Course Purpose and Goals

This course will examine methods of integrating and implementing preservation activities and programs in library and archival settings, based on a knowledge of preservation history, operations, and current issues.  The focus is on combining management ideals with less-than-ideal institutional environments.  Topics to be covered in the course include:

• Analysis of organizational forms and functions through case studies;
• Basic principles of human resources, facilities, and fiscal management;
  
• Preservation assessment, including collections and facilities surveying, analysis of preservation survey data, and the writing of policy recommendations;
• Preservation education in libraries and archives;
• Strategic planning and change management;
• Disaster planning and recovery; and
  
• Grantwriting, including development of proposals and budgets

• Analyze and interpret the form and function of organizations within the library and archival settings;
  
• Apply basic management principles and methods to preservation activities and programs;
• Identify and describe core components of a preservation program;
• Identify and describe the qualities which define leadership for preservation managers;
• Identify sources of funding to support preservation activities and programs, including federal, state, and local funding, and private organizations;
• Write a grant proposal (narrative and budget) to fund preservation activities and programs.
  

• Carefully proofread your assignments for accuracy in spelling and grammatical construction—such errors do play a part in your grade, particularly if they affect the instructor's ability to understand the content or import of your writing.
• Meet with the instructor at least once in the term to discuss your progress and your work on assignments.

Course Requirements

• Participation (30% of final grade):  Each student is expected to complete the required readings on a weekly basis, and to participate regularly in class discussions about the readings, current issues, and case studies.  Students who do not actively participate in class discussions on a regular basis will receive no higher than a “B” for this course.

• Preservation Assessment Project (30% of final grade):  For this multi-part assignment, students will form teams of 2-5 students.  Each team will be assigned a collection to survey at a local institution, and will work with a representative from that institution to collect data.
  

The assignment includes the following milestones:

1) Assessment Report (10-12 pages)

After discussing how to conduct preservation surveys in class, the teams will survey their assigned collections to assess preservation needs using CALIPR software designed specifically for preservation surveys (alternately, students may opt to use SPSS or another statistical analysis package to analyze survey data).  They will then analyze the collected data and write a report that critically examines the results and suggests areas for improvement in such areas as environmental conditions, housing, treatment, and handling.  The team will use Beth Patkus's Assessing Preservation Needs:  A Self-Survey Guide as the survey instrument.

2) Policy Recommendations (2-3 pages)

Finally, the team will write a short document which targets a particular problem pinpointed in the assessment report, and offers suggestions to ameliorate the situation.  Be sure to reflect upon the environment in which the collection resides (cultural or fiscal) and suggest a solution which makes sense within that organization.

• Grant Proposal or Internal Report (30% of final grade):  The team (same people as in the Preservation Assessment Project) will identify a preservation need which lies outside the current budget of the institution which was surveyed in the Preservation Assessment Project.  This assignment will consist of two parts:
  

1)  Identification of Funding Sources (2-3 pages)

After the class has visited the Foundation Center, the team will research potential funding sources and identify at least three possible organizations with which the institution may wish to explore grant opportunities.  The team will briefly describe the philanthropic programs under consideration and explain why each program may be a good match.  For teams working on internal reports, this part of the assignment will be performed as an exercise (in the case that one's request for a budget increase is denied, this would be very valuable information to have anyway!).

2)  Grant Proposal Narrative and Budget (12-15 pages)

The team will write an application for a grant to one of the organizations identified in the first part of the assignment.  This application shall consist of a narrative, or explanation of the project and why the organization should be interested in funding it, and a budget which describes all costs which would be associated with the project.  In cases of cost sharing, the team should be prepared to explain how the institution will contribute its portion of the budget.  For grant-making organizations which have their own format for grants, the team is encouraged to use it.  For smaller organizations, the team may use the Grantmakers of Western Pennsylvania Common Grant Application Form, available at http://web.gwpa.org:4600/grantmakers:Website,grantmakers,home.

Or ...

Internal Report and Proposed Budget (for teams working on requests for budget allocations) (12-15 pages)

The team will write a document directed at upper-level administration (i.e., the person who is responsible for making budgetary decisions) which aims to provide a description of the project and why the library should receive a budgetary allocation to complete the project.  The team should prepare a detailed budget which describes all costs which would be associated with the project.  Additionally, the team should consider alternatives to the preferred plan, detailing benefits and trade-offs of different scenarios (e.g., what happens if we do nothing?).

