Sh En Ton

CONSERVATION RESEARCH AT THE BRITISH LIBRARY HELEN SHENTON Head of Collection Care, British Library AHRC CCLRC Conference 28 November 2006 Tate Modern, London

CONSERVATION RESEARCH

BRITISH LIBRARY BL Centre for Conservation opening spring 2007 LIBRARIES AND ARCHIVES Scale and characteristics APPLIED CONSERVATION RESEARCH Earliest New Testament to web sites UNANSWERED QUESTIONS & OPPORTUNITIES DNA, Robots

BRITISH LIBRARY PORTICO EUSTON ROAD

BRITISH LIBRARY ENTRANCE HALL

BRITISH LIBRARY KING’S LIBRARY TOWER

BRITISH LIBRARY EXHIBITION GALLERIES

BRITISH LIBRARY HUMANITIES READING ROOM

THE DIAMOND SUTRA The earliest dated printed book

2. CHARACTERISTICS OF LIBRARIES & ARCHIVES SCALE OF COLLECTIONS „ 12,000 libraries in UK „ 2,362 archives in UK

TYPE OF COLLECTIONS „ traditional „ largely organic „ paper, parchment, papyrus, leather „

electronic „ increasingly digital „ risk of total loss

From INDUSTRIAL AGE To INFORMATION AGE Now S from PEOPLE OF THE BOOK to PEOPLE OF THE SCREEN T New York Times Magazine, May 2006

TYPES OF DIGITAL MATERIAL AT BL „

e-journals

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web sites

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electronic legal deposit

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e-literature e-manuscripts

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digital newspapers

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e-books

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digitised masters

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born digital audio

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digital maps

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databases

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e-theses grey literature

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blogs, wikis

3. BRITISH LIBRARY CONSERVATION RESEARCH BL CENTRE FOR CONSERVATION OPENING 2007 „ Book conservation and sound studios „

Public access „ behind the scene tours „ visitor display „ demonstrations, workshops

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Training and development „ internships „ Foundation Degree

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Applied Conservation Research

SITE OF THE NEW CENTRE FOR CONSERVATION

BL CONSERVATION RESEARCH DISTRIBUTED Bloomsbury campus National and international institutions COLLABORATIVE Link to INFOSAVE, SurveNIR, PaperTreat Network including industry eg papermaking AHRC Academic Analogue status APPLIED Adaptive Applied Conservation Research Framework for UK Libraries and Archives

APPLIED CONSERVATION RESEARCH 2004 FRAMEWORK FOR UK LIBRARIES AND ARCHIVES

Life cycle prediction, natural ageing Effects of storage environment Non-destructive damage assessment www.bl.uk/about/collectioncare/pdf/futurelife.pdf

BL-LED MELLON-FUNDED PROJECTS 2006-9 PROJECT 1 The Condition of Identical Books in Different NationallySignificant Libraries 2006-2008 BL and five copyright libraries PROJECT 2 The Emission of Volatile Organic Compounds by Books & Paper 2007-2009 BL, five copyright libraries, national archives

CODEX SINAITICUS The earliest New Testament

CODEX SINAITICUS Scribal Features - MuSiS System „

Multi Spectral Imaging System

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Enables viewing in user definable bands between 370nm and 1550nm

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Useful for examining over-writings, erasures and substitutions of text

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Distinguishing different inks

CODEX SINAITICUS Scribal Features - MuSiS System „

Multi Spectral Imaging System

„

Enables viewing in user definable bands between 370nm and 1550nm

„

Useful for examining over-writings, erasures and substitutions of text

„

Distinguishing different inks

E-PRESERVATION AND E-RESEARCH

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Founding member Digital Preservation Coalition

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Digital Object Management Programme

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EU-funded PLANETS

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JISC-funded LIFE

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Microsoft TC45

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UK Web archiving consortium

WEB ARCHIVING „

Future study of now

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Comprehensive

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Selective

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National Library of Australia 2000 Olympics

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46,000 blogs for National Trust’s One Day in History

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www.webarchive.org.uk

WEB ARCHIVING

CAPM PROJECT JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY, BALTIMORE

THANK YOU

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