Role of International/National Organizations in Digital Preservation

 

Role of International/National Organizations in Digital Preservation

International and national organizations play a crucial role in the development, implementation, and support of digital preservation practices. These entities provide frameworks, standards, resources, and collaboration opportunities to ensure the long-term preservation and accessibility of digital content across various sectors, including libraries, archives, museums, government bodies, and research institutions. Below are the key roles played by these organizations in digital preservation:

1. Developing Standards and Best Practices

International and national organizations develop and promote standards, guidelines, and best practices for digital preservation. These frameworks help institutions maintain consistent and effective approaches to digital preservation across different contexts and disciplines.

International Organizations:

• The International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA): IFLA advocates for the preservation of digital content in libraries and information services worldwide. It develops guidelines, organizes conferences, and publishes reports on digital preservation practices.

• The International Council on Archives (ICA): ICA plays a critical role in shaping policies and standards for the preservation of archives, including digital archives. ICA provides guidance to institutions on managing, preserving, and providing access to digital records.

• The World Digital Library (WDL): Operated by UNESCO and the Library of Congress, WDL promotes international cooperation and provides access to important cultural materials from libraries and archives around the world. WDL works to ensure these digital resources are properly preserved and remain accessible to future generations.

National Organizations:

• The National Digital Stewardship Alliance (NDSA): Based in the United States, NDSA is a group of organizations that work together to ensure the long-term preservation of digital content. The NDSA provides a framework and best practices for managing digital preservation efforts.

• The Digital Preservation Coalition (DPC): Based in the UK, DPC is a leading advocacy group that supports digital preservation in the cultural heritage sector. DPC offers a range of resources, training, and policy frameworks for institutions involved in digital preservation.

• The National Archives (UK/USA): National archives organizations often play a direct role in digital preservation by establishing policies, standards, and repositories for preserving government records, public documents, and cultural heritage materials.

2. Providing Funding and Grants

Many international and national organizations provide financial support to projects that focus on digital preservation. These funds help institutions implement preservation strategies, conduct research, and develop tools to address the challenges of preserving digital content.

International Funding Initiatives:

• The European Union (EU): Through various programs such as Horizon 2020 and Europeana, the EU supports research and development efforts aimed at improving digital preservation techniques and providing access to digitized cultural heritage.

• UNESCO: UNESCO offers funding and technical assistance for digital preservation projects, particularly in developing countries. UNESCO’s Memory of the World program is one example, working to preserve and promote significant cultural and historical resources.

National Funding:

• National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH): In the U.S., the NEH provides funding for projects that involve the preservation of digital resources, particularly those related to the humanities, such as archives, historical records, and rare collections.

• National Archives and Records Administration (NARA): In the U.S., NARA offers funding for the preservation of federal digital records and archives, including grant programs to assist other government agencies and non-government organizations with digital preservation initiatives.

3. Creating Collaborative Platforms

International and national organizations often facilitate collaboration among institutions and professionals involved in digital preservation. These platforms encourage the sharing of knowledge, resources, and expertise, and enable global efforts to address digital preservation challenges.

• The Open Preservation Foundation (OPF): OPF is a global, non-profit organization that promotes the development and adoption of open-source tools and software for digital preservation. It facilitates collaboration among institutions to improve the sustainability of digital preservation systems.

• The Digital Preservation Coalition (DPC): DPC offers a collaborative network for organizations to share information and strategies for addressing challenges in digital preservation, such as access, migration, and security.

• Digital Preservation Europe (DPE): This EU-funded initiative promotes collaboration across the European Union, bringing together researchers, practitioners, and policymakers to develop strategies and tools for long-term digital preservation.

4. Research and Development of Tools and Technologies

International and national organizations often support and fund research in the field of digital preservation. This research results in the development of new technologies, tools, and methods to help institutions better preserve digital content. These tools address challenges such as file format obsolescence, media degradation, and data corruption.

• The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST): NIST, based in the U.S., conducts research into digital preservation standards, storage technologies, and best practices. NIST's work ensures that digital preservation technologies are robust, reliable, and compliant with industry standards.

• The Library of Congress: The Library of Congress provides research and development in the area of digital preservation through its National Digital Information Infrastructure and Preservation Program (NDIIPP). The program works to develop tools for preserving digital content from a wide range of sectors.

• The Digital Preservation Research Network (DPRN): A research initiative that supports the development of advanced technologies and practices in digital preservation, particularly those related to complex digital objects like databases and multimedia files.

5. Setting Policies and Legal Frameworks

International and national organizations work to create policies and legal frameworks to guide the digital preservation process. These policies often address issues such as copyright, intellectual property, and the legal obligations of institutions to preserve digital records.

• UNESCO's Memory of the World Program: UNESCO's program establishes international standards and policies for preserving digital materials of global cultural significance. It promotes the digitization and long-term preservation of materials that are essential for preserving cultural heritage.

• The U.S. Federal Agencies: Federal entities like NARA set legal requirements for the preservation of government digital records. The Federal Records Act and Presidential Records Act provide guidelines for the retention and preservation of digital content produced by U.S. federal agencies.

• The European Union's Directive on Copyright: EU policies, such as the EU Copyright Directive, provide a legal framework for preserving digital content, balancing copyright laws with preservation needs, and ensuring the long-term availability of digital resources.

Conclusion

International and national organizations play an integral role in supporting and advancing digital preservation efforts. They provide vital infrastructure, research, training, standards, and funding, all of which contribute to the sustainability of digital content. Through collaboration and policy development, these organizations ensure that valuable digital resources are preserved for future generations, supporting the global effort to protect and maintain access to our increasingly digital world.

Challenges and Strategies for Preserving Digital Contents

Challenges and Strategies for Preserving Digital Content

Digital preservation is essential for maintaining access to information over time. However, preserving digital content faces several significant challenges due to the nature of digital materials and the rapidly changing technology landscape. To address these challenges, various strategies are employed to ensure long-term accessibility and usability. Below are the primary challenges and corresponding strategies for preserving digital content.

1. Technological Obsolescence

Challenge:

Digital formats, hardware, and software evolve rapidly. Older file formats, operating systems, and storage devices may no longer be compatible with current systems, leading to the loss of access to important digital content. For example, a file created in a legacy format (such as WordPerfect or older video codecs) may not be readable with current software.

Strategies:

Format Migration: Regularly convert digital content to current, widely accepted formats that are likely to be supported for the long term. For instance, migrating text documents to PDF/A, images to TIFF, and videos to modern codecs like H.264.

Emulation: Use emulation techniques to recreate outdated hardware and software environments, allowing access to legacy formats without changing the original files.

Open Standards: Use open, non-proprietary file formats and standards (e.g., PDF/A for documents, TIFF for images) that are less likely to become obsolete. This ensures that digital content can be preserved independently of specific software and hardware.

---

2. Media and Hardware Degradation

Challenge:

Digital storage media such as hard drives, optical discs, and magnetic tapes degrade over time, leading to potential data loss. For instance, magnetic tapes may lose data due to wear and chemical degradation, while CDs and DVDs can suffer from physical scratches or becoming unreadable.

Strategies:

Redundancy and Backup: Store multiple copies of digital content across different physical or cloud-based storage systems (e.g., cloud services, external hard drives). This ensures that data is not lost if one storage medium fails.

Regular Migration: Transfer digital content from older, deteriorating storage devices to more reliable or updated systems at regular intervals (e.g., every 5-10 years). This includes migrating data from older disks to newer formats or cloud-based storage.

Cloud Storage: Use cloud services for off-site storage and ensure they have strong redundancy, backup systems, and regular updates to protect against media degradation.

---

3. Data Corruption

Challenge:

Digital content can become corrupted due to various reasons, such as software errors, hardware failures, or malicious attacks (e.g., ransomware). Corruption may render files unreadable or lead to partial loss of data.

Strategies:

Checksums and Hash Functions: Implement checksum or hash algorithms to verify the integrity of digital files. Regularly check digital files for corruption by comparing stored hashes with freshly calculated ones.

Error Detection and Correction: Use systems that detect and correct errors automatically, such as those used in RAID (Redundant Array of Independent Disks) or cloud storage services.

Redundant Copies and Backups: Regularly back up content and store copies in geographically dispersed locations. Having multiple copies helps ensure that if one copy is corrupted, another can be used.

---

4. Digital Preservation Costs

Challenge:

Digital preservation requires substantial resources in terms of technology, staffing, storage, and ongoing maintenance. The costs associated with migrating data, maintaining storage infrastructure, and ensuring long-term accessibility can be overwhelming, especially for smaller institutions or organizations.

