes on to provide guidance on risk assessment and management methods which should underpin disaster planning. Individual chapters then focus on fire and flooding, bringing together lessons learned from recent disasters in the UK with case study material including information on prevention systems and reaction and recovery measures. A chapter on cooperative projects in the USA follows, providing examples of how collaborative partnerships and networks can be organized so that help, expertise and resources can be shared to facilitate management of disasters. The effect on people, both employees and users, must never be overlooked; this is the emphasis of the second half of the book. Research on the impact of a major library fire in Sweden forms the basis of the next chapter, which explains how the psychological impact of disasters on both staff and the local community can be managed. The following chapter describes the devastating effects on cultural institutions and their staff of war in Croatia in the early 1990s and extraordinary achievements against the odds. Ways of maintaining immediate, temporary service continuity along with planning for long-term restoration of services are exemplified by a case study of the fire at the Central Library of Norwich. Disaster Management for Libraries and Archives offers advice and insight for managers beginning to work on or reviewing disaster management within their organizations. The accounts of actual events highlight the real-life challenges faced and the effectiveness of appropriate solutions, while the guide to information sources at the end of the book signposts readers to a wealth of other useful material.