Seeking Participants for Study on Preservation Education
We are contacting you to request your participation in a new study on current
activities and future needs for preservation education in North America, entitled:
“Preservation Education Needs for the Next Generation of Information Professionals”
Nature of the Study
Preservation education is a critical need for librarians and archivists,
particularly as the scope of their preservation responsibilities continues
to widen to include new formats, and as the library and archival community
continues its commitment to building digital libraries of historically and
culturally significant material. Anecdotal evidence indicates that current
educational preparation is inadequate, given these new responsibilities.
The investigators hope to obtain a more complete picture of the present course
offerings in preservation, for the purposes of testing the hypothesis that
current preservation education does not provide adequate preparation in the
areas of technical and managerial expertise to deal with the preservation
of material such as digital collections, audiovisual media, and visual materials.
This study will lay the groundwork for a larger project which aims to thoroughly
document activities in the field of preservation education during the
last decade, and how university and field service programs can best place
themselves to provide the needed knowledge and expertise to effectively administer
preservation programs in libraries and archives. Ultimately, the investigators
hope to formulate specific recommendations for directing preservation education
in the next decade.
Type of Participation Sought
We are seeking participation from individuals responsible for preservation
coursework at American Library Association-accredited institutions (those
which offer undergraduate and graduate-level degrees in library, archival,
and/or information studies), as well as individuals at organizations providing
continuing education in the area of preservation (such as field service programs).
How to Participate:
If you would like to contribute information to this study, please contact
Dr. Karen Gracy by e-mail (PresEd@mail.sis.pitt.edu) or phone (412-624-7679).
You may also visit the following website to submit your contact information:
http://www.sis.pitt.edu/~kgracy/Sign-Up_Form.htm.
Please note that participation is optional and all identifying information
will be kept confidential.
Investigators
Dr. Karen F. Gracy is Principal Investigator and Jean Ann Croft, M.L.I.S.,
is Co-Investigator for this study. For further information about Dr.
Gracy or Ms. Croft, please consult the project website at: http://www.sis.pitt.edu/~kgracy/Pres_Edu_Study.htm.
Acknowledgements
Funding for this study is provided by the Central Research Development Fund
of the University of Pittsburgh.