Strategies:

Prioritization: Implement a risk-based approach to prioritize the preservation of high-value digital content. Not all digital materials may need to be preserved indefinitely. Determine which materials are most critical to the organization’s mission and preserve them first.

Collaborative Preservation: Share the burden of digital preservation through partnerships with other institutions, such as consortia or national digital archives. Collaborative preservation allows for resource sharing, reducing costs for individual organizations.

Cloud Services and Shared Infrastructure: Use cost-effective cloud services for storage and preservation. Cloud providers often offer managed solutions for data protection and preservation, reducing the need for in-house infrastructure.

---

5. Security and Privacy Risks

Challenge:

Digital content is vulnerable to cyber threats such as hacking, ransomware, and data breaches. Preserving sensitive digital materials while protecting them from unauthorized access and ensuring compliance with privacy regulations (e.g., GDPR in Europe or HIPAA in the U.S.) can be complex.

Strategies:

Encryption: Encrypt sensitive digital content to prevent unauthorized access. Encryption ensures that even if data is stolen, it cannot be read without the decryption key.

Access Control: Implement strict access control policies and systems that restrict who can access, modify, or share digital content. This may involve user authentication protocols such as multi-factor authentication.

Regular Security Audits: Conduct regular audits and assessments of digital systems to identify and mitigate potential security vulnerabilities. Keeping software up to date and applying security patches is essential to protecting data.

---

6. Lack of Metadata and Documentation

Challenge:

Metadata (descriptive, technical, and administrative information about digital content) is often lacking or incomplete. Without proper metadata, it becomes difficult to discover, manage, or retrieve digital content over time, especially as content is migrated to new systems or formats.

Strategies:

Metadata Standards: Adopt and implement standardized metadata frameworks such as Dublin Core, PREMIS, or METS to ensure consistency and comprehensiveness in metadata creation.

Automated Metadata Extraction: Use automated tools to extract metadata from digital files, particularly for large volumes of content, ensuring key descriptive information is captured.

Regular Updates and Maintenance: Keep metadata up to date, ensuring that as digital content is modified, migrated, or updated, its associated metadata reflects these changes.

---

7. Legal and Ethical Issues

Challenge:

Legal and ethical concerns, including copyright, intellectual property rights, and privacy, can complicate digital preservation efforts. For example, some content may be subject to copyright restrictions, while personal or confidential information may require special protection.

Strategies:

Clear Digital Rights Management: Ensure that content is properly cleared for preservation and use, with rights and permissions clearly defined before preserving it. This may involve obtaining consent from content owners or ensuring that materials are in the public domain.

Access Policies: Develop clear access policies that balance the need for preservation with concerns around privacy and intellectual property. This could include restricting access to sensitive or copyrighted materials.

Data Anonymization: For sensitive data, consider anonymizing personal or confidential information before preserving it to protect privacy.

---

8. Limited Expertise and Training

Challenge:

Digital preservation requires specialized knowledge and skills that may not be available within all organizations. Lack of trained staff, expertise in technical aspects, and awareness of best practices can hinder effective preservation efforts.

Strategies:

Training and Capacity Building: Invest in ongoing training for staff involved in digital preservation. This can include learning about new tools, formats, and preservation strategies.

Collaboration and Outsourcing: Collaborate with digital preservation experts, institutions, or service providers to ensure high-quality preservation practices. Outsourcing certain preservation tasks, such as digitization or data migration, can also be cost-effective.

---

Conclusion

Digital preservation faces numerous challenges, but with the right strategies in place, these challenges can be mitigated. By addressing issues such as technological obsolescence, media degradation, data corruption, and security risks, organizations can ensure that their digital content remains accessible, usable, and secure for the long term. Collaboration, prioritization, and investment in tools, training, and infrastructure are key to overcoming these challenges and safeguarding valuable digital content for future generations.

Digital Preservation: It’s Need

 

Digital Preservation: Its Need

Digital preservation refers to the actions taken to maintain and protect digital content over time, ensuring its long-term accessibility, usability, and integrity. As more cultural, historical, educational, and scientific materials are created and stored in digital formats, the need for effective digital preservation has become increasingly important. Here are the key reasons why digital preservation is critical:

1. Rapid Technological Change

Obsolescence of Formats and Hardware: Digital formats, software, and hardware systems evolve rapidly. Files created today may not be accessible in the future due to obsolete file formats, or outdated hardware and software. For instance, a file saved in an outdated format like WordPerfect may be difficult or impossible to open with modern programs. Digital preservation ensures that data can be migrated to newer formats or systems to prevent data loss.

Disappearing Storage Media: Physical storage media like floppy disks, CDs, tapes, and even hard drives can become unusable over time due to physical degradation. Digital preservation involves transferring data from aging storage devices to more reliable, long-term solutions.

2. Risk of Data Loss

Data Corruption: Digital data can become corrupted due to various factors like hardware failure, human error, or malware attacks. Without regular checks, backups, and secure storage practices, the risk of losing valuable data increases. Digital preservation strategies, such as redundancy (multiple copies in different locations), ensure data remains intact.

Data Migration and Backup: Without proper backup strategies and routine migrations of data to newer technologies, there’s a risk of permanent data loss. Digital preservation helps ensure that data is backed up and migrated as needed to prevent this from happening.

3. Long-Term Accessibility

Access Over Time: Unlike physical materials, digital content can be accessed remotely and shared easily. However, as technologies change, older digital files may become difficult or impossible to access. Digital preservation practices make sure that files are maintained in a usable format so future generations can continue to access and use the information.

Ensuring Longevity of Digital Libraries: Digital archives, libraries, and repositories house important historical, academic, and cultural resources. Without proper digital preservation, these valuable resources may be lost forever. Maintaining access to digitized materials, such as old manuscripts, photos, audio-visual content, and ebooks, is essential for education, research, and cultural heritage.

4. Security and Privacy

Data Protection: Preservation of digital content also involves securing sensitive and personal data. Digital preservation includes safeguarding against cyber threats, ensuring that information is protected from unauthorized access or alteration. By implementing encryption, firewalls, and other security measures, preservation helps keep data safe and secure over time.

Integrity of Digital Records: Digital preservation is not only about saving files but also ensuring their integrity. For example, records such as government documents, legal files, and historical archives need to remain unchanged and authentic. Without a preservation strategy, these digital records can be subject to accidental or intentional corruption, tampering, or deletion.

5. Support for Research and Education

Long-Term Research: Academic and scientific research is increasingly reliant on digital resources. Research datasets, publications, and experimental results need to be preserved so that future scholars can use them for replication studies, comparisons, or analysis. Digital preservation ensures that these resources remain accessible for future research purposes.

E-Learning and Education: Educational institutions are increasingly using digital platforms to deliver courses, including e-books, videos, and interactive content. As these materials often form the foundation of modern learning systems, their long-term preservation is vital to ensure continuity in education.

6. Preservation of Cultural Heritage

Digitization of Cultural Artifacts: Many institutions and archives digitize historical documents, photographs, audio recordings, and videos to preserve cultural heritage. Digital preservation ensures that these materials, which may be too fragile or inaccessible in physical form, are protected for future generations. Without it, valuable cultural heritage may be lost due to deterioration or natural disasters.

Global Access to Cultural Resources: Digital preservation allows cultural resources from around the world to be accessed globally, democratizing access to knowledge. This is particularly important for rare, endangered, or geographically isolated resources that may not be accessible in their physical form.

7. Legal and Regulatory Compliance

Compliance with Laws: Many industries, such as finance, healthcare, and government, are required by law to preserve digital records for a certain period. Proper digital preservation ensures compliance with regulations like the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act), and other data retention laws.

Audit Trails and Record-Keeping: Digital preservation enables organizations to keep accurate, verifiable records over time. This is particularly important for legal evidence, financial transactions, and audit trails that may be required for future accountability.

8. Cost-Effective Preservation

Less Physical Space: Storing physical records often requires significant space, climate control, and maintenance. Digital preservation reduces the need for physical storage and can offer significant cost savings over time.

Efficient and Scalable Solutions: Digital preservation methods allow data to be stored and accessed on a large scale, such as through cloud storage. These systems can scale as needed, enabling organizations to store vast amounts of data without incurring the costs associated with physical storage facilities.

9. Protection Against Natural Disasters and Accidents

Disaster Recovery: Digital records are less susceptible to disasters like floods, fires, and earthquakes, which can destroy physical documents. By preserving data digitally and maintaining copies in multiple, geographically dispersed locations (such as in the cloud), organizations can protect against the risk of loss in the event of a disaster.

