Exploring

Education and Training

Professional Resources

Ongoing preservation education and professional activities will help you carry out your preservation management duties more effectively. In particular, interaction with other preservation managers can provide encouragement and reinforcement, especially if you are the only person responsible for preservation in your institution.

You can update your skills and knowledge (and network with other preservation managers) through workshops, other continuing education programs, and participation in professional organizations and listserv discussions.

Many workshops are given by regional or state preservation organizations. There are a number of regional organizations throughout the United States that have joined together to form the Regional Alliance for Preservation (RAP). There are a number of regional organizations throughout the United States that have joined together to form the Regional Alliance for Preservation (RAP). Statewide preservation programs began during the 1980s and 1990s in a number of states throughout the country, based on a number of different models. Many of these have provided grants and workshops, often through the state library or archives. Examples include the New York State Library Program for the Conservation and Preservation of Library Research Materials and the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners preservation advisory services, workshops, and grants. Consult your state library or archives to determine whether or not similar programs exist in your state.

Both the American Library Association (ALA) and the Society of American Archivists provide resources for preservation professionals:

• ALA's Association for Library Collections and Technical Services division (ALCTS) includes the Preservation and Reformatting Section (PARS). PARS has a number of preservation committees and sponsors workshop and conference programs. PARS also sponsors two e-mail discussion groups: the Preservation Administrators Discussion List and the Preservation Educators Discussion List.
• The Society of American Archivists (SAA) also has an active preservation section that provides opportunities to get involved with the professional community. SAA also maintains the Archives and Archivists Listserv.

For preservation and conservation information, an excellent resource is Conservation OnLine (CoOL), run by the Preservation Department of Stanford University Libraries. The Conservation DistList, a discussion list devoted to preservation and conservation issues, is also based at this site.