Volume 46, Issue 4

Abstract: Controlling environmental conditions is an important component in preserving archives and manuscripts, with building design and HVAC systems widely used to achieve the desired conditions. One tool used for monitoring HVAC systems is the datalogger, which stores data such as temperature and relative humidity. As such devices can be costly and inflexible, this work explores the creation of a do-it-yourself datalogger and compares its accuracy, reliability, extensibility, cost, and ease of use against a popular commercial device. Findings suggest that organizations with sufficiently technology-savvy staff can construct and employ a DIY monitor for approximately one-quarter the price of commercial options, although costs may rise over time for support and maintenance of such systems.

Abstract: Artists’ books have become a popular genre for many institutions collecting art objects and unique books. The attempt to preserve the physical artists’ books often competes with the desire to extend user access to these highly tactile works. Partial digitization of artists’ books has allowed many institutions to cultivate an online presence for these collections, increasing access without compromising the physical integrity of the objects. However, creation of digital surrogates for artists’ books often sacrifices the authenticity and access to the intellectual content of the work. The challenge of digital preservation for artists’ books demonstrates the shortcomings of digital reformatting for works that may be intellectual and artistic.

Abstract: The authors propose a new index called IPABA (Identification, Presence, Audience, Browsability, Accessibility) for determining the potential visibility of UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Spain and Mexico on the basis of their official websites. This index is based on a checklist which includes new categories and items that influence the visibility of these websites. The sample is exhaustive, comprising the 114 Mexican and Spanish websites that are the official, government-sanctioned online representations of the World Heritage Sites in question. The results reveal changes in social behavior with regard to communication. The majority of the websites assessed had an overall score that was acceptable with more than 650 points out of a possible 1000, although differences were observed between countries in terms of presence on social networks.

Abstract: Audio recordings may be the most endangered of Americas collections, due to rapidly deteriorating media material, the scarcity of equipment for playback, and the diminishing numbers of professionals who have the skills for repairing legacy equipment and reformatting audio using traditional analog methods. The evidence for the size of the problem may be found in a variety of studies prompted by the National Recording Preservation Act of 2000 (H.R.4846). The resulting National Recording Preservation Plan by the Library of Congress and the Council on Library and Information Resources (CLIR) was released in 2012.