Reduced Risk of Human Error: Unlike physical records, which can be misfiled, damaged, or lost through human error, digital data can be systematically backed up and protected using software. This reduces the risks associated with mismanagement or accidental destruction.

---

Conclusion

Digital preservation is crucial to ensuring that important information—whether it’s historical records, scientific data, creative works, or legal documents—remains intact and accessible for future generations. As our reliance on digital formats increases, so does the necessity to preserve these digital resources. By addressing technological obsolescence, data loss risks, and ensuring long-term access, digital preservation is an essential aspect of modern information management.

Care and Handling of Non-Book Materials

Non-book materials, including audiovisual resources, photographs, maps, manuscripts, and other special collections, require specific care and handling to preserve their integrity and prevent degradation. These materials can be more vulnerable than standard books due to their unique formats and the particular storage conditions they require. Below are key guidelines for the care and handling of various non-book materials:

1. Photographs

Photographs are particularly susceptible to physical damage, chemical degradation, and light exposure.

A. Storage and Handling

Storage: Store photographs in acid-free and lignin-free folders or boxes. Use archival-quality sleeves made of polyester or mylar to prevent scratching and physical damage.

Temperature and Humidity: Photographs should be stored in cool, dry conditions. Ideal storage temperature is 65°F to 70°F (18°C to 21°C) with 40% to 50% humidity. Excessive heat or humidity can cause photographs to warp, fade, or develop mold.

Light Exposure: Limit exposure to light, particularly UV light, which can cause fading and degradation. Store photographs in boxes or drawers that can be closed to block light, or use UV-filtering glass for display purposes.

Handling: Always handle photographs by the edges. For particularly delicate items, use cotton gloves to avoid oils, dirt, or moisture transferring from your hands.

B. Cleaning and Conservation

If a photograph shows signs of dirt or dust, use a soft brush or a blower to gently remove particles. Avoid wiping the image surface with cloths or other materials.

For conservation or repair, consult a professional conservator who specializes in photographic materials to prevent damage from inappropriate cleaning methods or adhesives.

---

2. Audio-Visual Materials (Audio and Video)

These materials include tapes, records, films, CDs, DVDs, and digital audio and video files, all of which require specific care to prevent deterioration.

A. Storage

Magnetic Media (e.g., cassette tapes, VHS, reel-to-reel tapes): Store these items in protective cases, away from magnetic fields (such as speakers or electronic devices). Use cool (50°F to 70°F or 10°C to 21°C) and dry (40% to 60% relative humidity) conditions.

Vinyl Records: Store records vertically, upright, similar to books. Place them in polyethylene sleeves or inner sleeves made of paper or antistatic material to prevent scratches and dust accumulation.

Digital Media: Regularly back up digital files, using multiple storage media (e.g., cloud storage, external hard drives). For preservation, use non-compressing, open file formats (such as WAV for audio and TIFF for images).

Film: Store film materials in cool, dry conditions, ideally between 50°F to 60°F (10°C to 16°C) and 30% to 40% relative humidity. Store films in acid-free, archival containers to prevent degradation.

B. Handling

Audio Tapes and Records: When handling magnetic media, avoid touching the surface with bare hands to prevent contamination from oils and dirt. Use cotton gloves when handling records or tapes.

CDs/DVDs: Always hold CDs or DVDs by the edges or the center hole to avoid finger marks on the surface.

Playback Equipment: Ensure that playback equipment (e.g., cassette players, record players, video players) is regularly maintained to avoid damaging the media during use.

C. Preservation of Digital Media

Backups: Regularly back up digital media to prevent data loss due to file corruption, hardware failure, or obsolescence.

Migration: Migrate digital files to current formats and storage devices to avoid file obsolescence.

---

3. Maps and Oversized Materials

Maps, posters, architectural drawings, and other oversized materials require specialized storage and handling to prevent physical damage and deterioration.

A. Storage

Flat Storage: Store maps, posters, and other oversized materials flat in acid-free archival boxes or map drawers. This prevents them from being folded or creased.

Roll Storage: If rolling is necessary (for example, when storing large posters), use a protective tube made of archival-quality materials. Avoid rolling too tightly, and never store rolled items for extended periods.

Temperature and Humidity: Store oversized materials in stable environments with a temperature range of 65°F to 70°F and relative humidity between 30% and 50% to avoid warping, fading, or mildew growth.

B. Handling

Support: When viewing maps or large prints, place them on a flat surface or use a book cradle to prevent bending or tearing.

Lifting: Use both hands to carefully lift large items, supporting them evenly. Do not allow them to hang over the edge of a surface.

Storage Containers: Ensure storage containers are large enough to accommodate oversized materials without forcing them in or causing damage.

---

4. Manuscripts and Archives

Manuscripts and archival materials, including rare books, letters, documents, and diaries, often require special care due to their age and fragile condition.

A. Storage

Archival Boxes and Folders: Store manuscripts in acid-free, archival-quality boxes or folders that are sized appropriately to prevent bending and crumpling.

Climate Control: Store materials in areas with stable temperature (around 65°F to 70°F) and relative humidity (30% to 50%) to prevent mold growth, brittleness, or foxing (brown spots).

Flat Storage: Store large manuscripts and archival documents flat to prevent distortion, and avoid folding or rolling materials whenever possible.

B. Handling

Cotton Gloves: Wear cotton gloves when handling rare or fragile documents to prevent oils from hands from transferring.

Support: Use a book cradle, support board, or a protective sleeve when reading or examining fragile documents to ensure that pressure is not applied to the spine or edges.

Minimal Handling: Limit handling of fragile manuscripts to reduce the risk of physical damage or wear over time.

---

5. Digital Materials

Digital resources such as databases, e-books, and digital images require ongoing preservation to ensure accessibility and usability over time.

A. Backup and Migration

Regularly back up digital files to avoid loss due to corruption or hardware failure. Use multiple backup locations such as cloud storage and external hard drives.

File Migration: Periodically migrate files to updated formats to ensure they remain accessible as technology evolves.

B. File Integrity

Use reliable file formats that are open and non-proprietary (e.g., PDF/A for documents and TIFF for images) to ensure long-term readability and compatibility.

---

Conclusion

The care and handling of non-book materials are crucial for their preservation and continued accessibility. Each type of material, from photographs and audio-visual resources to manuscripts and digital files, requires specific storage conditions, handling procedures, and ongoing maintenance. By following best practices and providing the appropriate environment, libraries and archives can protect these valuable resources from deterioration and ensure they remain available for future generations.

Care and Handling of Library Resources

Proper care and handling of library resources is essential to ensure their longevity, accessibility, and usability. This includes books, manuscripts, photographs, maps, audiovisual materials, and digital records. To minimize damage and degradation, library staff and users should follow best practices in both storage and daily handling.

1. General Guidelines for Handling Library Materials

Clean Hands: Always handle materials with clean hands to prevent oils, dirt, or moisture from transferring to the items. For particularly delicate materials, cotton gloves may be used.

Support Materials: Use book cradles, supports, or book pillows when handling fragile books, manuscripts, or large-format items to prevent bending or distortion. For large documents or maps, use flat storage or special-sized holders.

Avoid Direct Contact: Try to avoid touching the pages of books and documents directly. Hold books by the spine rather than the edges to prevent stress on the binding and pages.

Turn Pages Carefully: When reading or reviewing materials, turn pages slowly and gently to avoid tears or other damage. Use a book marker or tissue to avoid bending or crimping pages.

Page Weights: For documents that require being laid flat, such as oversized pages, use light page weights to avoid curling or crumpling.

Avoid Folding or Creasing: Never fold or crease materials, as this can cause permanent damage, especially on valuable or historical resources.

2. Handling Different Types of Library Resources

A. Books and Printed Materials

Shelving: Place books vertically on shelves, with enough space between them to prevent bending. Books should be stored according to size to prevent warping.

Bookends: Use bookends to keep books upright and prevent slumping, which can damage the spine.

Labeling and Identification: Ensure that books are clearly labeled with proper call numbers, but avoid placing labels on the spine or the cover that can damage the surface.

Repair and Binding: Damaged books should be repaired or rebound by professional conservators, not by untrained staff or patrons.

B. Manuscripts and Paper Documents

Archival Storage: Use acid-free folders, boxes, or portfolio cases for storing valuable or fragile paper materials. Ensure that storage boxes are sized appropriately to avoid unnecessary pressure on the documents.

Flat vs. Rolled Storage: Store large paper items such as maps, posters, and blueprints flat, and avoid rolling them unless absolutely necessary.

Climate Control: Store manuscripts and paper documents in areas with controlled temperature (around 65–70°F or 18–21°C) and humidity (30–50%) to prevent degradation or warping.

