Volume 26, Number 6
Oct 2003

Editor's Page

Dear Readers,

This issue has been compiled by our first guest editor, Pat Turpening, using news sources of her own as well as the exchange newsletters and other material we sent her. Pat put this issue together while working at her full-time job as Head of Preservation and Archives at the University of Cincinnati Law Library. Her hard work has made it possible for us to complete the publication of Volume 26.

Until we are able to find a permanent editor, however, we are still in need of guest editors who, like Pat, can put together one or more issues. Guest editors have full production and administrative support from the Abbey staff.

Our exchange subscriptions are the main source of information for the editor. As time permits, I still visually scan each issue as soon as it comes in, marking any newsworthy articles for later consideration. We are able to send copies of these articles to the guest editor, in case they need them for raw material.

I regret that I cannot continue editing the Abbey Newsletter, but given my age (76) and health (failing eyesight, memory and energy), it would not be realistic. In the coming months I hope to write a booklet of instructions or conduct a small workshop on newsletter editing "the Abbey way."

I look forward to the day when I can ask the publishers of all our exchange publications to transfer their subscriptions to our new editor. I also dream of finding a home for the impressive library and information files I have built up. Ideally this would be a place easily accessible to the next editor or to a school where preservation is taught.

Because we have not sent out any newsletters since May and our last renewal notices went out 15 months ago, we are quite short of money now. We will have to make a decision about the future of the Abbey Newsletter by Christmas, if not sooner. If you know of a person or institution who might be interested in taking over this newsletter, please ask them to contact me at 512/929-3992.

In the interim, as a courtesy to our readers, we have decided to start an electronic news service, where we will post on our web site time-sensitive news items, events, and job listings. Visit us there at <http://palimpsest.stanford.edu/byorg/abbey>. You may want to bookmark the page. The site will be updated frequently.

These Donors Keep Us Going

The Editor and Trustees of Abbey Publications, Inc. are grateful for the support received from the people and organizations listed below, as well as from those who gave smaller amounts. Without their help, we are not sure how we could make it from year to year. All donations go toward publishing the Abbey Newsletter and the Mold Reporter, and serving the information needs of readers.

Below we have listed the 2002-2003 donors. We have received a total of $5777.50 within this time period.

The ABBEY NEWSLETTER: PRESERVATION OF LIBRARY & ARCHIVAL MATERIALS (ISSN: 0276-8291) is published six times a year with a separate index by Abbey Publications, Inc., 7105 Geneva Dr., Austin, TX 78723, and has about 1000 subscribers.

Personal subscriptions are $45 for Volume 26 and $47 fpr Volume 27; institutional subscriptions are $85 for Volume 26 and $88.50 for Volume 27. Overseas subscriptions are an additional $12/year. Checks and money orders should be made out in U.S. dollars, payable to Abbey Publications. Visa and MasterCard are also accepted.

It is the policy of Abbey Publications to use permanent paper for all publications. Claims for issues never received will be honored within a year of publication.

The Editor's permission must be obtained before making more than 20 copies at a time of lengthy or signed articles. This lets us make any necessary corrections or updates, or contact other copyright holders for permission to reprint. Back issues from 1981 onward are on our Web page at http://palimpsest.stanford.edu/byorg/abbey/an/websites.html.

Abbey Publications is a nonprofit corporation set up to encourage preservation of written or recorded information, including the use of lasting materials in the creation of records. the corporation has five trustees (E. McCrady, G. Frost, R. Pilette, J. Wellvang, and Ellen Cunningham-Kruppa) and five officers (E. McCrady, Pres.; G. Frost, 1st V.P.; J. Wellvang, 2nd V.P.; and C. Jensen, Treas.).

Authors Please Take Note

Authors of articles and other contributions accepted for publication in the Abbey Newsletter will be assumed (unless they notify the editor otherwise) to be granting permission to publish their work in both print and electronic format, and to archive it and make it retrievable electronically. Authors retain copyright, however, and may republish their work in any way they wish.

Similarly with previous publishers of material who have given permission for their copyrighted material to be reprinted in the Abbey Newsletter. the permission will be assumed to cover the electronic as well as the printed form.

This policy has been adopted for two reasons: 1) It helps the cause of library and archive preservation, and 2) existing copyright law considers electronic reprints to be merely extra copies of the original publication, in another format.