Cornell receives Luce grant

Luce Grant Helps Cornell Create Preservation Training Program for
    Chinese Libraries

Starting in November, 2012 Cornell University Library will help
preserve valuable books and prevent damage from natural disasters
thousands of miles across the ocean.

Thanks to a $180,000 grant from the Henry Luce Foundation, the
Library is beginning an internship program that will allow
representatives from four libraries in China come to Ithaca to study
with experts in the Library's Department of Preservation and
Conservation <URL:http://www.library.cornell.edu/preservation>

Cornell's preservation experience, facilities and expertise will
show the eight interns how to mitigate the immediate physical risks
that threaten some of China's most significant historical
collections and greatly extend the life of their valuable books.

   "Knowledge creation is global. With fewer barriers to
    cross-border research, the well-being of collections in other
    countries is directly linked to the research we do at Cornell
    and around the world, and it benefits from their accessibility,"
    said Xin Li, Associate University Librarian for Central Library
    Operations. "Helping Chinese librarians preserve these materials
    ensures they'll be around for the long run, which is part of the
    global mission of a land-grant university."

Four leading academic libraries in Beijing--Renmin University
Library, Peking University Library, Tsinghua University Library and
the China Agricultural University Library--will participate in the
program. Its first session begins Nov. 1, 2012 with two interns
coming to Cornell at a time. Over the course of two years, each of
the interns will attend two six-week workshops.

Interns will learn conservation of Western bindings, non-damaging
exhibition practices and care and handling of collections, as well
as how to prevent mold and mitigate water damage.

By the end of the program, interns will not only be able to
implement preservation and disaster plans at their own libraries,
but also help train other librarians, archivists and technicians at
other institutions in China. An enhanced online preservation
tutorial translated into Chinese will also allow library staff
members to continue mentoring and advising the interns even after
the project is over.

   "Our 'train-the-trainers' model, combined with our online
    tutorial, means we can reach far beyond the people we're
    training in person," said Barbara Berger Eden, director of
    preservation at Cornell. "This program requires a combination of
    specialized skills that our Library can offer: singular
    expertise in traditional conservation skills and the innovative
    use of cutting-edge technology."

   "The preservation of endangered materials will benefit
    scholarship," said Helena Kolenda, Program Director for Asia at
    the Luce Foundation. "This training program will also serve to
    build bridges between the library communities in the United
    States and China."

To learn more visit

    <URL:http://www.library.cornell.edu/preservation/>

Barbara B. Eden
Director of Preservation
Grants and Digital Collections Officer
Cornell University Library
Digital Scholarship and Preservation Services
B15 Olin Library
Ithaca, NY 14853
607-255-5291
Fax: 607-254-7493


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                  Conservation DistList Instance 26:21
                Distributed: Saturday, October 13, 2012
                       Message Id: cdl-26-21-001
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