C. Photographs and Negatives

Storage: Store photographs and negatives in acid-free, lignin-free containers such as photo albums, boxes, or sleeves to protect them from dust, light, and physical damage.

Handling: Always hold photographs by the edges, avoiding direct contact with the image surface to prevent smudging or abrasion.

Protection from Light: Avoid exposing photographs and negatives to direct sunlight or strong artificial lighting, as this can cause fading and deterioration.

Temperature and Humidity: Store photos and negatives in a cool, dry environment. Excessive heat or moisture can cause irreversible damage, such as curling or mold growth.

D. Audiovisual Materials

Reel-to-Reel Tapes, Vinyl Records, and Cassettes: Store these materials in protective cases to prevent physical damage, dust accumulation, and warping. Temperature and humidity control are essential to prevent degradation, particularly for magnetic tape.

Digital Audio and Video: Regularly back up digital files and ensure they are stored in secure, organized digital repositories. Use appropriate formats for long-term preservation.

Viewing Equipment: Ensure that playback equipment (such as record players, cassette players, or projectors) is in good working order to avoid damaging the materials during use.

E. Maps, Posters, and Oversized Materials

Flat Storage: Maps, posters, and other oversized materials should be stored flat in acid-free, oversize boxes or map drawers. Avoid rolling them unless absolutely necessary.

Protective Sleeves: For maps and posters that must be stored rolled, use protective sleeves to avoid physical damage, and store them in a controlled, stable environment.

F. Digital Resources

Data Backup: Ensure digital files are regularly backed up and stored in multiple formats (e.g., cloud storage, external hard drives, or optical media).

File Format Preservation: Use open and widely accepted file formats (such as PDF/A or TIFF) for long-term digital preservation.

Access Control: Limit access to digital archives and regularly check for data corruption, software obsolescence, or hardware failure.

3. Preventive Measures for Long-Term Preservation

Climate Control: Maintain a consistent environment with temperature and humidity control to reduce deterioration due to moisture or extreme temperatures.

Light Exposure: Limit exposure to light, especially UV rays. Use UV-filtering glass for display cases and avoid direct exposure to sunlight.

Pollution Control: Reduce pollutants like dust, smoke, and sulfur dioxide that can damage materials. Use air purifiers in libraries with sensitive collections.

Handling and Storage Procedures: Encourage users to follow proper handling techniques and store items in suitable conditions. Offer archival storage boxes or protective sleeves for rare or delicate items.

Conservation and Repair: For items in poor condition, consult a conservator to address deterioration without causing further damage.

4. Staff Training and Public Awareness

Staff Training: Ensure that library staff are trained in proper handling, care, and preservation procedures for all types of resources, including digitization and conservation techniques.

Public Education: Raise awareness among library users about the importance of proper handling. Post instructions on how to handle materials, and consider offering guidance through workshops or tutorials.

5. Regular Inspections and Maintenance

Routine Inspections: Regularly check library resources for signs of wear, damage, or pest infestation. Early detection helps prevent further degradation.

Preventive Conservation: Periodically inspect storage areas, check for moisture or pest issues, and replace materials like paper or boxes as needed to maintain long-term preservation.

---

Conclusion

Proper care and handling of library resources are essential for maintaining their integrity and ensuring they can be accessed by future generations. By implementing best practices in storage, handling, environmental control, and staff training, libraries can effectively preserve their collections and extend the lifespan of valuable materials.

Preventive Measures for Biological and Chemical Factors

Preventive measures for biological and chemical factors are critical in preserving the integrity of documents, especially historical or sensitive ones. These measures aim to minimize damage caused by factors like mold, bacteria, fungi, oxidation, and chemical degradation. Here are key preventive strategies to safeguard documents from these harmful influences:

1. Preventive Measures Against Biological Factors

Biological factors like mold, fungi, bacteria, and pests can cause significant damage to documents. These can lead to staining, weakening of paper, and even complete degradation.

A. Control of Environmental Conditions

Temperature and Humidity Control: The most important factor in preventing biological growth is maintaining a stable, low-humidity environment.

Ideal conditions: Temperature between 65°F to 70°F (18°C to 21°C) and relative humidity between 30% and 50%.

Use of Humidity Control: Employ humidifiers or dehumidifiers in storage areas to maintain consistent humidity levels. Desiccants like silica gel or activated charcoal can also absorb excess moisture in enclosed storage spaces.

Proper Ventilation: Ensure proper airflow in storage areas to reduce humidity buildup. Avoid sealed, airtight containers unless they are climate-controlled.

Monitoring and Alarms: Install humidity and temperature monitors to regularly check conditions and set up alarms to alert if levels go outside the desired range.

B. Physical Protection

Proper Storage Containers: Use archival-quality boxes or acid-free folders for storing documents. These protect against dust, light, and physical damage.

Archival Materials: Choose acid-free papers, boards, and protective enclosures for document storage. Ensure the materials are free of chemical contaminants that could cause deterioration.

Prevent Pests:

Regularly inspect storage areas for signs of insects or rodents.

Use insect traps and natural repellents like cedar or lavender to discourage pests.

C. Cleaning and Handling

Cleanliness: Regularly clean storage areas to remove dirt, dust, and organic matter that may encourage microbial growth.

Handling with Care: Use cotton gloves or tissue paper to handle documents to avoid transferring oils, dirt, or contaminants from hands.

D. Mold and Fungal Treatment

If documents show early signs of mold or mildew, use a gentle cleaning method with isopropyl alcohol or ethanol to kill mold spores. For more severe infestations, seek professional conservation services.

---

2. Preventive Measures Against Chemical Factors

Chemical factors like acidic environments, oxidation, and exposure to pollutants can significantly degrade the quality of paper and ink over time.

A. Control of Environmental Conditions

Acid-Free Storage: Store documents in acid-free and buffered containers. Archival-quality boxes with an alkaline reserve (such as calcium carbonate) help neutralize acids and prevent paper from becoming brittle.

Light Exposure: Minimize exposure to light, particularly UV radiation, as it can degrade both paper and ink. Use UV-filtering glass or protective covers to shield documents from light.

B. Deacidification and Preservation

Deacidification Sprays: Use deacidification sprays on papers showing signs of acidity. These sprays neutralize acids and introduce an alkaline buffer to prolong paper life.

Alkaline Reserve: Ensure that papers are stored with a sufficient alkaline reserve (e.g., calcium carbonate) to maintain pH neutrality and prevent acidic degradation.

C. Air Quality and Pollution Control

Air Purification: Install air purifiers in storage areas to reduce airborne pollutants like sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides, which can cause acidification of paper.

Seal Storage Areas: Keep storage areas sealed from external environmental pollutants and avoid storing documents near areas with high levels of smoke, vehicle emissions, or industrial fumes.

Oxygen-Free Storage: In cases of sensitive documents, consider oxygen-absorbing materials that reduce oxidation.

D. Protective Coatings

Resins or Coatings: In some conservation cases, protective coatings such as acrylic resins or cellulose derivatives are applied to the document's surface to shield against external chemical and environmental stress.

Lamination (with caution): While controversial, laminating can offer protection in some situations. However, this method should be used carefully, as some laminating materials can degrade over time or trap harmful moisture.

E. Regular Monitoring and Maintenance

Inspection: Regularly inspect documents for early signs of deterioration, such as discoloration, brittleness, or fading ink.

Conservation Services: For valuable or deteriorating documents, consider professional conservation treatments, including cleaning, stabilizing, or repairing through archival-grade techniques.

---

3. General Preventive Measures

Controlled Access: Limit access to valuable documents to trained staff only, preventing accidental damage due to improper handling.

Digitization: For particularly valuable or fragile documents, digitize them to create electronic copies. This helps reduce physical handling and preserves the content of documents for future use.

---

Conclusion

Preventive measures against biological and chemical factors require careful management of environmental conditions, appropriate storage materials, and periodic monitoring. By combining these strategies, it is possible to significantly extend the lifespan of documents and ensure their preservation for future generations.

Chemical Factors – Chemicals used in Production and Preservation of Documents

Chemical factors are important in the production and preservation of documents, as they influence the materials' longevity, durability, and stability. Various chemicals are used in both the creation of documents (such as paper, ink, and adhesives) and their preservation (to prevent deterioration, decay, and degradation over time). Here are key chemicals involved in these processes:

1. Chemicals Used in Document Production

Paper Manufacturing:

Wood Pulp Chemicals: Wood pulp, the base for paper, is treated with chemicals like sodium hydroxide and sodium sulfide in the kraft process to break down lignin and separate fibers.

