Position at SCURL

Shared Preservation in Scotland: Stage 2
Scottish Confederation of University and Research Libraries (SCURL)
Shared Preservation in Scotland (Stage 2)

Background: Stage 1 of the Shared Preservation in Scotland Programme
(funded by the Scottish Higher Education Funding Council, with
contributions from non-SHEFC-funded SCURL members) has been
completed by Dr Janet Gertz, Head of Preservation, Columbia
University Libraries, New York, with the publication of her report
Development of a Program for Shared Preservation in Scotland.
September 1999.  This work identified the components that should be
included in a shared preservation programme, and the obligations
that a library agreeing to take on a shared preservation
responsibility would incur.  The report identified the elements that
should be mandatory and those which are optional or could be
achieved over a period of time.

SCURL is now seeking to appoint a Researcher to undertake Stage 2 of
the Shared Preservation in Scotland Programme.

Stage 2 of the programme, funded by The Library and Information
Commission (The Museums, Archives and Libraries Commission from 1
April 2000), builds on the outcomes of Dr Janet Gertz's work.  Stage
2 will examine how the results of the investigation into the
components of a shared preservation programme can most effectively
be applied to research collections within a local, regional and
national context in Scotland; examine how priorities can be set;
investigate how such a shared preservation programme can link with
Research Collections Online (RCO); and explore how special and named
collections should be handled within a shared preservation
programme.

Methodology: The person appointed will use Dr Janet Gertz's report
as the starting point and will:


    *   Investigate the definition, scoping and application of a
        shared preservation programme to a group for cross-sectoral
        libraries of different sizes and complexities, identifying
        particular factors relating to regional/national contexts,
        international material and research strengths;

    *   Investigate the feasibility of linking shared preservation
        responsibilities with shared collection responsibilities and
        the suitability or otherwise of Research Collections Online
        (RCO) for this purpose;

    *   Examine the particular needs of special and named
        collections and their relationship to the RCO framework;

    *   Investigate the appropriate range of content for a shared
        preservation programme;

    *   Recommend strategies for the inclusion or otherwise of
        various media, including the different mechanisms which may
        be required to encompass both traditional materials as well
        as new media materials and online resources (electronic and
        digital);

    *   Set up a methodology for individual libraries in the group
        to identify collections for including in a shared
        preservation programme;

    *   Investigate how the local priorities of individual libraries
        can be linked satisfactorily within a regional and national
        programme;

    *   Establish the most effective online model for holding the
        results of a shared preservation programme, making it
        available, and keeping it up-to-date;

    *   Investigate a suitable monitoring mechanism for a regional
        or national shared preservation programme; and recommend a
        `back-up' mechanism to cope with instances where local
        circumstances may render a library unable to meet its
        obligations in a shared preservation programme over a
        specific period;

    *   Investigate the funding implications for libraries
        participating in a shared preservation programme.

There will be a requirement to visit and consult with appropriate
staff with preservation responsibilities in those SCURL libraries
with major research collections, and to keep aware of and liase with
other UK and international activities in this area.

Deliverables: The deliverables from the research proposal will be a
demonstrator system for holding the shared preservation programme
data online, and a report setting out the results of the research,
making a set of recommendations on the implementation of its
findings.  A report will be delivered to the Museums Libraries and
Archives Commission on time as required.  The research will be
written up and it will be promoted at meetings in Scotland and
beyond.

The project will be directed by the SCURL Collections and Services
Committee, which is chaired by Michael Breaks, University Librarian
of Heriot-Watt University.

The post is for one year from April 2000, and the person appointed
will be employed by Heriot-Watt University on Research Grade 1B at
UKP16,286. A secondment would be acceptable and therefore the person
appointed would be based in their home institution, but
alternatively s/he would be based in the National Library of
Scotland.  The person appointed will be responsible on a day-to-day
basis to a designated member of staff and through them to the SCURL
Collections and Services Committee.

The person appointed will have:

    *   A knowledge of collections, including general and special
        collections;

    *   Knowledge of preservation;

    *   Experience of working with cooperative initiatives would be
        advantageous;

    *   Good interpersonal and communications skills;

    *   Good IT skills.

Letters of Application and a CV, with the names of two referees,
should be submitted by Friday 7 April to:

    Mr Michael Breaks
    University Librarian
    Heriot-Watt University
    Edinburgh EH14 4AS
    +44 131 451 3570
    Fax: +44 131 451 3164
    m.l.breaks [at] hw__ac__uk

Belinda Sanderson
National Preservation Office
British Library
96 Euston Road
London NW1 2DB


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                  Conservation DistList Instance 13:49
                 Distributed: Thursday, March 30, 2000
                       Message Id: cdl-13-49-020
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