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Date Posted: 16:19:59 03/12/02 Tue
Author: Neinfo
Subject: Resource funds an interim demonstrator project to prove the effectiveness of mass deacidification

Resource, the Council for Museums, Archives and Libraries has agreed to fund a third phase of the ongoing programme to establish a facility for mass deacidification to serve the UK, now known as INFOSAVE. The National Preservation Office will be the managing consultant for this project and an Advisory Group has been formed including representation from:

Resource
National Library of Scotland
National Library of Wales
British Library
Public Record Office

This important funding initiative (for completion at the end of March 2002)follows on directly from the second phase, completed in December 2001 and funded by the British Library's Co-operation & Partnership Programme.

During this second phase of the project, the net was widened to include post 1840 paper-based collections in museums. Key outcomes for the second phase were:

- the formation of a South East pilot consortium to survey their collections using the National Preservation Office (NPO) Preservation Assessment Survey(PAS), adapted by the NPO to determine the level of acid deterioration in their collections, and

- the compilation of an outline specification for mass deacidification.

The Pilot Group representing institutions in the South East and London agreed that the surveying of the identified material should use the NPO Preservation Survey Assessment model and collect all the other data that this methodology requires. This information will aid the compilation of a
national preservation strategy by developing a picture of preservation need.

The survey uses a sample of approximately 400 items selected from the
institution as a whole or from a defined collection or population. The
information from the Pilot Group's findings has been passed to the NPO who were able to add this to the existing survey database and include the new definitions, based on a new set of criteria for acidic papers.

The Pilot Group has demonstrated mechanisms for identifying material suitable for the processes available. In addition, the Pilot Group has identified the logistical requirements for a collaborative process.

With Phase 1 and Phase 2 successfully completed the Steering Group agreed that it was now necessary to prove the technical and commercial environment and develop the consortial funding apparatus (Phase 3) necessary to apply
for funding to establish a mass deacidification system for archives, libraries and museums in the British Isles (Phase 4).

The current project will:

- Develop a full technical specification for the deacidification of brittle paper in post 1850 books and manuscripts.
- Identify a pilot batch of materials suitable for mass treatment.
- Negotiate with the commercial suppliers to carry out the test trial.
- Review the outcomes of the test and refine the technical specification.
- Prepare an outline funding proposal for a collaborative bid for a mass deacidification system.

A major objective of the project is to process and test sample batches of material in order to further refine the technical specification. The project will approach commercial suppliers of mass deacidification services, in
particular those referred to in "The Enemy Within" ¹, to ask for their support in this project.

Each supplier will be asked to process a batch of substantially similar but not identical material, representing the types of artefact and papers that
will expect to be submitted for mass deacidification. The demonstrator will be accompanied by a specification and the project includes consultancy for bringing together the batches, and a paper chemist to facilitate the pre and
post- treatment testing.

For further information on the project, please contact:

Alison Walker
Head of Programmes
National preservation Office
The British Library
96 Euston Road
London
NW1 2DB

Tel: 020 7412 7612
Fax: 020 7412 7796
Email: npo@bl.uk
____________________________________________________________
¹ The Report, which was publicly launched at the British Library on March 6th 2001 is available via the British Library's Concord website:
http://www.bl.uk/concord/proj99report1.html

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