Bleaching Agents: Chlorine and hydrogen peroxide are used for bleaching wood pulp to produce white paper. Chlorine dioxide is a less harmful alternative in modern practices.

Sizing Agents: These chemicals, such as rosin and alum, are applied to paper to make it resistant to ink and water.

Fillers: Clay, calcium carbonate, and titanium dioxide are added to paper to improve brightness, smoothness, and opacity.

Ink and Dye Production:

Pigments: Organic and inorganic compounds like carbon black (for black ink) or chrome yellow are used for coloring inks.

Solvents: Water is often used in modern inks (water-based inks), but alcohols (e.g., isopropyl alcohol) and petroleum distillates are common in older or oil-based inks.

Binders: Gum arabic, acrylic resins, or synthetic polymers are used to help pigments adhere to paper.

Adhesives:

Starch-based adhesives: Used in bookbinding and some printing applications.

Polyvinyl acetate (PVA): Common in bookbinding and paper repair due to its strong bonding properties.

Animal-based glues: Often used in historical documents, such as hide glue or gelatin.

2. Chemicals in Document Preservation

The preservation of documents involves preventing chemical changes that cause degradation, such as acid hydrolysis, oxidation, and fungal or bacterial growth. Some chemicals used in preservation include:

Alkaline Buffers:

Calcium carbonate or magnesium carbonate is added to paper to buffer acidity, neutralizing acids that can cause degradation.

Alkaline reserve: A small amount of alkaline material is often added to modern papers to prolong their lifespan.

Conservation Solutions:

Sodium bicarbonate (baking soda): Sometimes used in paper cleaning to neutralize acids.

Hydrogen peroxide: Used for cleaning and deacidifying papers, especially in historical document preservation, as it breaks down yellowing caused by oxidation.

Calcium hydroxide (lime): Occasionally used in paper conservation for deacidification.

Mold and Fungus Control:

Ethanol and isopropyl alcohol are commonly used to kill mold or fungi on paper documents.

Copper sulfate and iodine can also be used as biocides to prevent microbial growth.

Stabilizing Agents:

Silica gel and activated charcoal are used in storage environments to control humidity and absorb moisture, reducing the risk of mold or mildew.

Desiccants and humidity control systems: Control moisture levels to prevent water damage or fungal growth.

Fixatives and Coatings:

Acrylic and polyurethane resins are used in conservation to apply protective coatings to fragile documents, stabilizing their surface.

Cellulose nitrate and cellulose acetate have historically been used to coat paper, though their use has decreased due to concerns about their own degradation over time.

3. Preservation Challenges

Acidic Paper: Over time, paper often becomes acidic, either due to the natural aging process or the presence of acids in the paper-making process. This can cause paper to become brittle and deteriorate.

Oxidation: Exposure to air (oxygen) can cause inks, paper, and other materials to oxidize and discolor or weaken.

Pollution: Airborne pollutants, such as sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides, can damage paper and inks by creating acidic conditions.

Environmental Factors: Humidity and temperature fluctuations can lead to mold growth, brittleness, and curling of documents.

4. Modern Chemical Treatments

Deacidification Sprays: Several commercial sprays are available that neutralize acids in paper and replace them with alkaline buffers.

Laminating: Involves coating documents with a plastic layer to protect them from physical damage, although this can cause long-term issues if the materials are incompatible.

In conclusion, the chemicals used in the production and preservation of documents play an essential role in ensuring the longevity and functionality of materials. As document preservation practices evolve, a focus on non-toxic, environmentally friendly chemicals is becoming increasingly important.

Variety of Non Book Materials

 

The present libraries are having a collection of Variety of Non-Book Materials and

consistently developing an assortment of materials, other than paper. These fall under a

for the most part acknowledged conventional term: non-book materials. In the prior days,

in any case, by non-book, we implied those media, which were all paper-based, yet gave

in designs other than of a traditional book, for example, periodicals, reports, leaflets,

papers, news cut-outs, guides, chart books, etc.

That differentiation between book and non-book is not, at this point stylish because of the

attack of the number of items printed or recorded here and there or other on

materials other than paper, and these non-paper items in the present setting are

delegated 'nonbook. This as of now utilized nonexclusive term 'non-book incorporates two

general classes: print and nonprint.

The non-print media, as unmistakable from print media, are those on which printed words

or visuals are not straightforwardly addressed, like magnetic tapes, computerized

recordings, and so on, as against media like films. film strips, photos, slides, and so forth

which bear the immediate impressions of words or visuals.

Remembering the essential contemplations pertinent to all non-book materials, which

have been talked about in the first sections, the nature, and qualities of the different

media and general rules for their consideration, dealing with and storage can be summed

up as follows:

Film Media

Photographic film has a layer of emulsion joined to a polyester base material. The picture

is made in the emulsion by the compound reaction to light and is fixed thereby preparing

with different synthetic substances.

The different variety of non-book materials like media falling under this classification are:

Film-strip

It is an assortment of pictures that take two unique structures: the single or half-

outline, and the twofold or full outline. The single-outline strip is generally gone through

the watcher or projector in an upward direction, though the twofold casing strip is

projected on a level plane. Film strips are for the most part provided in little roundabout

canisters and are joined by notes clarifying the substance of the pictures in the individual

strips.

Slide

The photographic slide, in some cases alluded to as a straightforwardness is a solitary

edge cardboard or plastic edge. Glass is once in a while used to cover and ensure the film

inside the mounting outline. Slides are delivered in different configurations of various

measurements, beginning with 35 mm. What's more, going up to 250 mm square, the last

is reasonable for use with the assistance of an Overhead Projector.

Cine film

The cine film is a grouping of pictures. At the point when these pictures are projected on a

screen at the right speed, the pictures give the presence of consistent development. The

cine films are given in different configurations: 35 mm and 16 mm with sound-track, 16

mm without sound, and & mm which is presently out of date (the old load of 8 mm films

has now been moved on to videotapes or videodisks).

Microforms

There are different sorts of microforms, for example, 35 mm roll-film, 16 mm roll-film;

gap cards; and microfiche.

Magnetic Materials

Magnetic storage media serve extensively three data the board applications,

I) data storage:

ii) Audio recording

ii) Video recording. The data storage gathering of magnetic media is utilized by the PCS,

while the other two classes are utilized by particular instruments, similar to audio turn

table, video tape player, and so on This classification of materials is accessible as tapes

(sound and video) and disks.

Tapes

Tapes are made of a polyester base to which oxides of iron and chromium are joined. By

magnetization and reworking of the magnetic fields borne by these oxides, a message is

recorded on the tape. This message (regardless of whether sound or video) can be 'read'

by a gadget in the playback machine. Magnetic tapes utilized for data storage are perused

by unique drives connected to PCs.

Magnetic tapes

A variety of non-book materials exist. Magnetic tapes are the most established of all

magnetic media. The magnetic tapes fluctuate in width from 4mm to 0.5 inches. It very

well might be stuffed on open reels, in cartridges or tapes of different sizes and shapes.

The usually utilized open reel measuring tapes 10.5 crawls in distance across and contain

2,400 feet of tape. More slender tapes are likewise accessible with more film of tape in a

similar 10.5 distance across the reel.

The storage limit fluctuates with direct chronicle thickness estimated in bytes per inch.

Contingent upon the chronicle thickness tapes are accessible, that can store 150

megabytes to 1.35 gigabytes of data. The IBM 3480 magnetic tape cartridge presented

1984 is an advantageous and minimal medium that records data on a half-inch magnetic

tape putting away 200 megabytes of data in, 540 feet of space.

Audio Tapes

Audiotapes are accessible in two sorts of configuration: open reel and tape. They are

accessible in different playing paces and recording designs viz. monoaural, stereophonic, and 

quadraphonic, and have the following designs 2 track and 4 track.

Videotapes

Videotapes are made of chromium dioxide or metal as the significant constituent of the

magnetic covering. In 1971, Sony Corporation presented the primary video recording U-

Matic system to utilize magnetic tape tapes. The U-Matic tapes measure 3/4 inch in width.

In 1975, Sony presented a Betamax recorder utilizing 1/2-inch videotape tapes. This

videotape measures 6.1 inches wide by 3.8 inches high by 1 inch down.

In 1977, the Victor Company of Japan presented VHS videotapes. The tape size is 7.4"x

4"x 1". The VHS videotapes are recognized by a code showing recording time whenever

the recorder is worked at the ordinary play condition. The normal length of VHS tapes is T

120, having a two-hour run time. Later on, two other VHS renditions of videotapes have

been created. They are Super-VHS (S-VHS) and VHS-Compact (VHS-C).

