Proposed Collaborative Research Project:

Climatic Differences in Library Material Storage Conditions

Tom Clareson, LYRASISand Ian Bogus, University of Pennsylvania

PAN Meeting Philadelphia, PAJanuary 24, 2014

Overview of the Project

• Recognizing the growing interest in shared print repositories

• What has been missing from the conversation is the influence of the environment on master backup volumes

• Identify books commonly held by library partners in separate climatic regions in the U.S

• Bring the materials together for simple analysis

Project Goals

• Gain a better understanding of how books have aged

• Analysis will inform collection, storage, digitization, and preservation priorities

• Results will be used to make generalizations about condition that can be used for informed decision-making

What information do participants want from this study?

• Brightness test (darkening)• Fold test (paper flexibility)• Strength/burst test (strength)• Place of publication (paper production differences)• Date (differences in age)• Condition review (general condition)• Availability (trusting WorldCat numbers)• Other information you would like….?

Determining the Study Sample

• Time Period– 1840-1950 Timespan or other date range?

• How large of a sample size?• Other sampling parameters?

Selecting Partners –Interested Institutions So Far…

• Columbia• Cornell• Iowa• Miami (FL)• Michigan• MIT• Northwestern• NYU• Occidental• U of Pittsburgh

• Tulane• U of Washington• UCLA• UCSD• UC-Riverside• Yale• Duke• UIUC• Penn• Ithaka• LYRASIS

Partner Roles

• Knowledge about conditions their collections were stored in, and the facilities (e.g., air conditioning installed in 1963)

• Large enough collection to have overlap with partners for adequate sample size

• Who will be Principal Investigator/Lead?• What costs will be incurred by partners, PI?

Other Research Issues

• Who will perform the tests on the materials?• What is the timeline for the project?• Planning and Implementation in same grant,

or just Planning Grant to start?• Potential Funders: IMLS, NEH, others?

Next Steps

• Meeting of interested parties this afternoon at Penn

• Decisions on funders to approach• Proposal development and submission• Meeting at ALA Annual 2014 to finalize grant?• Other steps/issues• Other overall questions?

Project Contacts

Tom ClaresonLYRASIStom.clareson@lyrasis.org

Ian BogusUniversity of Pennsylvania Librariesbogus@pobox.upenn.edu