• Final Presentation (10% of final grade):

The last two class sessions will be reserved for teams to present their work over the course of the term.  Each team will have forty minutes to present the particulars of the preservation assessment, discuss any preservation issues highlighted by their project, and present the grant proposal or internal report.

After the presentation, the team will deliver all documentation generated from this project to the instructor and the host institution in both print and electronic formats.

Deadlines, Assignment Weighting, Overall Grades for the Course

Overview of Course

Week	Date	Topic/Activity
1	May 18th	Introduction to Course; Review of Requirements and Goals for Course Review before class begins:  Environmental Conditions; Housing and Storage of Collections
2	May 25th	Fundamentals of Preservation Management:  What It Is, Why We Do It A Few Basic Management Concepts Conducting Preservation/Conservation Assessments
3	June 1st	Managing Human Resources (Joohyun Lee, guest lecturer) Team-Building (Survival on the Moon Exercise) Preservation Education in Libraries and Archives
4	June 8th	Leadership:  Becoming a Leader, Mentoring Future Leaders (Joohyun Lee, guest lecturer) Organizational Theories and Principles:  A Case Study Using Gareth Morgan's Images of Organization
5	June 15th	Facilities Management Disaster Planning and Emergency Preparedness (Simulation #1:  I've Seen Fire, and I've Seen Rain) Due:  Assessment Report
6	June 22nd	Repair and Reformatting Programs:  Microfilming, Photocopying, Book Repair and Rebinding, and Conservation Treatments; Digitization as Part of a Preservation Program  Preservation Policy:  Writing Guidelines and Putting Them into Practice
7	June 29th	Fiscal Management Simulation #2:  The Unkindest Cut (Budget Crisis) Due:  Policy Recommendations
8	July 6th	Funding for Preservation:  Making the Case for Internal Support, Finding Outside Sources, Writing Grants Field trip/guest speaker:  Foundation Center, Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh
9	July 13th	Planning for and Managing Change; Strategic Planning Simulation #3:  Preservation into the Future Due:  Identification of Funding Sources
10	July 20th	Student Presentations
11	July 27th	Student Presentations Due:  Grant Proposal or Internal Report (Narrative and Budget)

Course Readings

Required texts and resources:

Evans, G. Edward, et al.  Management Basics for Information Professionals.  New York:  Neal-Schuman Publishers, 2000. Z 678 E9 2000

Morgan, Gareth.  Images of Organization. 2nd ed. Thousand Oaks., CA:  Sage Publications, 1997.  (do not buy the "Executive Edition").  HD 31 M628 1997

Ogden, Barclay and Maralyn Jones.  Calipr for Windows.  Version 3.0xp.  1997.  http://sunsite.berkeley.edu/CALIPR/  Software loaded on J: drive in SIS computer laboratories.  Also available for download to student's home or laptop computer (see instructor for details).

SPSS for Windows or Macintosh.  Statistical analysis software loaded on SIS laboratory computers (no need to purchase your own copy unless you want to; price is $10 through Software Licensing Services, http://www.technology.pitt.edu/sls_student2/stu_spss.html).  Students may suggest alternate statistical software package in consultation with instructor.

Patkus, Beth.  Assessing Preservation Needs:  A Self-Survey Guide.  Andover, MA:  Northeast Document Conservation Center, 2003.  http://user823621.sf1000.registeredsite.com/selfsurvey/survman.htm

Highly recommended:

Dalley, Jane.  The Conservation Assessment Guide for Archives.  Ottawa:  Canadian Council of Archives, 1995.  Z 110 C7 D35 1995

Marrelli, Nancy.  Implementing Preservation Management:  A How-To Manual for Archives.  Montréal:  Réseau des Archives du Québec, 1996.  On order at SIS Library; copy available from instructor.

Ogden, Sherelyn.  Preservation Planning:  Guidelines for Writing a Long-Range Plan.  N.p.:  American Association of Museums and the Northeast Document Conservation Center, 1997. AM 141 O32 1997 (Ref. Non-Circulating)

Marrelli, Nancy.  Implementing Preservation Management:  A How-To Manual for Archives.  Montréal:  Réseau des Archives du Québec, 1996. pp. 9-15.  Copy available from instructor.

Teper, Thomas H. and Stephanie S. Atkins.  "Building Preservation:  The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign's Stacks Assessment." College & Research Libraries 64.3 (2003):  211-227.