The picture of S-VAS is excellent and the tape measures 4"x 2.5"x 0.5" in size. Presently

8mm tape videotapes are accessible on the lookout. A higher variant of these Hi8 tapes is

utilized for computerized recording. These tapes measure 3.7"x 2.5"x 6" and the tape

length fluctuates from a few minutes to over 60 minutes.

Discs

Magnetic discs are utilized with PCs. They can be arranged as hard plates and floppy disks.

Hard disks are put away inside the PC administration region.

Floppy disks

The floppies utilized for recording computerized data for PCs are slightly round plastic

sheets. These are normally covered with ferric oxide, as magnetic tapes. These disks are

provided in card or plastic covers, from which these ought to never be eliminated. A few

disks are provided in totally fixed compartments. The thickness of data pressed onto the

account surface is extremely high. Extensive exertion is expected to shield it from any

harm.

Likewise, with magnetic tape, the level of closeness between the head that records or

peruses the data coded magnetically, and the circle is critical. On this depends the

exactness of perusing. It is, subsequently, fundamental that residue and soil don't

accumulate at all on the head and the circle. It is additionally fundamental that the

magnetic surface isn't moved by hand and is kept covered quite far.

Any oily material that gets when moved by hand is awful. Floppy disks are still most generally

utilized magnetic media, as a result of their simple convey ability and the office for saving

and erasing documents as and when required. These days just 3.5-inch diskettes have a

1.44 megabytes storage limit are accessible. Different organizations viz. 5.25 inches and

8 inches are presently out of date.

Hard disks

Hard disks are elite storage media having applications online and quick admittance to

data. A hard plate is comprised of a heap of pivoting metal disks on which data are put

away. These are typically fixed inside the PC and subsequently are not genuinely open to

the clients.

This suggests that the consideration and support of hard disks are performed by the

equipment architects and clients simply needed to know the working methods.

Likewise, as the magnetic media turn at a high velocity data are perused and

recorded by a magnetic head. It is more helpless against harm because of head smashes or

other equipment failings.

Plastic Materials

Materials under this classification can be isolated into three areas:

• Transparent plastic
• Vinyl disks
• Optical Storage System

Transparent Plastics

These are level, transparent acetic acid derivation or polyester sheets and are accessible

in different thicknesses normally going from 0.05 mm to 0.25 mm. These are accessible

either as single-level sheets or in rolls. These sheets are utilized for projection with the

assistance of overhead projectors.

The content can be composed on them by utilizing extraordinary fast-drying ink.

Furthermore, self-cement film and letters can be joined to the surface. These plastic

sheets can be printed additionally by scanners, laser printers, and other standard printing

measures.

Vinyl plate

It is made out of a solid plastic material on which audio recordings are made. The disks

are promoted in 17.8 cm (7"), 25.4 cm (10), and 30.5 cm (12") distance across size.

The circle has a focal opening that fits with the axle of the turn table. The between table

accommodates 33 1/3, 45, and 78 cycles each moment (RPM).

Optical Storage Systems

A variety of non-book materials exist. This innovation is most regularly utilized in creating

Compact disks (CD). The circle is made of plastic material. On the plastic surface, there is

a twisting of pits upheld by an aluminized intelligent surface. The surface is ensured by a

solid transparent finish. The chronicle is either a simple or a computerized variant of the

first. Regardless the presence or state of the pits is 'read' by a laser pillar reflected from

the mirror-like surface. In this interaction of perusing, there is no actual contact with the

outside of the enamel.

Accordingly, no harm can happen by utilizing the plate. Various forms of Compact

Disks accessible in the market are CD-Audio, CD-ROM, CD-V, CD-I, CD-R, and CD-RW. The

Digital Versatile Mdeo Disk (DND) is the new age of optical plate storage innovation. It is

supplanting laser disks quickly as it has the limit of holding multiple times more data than

CDs and DVDs are accessible in an assortment of arrangements: DVD-ROM, DVD-R,

DVDVideo, DVD-R/RW, DVD-R/RW, DVD-RAM, DVD-VR, DVD-AR, DVD-SR, and DVD-A.

Note : Photo by cottonbro studio: www.pexels.com

Inherent Characteristics of Library Materials

 

The Inherent characteristics of Library Materials mean qualities of that materials. These

qualities are permanent and cannot be separated as it is an essential part of it. Inherent

characteristics of library materials mean that it is an essential nature. So I will be

discussing the characteristics of the following materials :

Manuscripts

Before the creation of a printing machine in China or and in Europe, all composed reports

must be both delivered and replicated by hand. Truly, manuscripts were created in a type

of parchments (volumen in Latin) or books. Manuscripts were delivered on vellum and

different materials, on papyrus, and on paper. In Russia birch bark records as old as from

the 11th century are available in form of manuscripts.

In India, the Palm leaf original copy, with an unmistakable long rectangular shape, was

utilized from antiquated occasions until the nineteenth century. Paper spread from China

through the Islamic world to Europe by the fourteenth century, and by the late fifteenth

century had to a great extent traded material for some reasons.

Inherent Characteristics of Library Materials - Manuscript. It is any record that is

composed by hand, rather than being printed or imitated in some alternate manner. The

term may likewise be utilized for data that is hand-recorded in alternate manners than

composing, for instance, engravings that are etched upon a hard material or scratched

similarly as with a blade point in a mortar or with a pointer on a waxed tablet. The word

manuscript is gotten from the Latin scripts, in a real sense "composed by hand."

In distributing and scholarly settings, a "manuscript" is the content submitted to the

distributer or printer in anticipation of distribution, normally as a typescript arranged on a

typewriter, or today, a printout from a PC, arranged in original copy design.

With regards to library science, a manuscript is characterized as any transcribed thing in

the assortments of a library or a file; for instance, a library's assortment of the letters or a

journal that some verifiable personage composed.

In different settings, nonetheless, the utilization of the expression "original copy" at this

point don't really implies something that is written by hand. By similarity a "typescript

has been delivered on a typewriter.

Books

A book is a vehicle for recording data through composition or pictures, regularly made out

of numerous pages (made of papyrus, material, vellum, or paper) bound together and

ensured by a cover. Throughout the entire existence of hand-held actual backings for

expanded setup structures or accounts, the codex replaces its archetype, the parchment.

A solitary sheet in a codex is a leaf and each side of a leaf is a page.

Present-day bound books are coordinated by a specific arrangement called the book's

format. In spite of the fact that there is incredible variety in format, present day books

will in general stick to as set of rules concerning what the pieces of the design are and

what their substance normally incorporates. A fundamental format will incorporate a title

page, a back cover and the book's substance which is called its body duplicate or

substance pages.

The inherent characteristics of Library materials Books. The intro page frequently bears

the book's title (and caption, assuming any) and the name of its writer or editor(s). Within

title page is typically left clear in both hardcover and soft cover books. The following

segment, if present, is the book's front matter, which incorporates all text based material.

after the intro page yet not piece of the book's substance like a foreword, a devotion, a

chapter by chapter guide and distributer information like the book's release or printing

number and spot of distribution.

Between the body duplicate and the back cover goes the end matter which would

incorporate any lists, sets of tables, charts, glossaries or arrangements of refered to

works (however an altered book with a few writers for the most part puts refered to

works toward the finish of each composed section). Within back cover page, similar to

that inside the title page, is normally clear.

The back cover is the standard spot for the book's ISBN and possibly a photo of the

author(s)/Editor(s), maybe with a short prologue to them. Additionally here frequently

seem plot synopses, standardized tags, and excerpted audits of the book.

Hardcover books have a hardened restricting. Soft cover books have less expensive,

adaptable covers which will in general be less strong. An option in contrast to soft cover is

the gleaming cover also called a residue cover, found on magazines, and comic books.

Twisting bound books are limited by twistings made of metal or plastic. Instances of

winding bound books incorporate instructors manuals and puzzle books (crosswords,

sudoku).

News Paper

A Newspaper is a publication, which is published on a fixed periodicity. It has contents

related to current affairs, politics, business, sports, arts, weather forecasts, book and

cinema reviews, cartoons, crosswords, editorials, etc. Newspaper plays an important role

in making people aware of happenings in the world.

The Inherent characteristics of Library Materials - Newspaper

Idealness

A decent story contains current data that happens the day of or the other day, and if

conceivable, is accounted for before contender writers. In the event that it happened

today instead of yesterday-it could very well be news. Writers stress current data-

stories happening today or yesterday, not half a month prior-and attempt to report it in

front of their rivals.

