Volume 3, Number 1
Mar 1990

Letters

To the Editor:

It was interesting to see the excerpts of the Report on the Runability of Alkaline Paperstocks within the National Printing Bureau which was published in the November Alkaline Paper Advocate. This letter is intended to put the Report into context and to mention other Canadian initiatives concerning permanent paper.

The Report was prepared for a working group comprised of staff from the Library of Parliament, the Senate, the House of Commons, the Canadian Government Publishing Centre, the Canadian Government Printing Services and the National Library. The working group addressed the desirability and feasibility of having all parliamentary paper s produced on permanent paper. A proposal to this effect is now before Both the Speaker of the House of Commons and of the Senate.

At the same time, the National Librarian was working with the Canadian Government Publishing Centre and Statistics Canada on a strategy to encourage an extension beyond parliamentary papers to a much broader coverage--all government papers. This work is ongoing.

Recently the largest single publisher in Canada, Statistics Canada, converted to the use of permanent paper. Their first publication on permanent (ANSI Standard Z39.481984) paper came out in January and by mid-February their intention was that all of their in-house printing would be on this type of paper.

Despite the fact that the National Library of Canada has had a mass deacidification program in place since 1984, results of a condition survey this year indicate that 97% of our collections are acidic. With our collections growing at the rate of 7% annually, this figure may well get worse, not better. It is because of the great threat to our collections that the National Librarian has worked very hard these last two years to encourage publishing on permanent paper. Carswells, Canada's largest law book publisher, is now producing its materials an permanent paper. I enclose a summary of Canadian Library activities in this field in 1989.

CHRONOLOGY OF CANADIAN LIBRARY'S 1989 INITIATIVES WITH RESPECT TO IDENTIFYING AND DEALING WITH THE PROBLEM

May 1989

PRESENTATION BEFORE THE STANDING COMMITTEE ON COMMUNICATIONS, CULTURE, CITIZENSHIP AND MULTICULTURISM

Marianne Scott presented the importance of printing Canadian government publications on alkaline paper. She indicated that it would not only be economically and environmentally advantageous, but it would help to preserve the - published heritage as well.

June 1989

CANADIAN LIBRARY ASSOCIATION

Resolution: Be it resolved that the Canadian Library Association urge the Federal and provincial governments of Canada to adopt standards for permanent paper and convert the publication of all government and parliamentary documents from acid paper to permanent paper.

Resolution: Be it resolved that the Canadian Library Association urge the Canadian publishing community to adopt standards for permanent paper and convert all their publications from acid paper to permanent paper..

June 1989

CANADIAN ASSOCIATION OF RESEARCH LIBRARIES

Motion: That CARL/ABRC urges the Government of Canada to establish, by January 1,1990, a specific timetable for the conversion of the publication of all government and parliamentary papers to permanent paper. Carried.

August 1989

INTERNATIONAL FEDERATION OF LIBRARY ASSOCIATIONS

[Since the main points in IFLA's three resolutions urging the use of permanent paper worldwide, and the development of international permanence standards, are given on p. 45 in the October 1989 issue of this Newsletter, they will not be repeated here.]

November 1989

CONFÉRENCE DES RECTEURS ET DES PRINCIPAUX DES UNIVERSITÉS DU QUÉBEC (CREPUQ)

Recommendation: That CREPUQ asks the Government of Quebec and the Government of Canada that only alkaline printing inks and papers be used in the production of all their publications

Recommendation: That CREPUQ encourages the Government Quebec and the Government of Canada to create incentive program directed at the producers of papers and printing inks in order to encourage the production of alkaline products, and similar programs directed at editors and printers.

Recommendation: That CREPUQ asks the Bibliothèque nationals du Québec and the National Library eof Canada to examine the feasibility of revising the laws on legal deposit to include the obligation to produce copies deposited in accordance with these laws on alkaline paper.

Recommendation: That CREPUQ asks the Government of Quebec and the Government of Canada to set up a program to make paper and printing ink producers, as well as editors and printers, aware of the problem of preservation of documents produced on non-permanent paper and non-alkaline inks.

Recommendation: That CREPUQ encourages the Government of Canada to push forward the development and adoption of standards concerning the production and utilization of alkaline ink and paper used in printing.