Criteria for selection for preservation

In response to the question by Hilde Ongering of the Royal Library
regarding selection for preservation, I would urge that individuals
examine the archival documentation strategy model described in a few
essays in the U.S. and Canadian archival literature.  Look for essays by
Larry Hackman and Joan Warnow-Blewett, Helen Samuels (most important),
Terry Cook, and myself.  I have tried to apply this to preservation
decisions in two essays, one in my book (American Archival Analysis
[1990]) and the other in a 1989 Library and Archival Security article.
We need to develop models for documenting certain fields based on
present knowledge, minimizing being swayed by worries of future use (it
can never be predicted) and preservation of forms of materials (except
as representative artifacts).

Richard J. Cox
Assistant Professor
Editor, American Archivist 
School of Library and Information Science
University of Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15260
412-624-3245 (work)
Fax: 412-648-7001

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                  Conservation DistList Instance 6:41
                 Distributed: Tuesday, February 2, 1993
                        Message Id: cdl-6-41-001
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