When announcing a story that happened even hours sooner, columnists search for new

points and new subtleties around which to fabricate their accounts. On the off chance that

foundation is fundamental, they, for the most part, downplay it and weave it all through

the story

Effect

An uplifting news story contains significant data that affects its perusers and watchers; it

is important data that individuals influence individuals perusing. For instance, new stories

center around the most extreme tempests, the most harming fires, the most lethal

mishaps, the main talks, and so forth In the event that it influences perusers-truly or

inwardly-it very well could be news.

Noticeable quality

Most uplifting news stories affect some sort of unmistakable individuals, that make them

more fascinating than if it's anything but a normal individual. If it's anything but a

conspicuous individual, it could very well be news. On the off chance that a handyman

comes down with a bug, nobody cares, then again, actually individual's loved ones. In the

event that the U.S. president gets a bug, the financial exchange could lose 500 focuses.

Closeness

An uplifting news story is pertinent to where you reside or work, and so on An occasion

that happened more like a peruser or watcher will have a greater effect than something

that happened far away. On the off chance that it's anything but a spot that perusers feel

an association with somewhere they feel aligned with, as opposed to some "distant"

place it could very well be news.

Peculiarity (Novelty)

The most special and surprising an occasion is, the better the report. Individuals don't

actually think often about normal things that happen ordinary, however they are

undeniably more fascinated by things that they don't see or catch wind of regularly. On

the off chance that something has never occurred, it very well could be news. Deviations

from the ordinary-startling or uncommon occasions, clashes or debates, dramatization or

change-are more newsworthy than the typical.

Struggle or Controversy

Struggle is the thing that makes the story matter. Perusers and watchers are fascinated

by show and struggle. In the event that someone is battling with an issue, it could very

well be news. Two individuals quarreling over a social issue is more newsworthy than two

individuals who concur about that issue.

The pressure between the subjects makes the contention that regularly makes a story

sensational and intriguing to peruse. While struggle between gatherings can be seen as

regrettable information, it regularly gives perusers and watchers various conclusions

about strategies and issues.

Periodicals

Periodical is an essential wellspring of data. Essential wellsprings of data are the first

distributed records of unique innovative work or portrayal of new application or new

understanding of an old subject or thought. These are unique reports addressing unique

thoughts and establish the most recent accessible data.

Specialists produce new data can make it accessible to the local area through the

essential sources. Periodical article is the primary mode of correspondence for the trading

of logical data. Report unique exploration or experimentation, regularly in explicit

scholastic orders.

The Inherent Characteristics of Library materials - Periodicals

Articles frequently utilize particular language of the control, and accept an experience

with

Advertising is negligible or none.

Always have a theoretical or synopsis passage over the content; may have segments

decribing system

Articles are composed by a power or master in the field

* Articles are composed by specialists in the field, and are agreed upon.

* Because they are distributed regularly, periodicals are the best hotspots for current

* Contains unique examination, experimentation, or inside and out investigations in the

field

Often have a conventional appearance with tables, charts, and graphs

Often surveyed by the creator's friends before distribution (peer-checked on or

refereed)

* Periodicals are normally distributed quarterly.

* Periodicals give a chronicled record of past thoughts, assessments, achievements, and

* Periodicals regularly contain data on the most recent patterns, items, research and

The designated crowd is the insightful analyst, personnel, and understudies.

* The language incorporates specific terms and the language of the order

* Usually have a restricted or explicit subject core interest.

* Written for specialists, educators, or understudies in the all the fields.

Periodicals exist for each field and each interest, giving admittance to an assortment of

elusive data. Because of the more limited length of periodical articles, more points

might be covered inside one volume of a periodical than in one book.

Note : Photo by Pixabay: https://www.pexels.com/photo/white-painted-papers-51343/

Physical Environment for Storage of Non-Book Materials

There are rules and standards for the physical environment for storing Non-Book

Materials, manage capacity, fire insurances, particulars for film and photographic bases,

and displays. These rules are, no uncertainty, helpful, however, those must be taken as

non-extensive, between time measures.

The drawn-out productivity of a portion of these solutions is yet to be decisively settled

because the inborn toughness of the materials has not yet been completely

settled. Be that as it may, there are sure essential contemplations, which are pertinent to

all non-book materials, as are for book materials, and are grounded standards according

to the conservation perspective. These are worried about the actual climate, security, and

dissemination.

Dust and other Atmospheric Pollutants:

Dust is one of the problems of the Physical Environment for storing Non-Book materials

the climate is totally dust and contamination-free. Measures can be produced to limit the

results. Cooling (which is the lone way to control temperature and relative humidity) with

filtration frameworks is gainful. As an additional safety measure, the materials ought to

consistently be situated away from the entryways, windows, and vents.

Light:

Light is one of the problems of the Physical Environment for storing of Non-Book Materials.

Another ecological thought concerns sunlight and unreasonable fluorescent lighting. These

elements can be harmful to a wide range of materials. For instance, slides will turn dull

and brown or yellow when presented with an excess of light; a floppy circle or a phonograph

record will get futile quickly, whenever kept in splendid light.

Accordingly, the utilization of non-fluorescent lighting frameworks, and putting away

materials from windows to stay away from the impact of direct sunlight are useful

measures. Assuming, nonetheless, situated close to the windows can't be kept away from,

the window sheets ought to be colored to remove bright beams of the sun, utilization of

window draperies is likewise a viable alternative.

Temperature:

Temperature is one of the important factors in the physical environment for storing of

Non-Book Materials. When managing different media designs, no single temperature can

be recommended, because the arrangement of every one of the materials is

not quite the same as the other. Nonetheless, for the media being considered here, an

estimated reach can be set up. The most elevated temperature suggested by different

experts for media designs is 75° F for tapes and tapes; for magnetic tapes, the reach is

between 65° F and 68° F while floppy plates can oblige a reach between 50° F and 125°

F, however, these two limits are not supported.

In a perfect world, the temperature ought to be somewhere close to 600 F as the ideal for

the entire reach to media designs and for human solace. This temperature range has been

recommended for materials that are as a rule effectively utilized in a library or data focus.

For a chronicled assortment, nonetheless, a reach lower by about 100 F at the two

closures (ie., 50° F and 60° F) is for the most part suggested. Whatever temperature is

settled on, it is significant that it stays as steady as could be expected. Any change

beyond a couple of degrees can hurt materials.

T

he non-book materials ought not to be put away near the entryways or windows. Where

materials are eliminated for use from long capacity, it will constantly cause temperature

variety of over a couple of degrees; thus, the material ought not to be put to

utilize right away. An interaction of organizing is required. It empowers the thing to

change itself to the changed ecological temperature in slow advances.

Relative Humidity:

The relative humidity is an outflow of the dampness content of the air. These non-book

materials, similar to all book materials, are delicate to this factor. Here once more, on

account of temperature, there is no single relative humidity endorsed for all materials.

Notwithstanding, a scope of 45% + 5% relative humidity is considered reasonable, with

47% as the ideal.

Magnetic Fields:

Numerous materials, like audiotapes, soundtracks of different media, tapes, and so on will

be on magnetic tapes or housed in electromagnetic capacity gadgets. The fundamental

issues with these magnetic chronicles are unwanted eradicating of the magnetic signs,

division of the emulsion from the base material, print-through, and tape breakage. Sound

and videotapes set inside any magnetic field will either be deleted or will foster static

charge.

The capacity area for such materials ought to, in this manner, be in a space liberated from

magnetic fields, any solid magnets, or electric engines. Most magnetic tapes have their

own compartments, similar to sound and videotapes. These holders decrease harm

brought about by dust or sunlight. In any case, the issue of attraction necessitates that

the capacity racks be made of wood or any non-magnetic metal, liberated from

vibrations and shock. The racks ought to be electrically grounded, whenever made of

metal, and ought to be put away from any electronic apparatuses or electrical cables by a

distance of no less than a couple of feet; the farther the better.

Note : Photo by Tima Miroshnichenko: https://www.pexels.com/

Library Disaster Preparedness

 

Disaster might be characterized as any event that compromises a human being.

The library is one such institution that suffers the most. There should be a Library Disaster

Preparedness Plan for this event. Disaster harms libraries and their materials. Disasters

can be regular or man-made depending upon their starting point.

 Disasters identified with outrageous climate occasions. It could be floods, typhoons, twisters, and so 

on. Disasters can't be anticipated and it is minimal that should be possible to forestall these disasters

as the greater part of the disasters happen abruptly and suddenly.

But the weather forecast helps us keep track of these disasters and some precautions might

help save us from serious damages. Library activities are disturbed, all utilities come to

a halt and we keep guessing when it will reach that place and what sort of damage it will

do. These disasters include fires, floods, earthquakes, typhoons, cyclones, and

a vicious working environment. Any of these disasters, enormous or little, normal or

man-made, can possibly hurt the library's assortments, the structure, the library

representatives, and the library clients.

Fire

Fire-related disasters are regularly considerably more damaging than those brought about

by water alone. There should be a Library Disaster Preparedness Plan for the fire. It

produces gigantic measures of warmth, smoke, and poisonous gases. There are lots of

reasons for the fire. But whatever the reason, fire damage is very serious. Nothing is

left if no action is taken from us. The library is gutted to such an extent that only ashes

are left. Fire extinguishers should be put in our libraries. Training should be given to the

library staff for emergencies.

Water

Floods that cause wind and water-related harm are common cataclysmic events for

libraries. There should be a Library Disaster Preparedness Plan for the flood. The floods may

result from too much rain in the rainy season. The Dam is opened suddenly and water

enters the Library building as it enters other buildings. Other than normal events like

tropical storms, cyclones, and floods, water harm can emerge out of failing pipes and

cooling frameworks. Floods, downpours, sprinkler pipe breaks, and different disasters can

leave paper records, microfilm, and other library materials splashed with water.

Earthquake

Earthquakes impact the holdings of a library. During an earthquake building walls, and roofs

fall down or have major cracks causing primary harm. There should be a Library Disaster

Preparedness Plan for Earthquake. The library structures are damaged and the library

documents are covered under mud. The harm to digitally recorded documents because of

earthquakes could be indispensable.

Theft

Library assortments are additionally affected by theft and defacing. Other man-made

disasters are war, psychological warfare, revolting. There should be a Library Disaster

Preparedness Plan for these sorts of problems. This leads to damages of assortments of

libraries and information centers. During the war various elements influenced libraries.

Theft control measures should be taken strictly as CCTV is the best to install in libraries.

Chemical

Mortar residue, sawdust, and different particulates channel into the climate and afterward

into the library assortments. They scrape the paper and harm other apparatus of the

library. Different chemicals present in the climate, are spread from one building to

another. Chemicals react with other gases and it becomes a disaster. Library Preservatives

like insecticides and pesticides have too many chemicals which have adverse effects on

readers.

Preparedness for Disaster

Disaster planning is not easy. The Library Disaster Preparedness Plan should be ready for

implementation. The whole cycle should be upheld at the most elevated level of the

association on the off chance that it is to be viable. Different Rules for the Disaster

The Planning Process is referenced below. The disaster plan ought to incorporate, yet

not really be restricted to, the accompanying advances. The following steps should be

planned to face disasters.

Allocating duty

A legitimate disaster committee or group should be formed with one staff part having the

primary duty regarding coordinating and refreshing the arrangement. The disaster group

should involve members from various library foundations. Other faculty in the association,

for example, building support staff, designers, and security specialists ought to likewise

be individuals from the group.

Directing research

Library Disaster Preparedness Plan Team should survey arrangments and recuperation,

look at disaster plans from comparative sorts of organizations, and go to significant

workshops subsequently leading fundamental examinations before forming a disaster

plan.

Identification and Assessment of possible dangers

The group should make a review to recognize the kind of disasters that may happen and

decide the likelihood of their event. Different geographic and climatic dangers and

different dangers that could endanger the structure and assortments ought to be

recognized. These might incorporate the organization's weakness to storms, twisters,

streak flooding, earthquakes, and so forth, and furthermore to man-made disasters, for

example, power shocks, sprinkler releases, fuel or water supply disappointments,

chemical spills, torching, bomb dangers, or other such issues.

Library Disaster Preparedness Plan Team analyses the structure, fire security frameworks,

electrical frameworks, plumbing, and ecological frameworks ought to likewise be

analyzed. The state of the electrical wiring, on the off chance that it is old or over-burden,

if electrical apparatuses are unplugged around evening time, the state of water/seepage

pipes, issues if any with the environment control framework, establishment of the

adequate number of fire dousers in the structure, if they are reviewed routinely, presence of

fire cautions and fire concealment framework, if they are very much kept

up with or not, arrangement for fire exits, is any fire exit hindered this load of inquiries

ought to be considered.

Then, at that point, an appraisal ought to be made concerning the degree of risk

every one of the recognized disaster stances to the organization and its proceeded 

activity. Because of this evaluation, a rundown of the necessary preemptive measures to

ensure the organization's offices ought to be ready and finished.

Identification of assets

Sources of help with a disaster ought to be distinguished. The different supplies needed in

case of an emergency for disaster response and rescue endeavors ought to be

distinguished. Fundamental supplies like electric lamps, plastic sheeting, paper towels,

wipes, concealing tape and channel tape, scissors, latex or elastic gloves, dust

covers, cleaning items and sanitizers, and so forth ought to be secured and kept in a

simple place, easy to find in emergencies. According to the Library Disaster Preparedness

Plan, A rundown of required supplies and a list of providers' names, locations, and

telephone numbers ought to likewise be ready and kept up with.

Contacts with neighborhood crisis offices

The Library Disaster Preparedness Plan Team should make an evaluation of the space's likely risks,

like fire, floods, earthquakes, and so forth The group ought to likewise counsel fire battling

faculty and see that the structure is similar to the fire standards. Neighborhood

administration like fire specialist co-ops ought to be approached to visit your organization

to get comfortable with your site plan and assortments ahead of a crisis.

All suitable disaster-response and recuperation administrations, going from police, fire,

and emergency vehicle administrations to support laborers, protection adjustors, and

service organizations, ought to be distinguished. A few organizations give disaster-

recuperation administrations, for example, dehumidification and vacuum freeze-drying.

Contacts ought to be kept up with nearby crisis benefits so they can react suitably if there

should be an occurrence of a disaster. The foundation of objectives and undertakings for

colleagues.

Guidance for Team members

Library Disaster Preparedness Plan Team which may incorporate clearing/floor plans;

posting of crisis administrations; posting of crisis response colleagues and obligations;

phone quantities of the crisis response colleagues; area of keys; fire/interruption caution

systems; posting of assortment needs; courses of action for migration of the

assortments; posting of in-house supplies; posting of outside providers and

administrations; protection data; posting of volunteers; anticipation agenda; record-

saving structures for objects moved in rescue endeavors; itemized rescue techniques.

Crisis methodology

This will incorporate what can anyone do during the occasion, and the suitable rescue

methods to be followed once the principal energy is finished. Floor plans for the different

regions shrouded in the arrangement ought to likewise be remembered for the last

arrangement. These floor plans should show the area of fire dousers, smoke caution

frameworks, cooling frameworks, sewage, and seepage frameworks, and crisis exits.

First response systems, including who ought to be reached first in each sort of crisis, what

quick advances ought to be taken, and how staff or groups will be advised. Presentation,

expressing the lines of power and the potential occasions covered by the arrangement.

Library Disaster Preparedness Plan is a Restoration plan for getting the organization back

to typical. The simplicity of Implementation. The composed disaster plan ought to be not

difficult to carry out during an emergency. Directions should be succinct, clear, 

extensive, and adaptable enough to take into account changes and ad-lib. Staff should be

given sufficient preparation in crisis techniques and standard drills ought to be directed if

conceivable.

Response to disaster

A Library Disaster Preparedness Plan is made for an emergency, the primary response ought

to contact the Library's Head office. The library's administration will then, at that point contact

Public Safety whenever required. In the meantime, they should do whatever it may take

to restrict possible harm. These means include ensuring that the library clients and staff

individuals are not in harm's way and finding and wiping out the wellspring of the issue.

In the event of a minor fire, fire quenchers ought to be utilized to extinguish the fire. In

the event of water harm, endeavors ought to be made to remove the water supply to the

affected region. This ought to be trailed by endeavors to eliminate the materials out of

risk.

 

In any case, any tidy-up or rescue work ought not to be embraced till the circumstance is

steady and a legitimate harm evaluation has been made. When the circumstance is

managed, the individuals from the disaster upkeep group should then make an appraisal

of the general harm caused. Library Disaster Preparedness Plan Based on the appraisal

made by the disaster supervisory group significant choices, regardless of whether to pull

out, supplant, or endeavor to rescue harmed materials, ought to be taken.

Materials that are to be removed ought to be saved and not disposed of right away.

Water-harmed materials can ordinarily be rescued, however, the interaction is costly, work

escalated, and tedious. Be that as it may, if there should arise an occurrence of a serious

fire, harm is by and largely irreversible, and rescue is beyond the realm of imagination. In

case of serious disasters, rescue ought to be finished by the set rescue needs.

Note: Photo by Алесь Усцінаў : https://www.pexels.com