Fall 2001

On-Site Reviews Are Conducted Many repositories throughout the NNY Library Network region have been taking advantage of the Network’s free Advisory and Technical Assistance site reviews. The review is provided through the Network’s Documentary Heritage Program. A professional consultant comes directly to your location to conduct the review. If you have a consultation, you are under no obligation to perform any of the recommendations – they are all optional suggestions. Consultants have made visits to the following sites and offered advice on how the repositories can better address some of their most important concerns. A site visit was made to the Town of Champlain on Jan. 9, 2001. The consultant recommended that as possible, a separate clean, dry and secure space should be provided for the historical records program; information captured on acidic newsprint should be photocopied on archival quality paper, and citations should be transferred to the copy; a brief outline of the entire collection should be prepared as an interim finding aid, and the principles of provenance and original order should be observed in arrangement activities. He further suggested archival security protocols should be written, posted and observed, and archival security protocols should be publicized during tours, orientation sessions and class visits; and the use of historical records should be documented to prevent loss/damage and to provide accurate use statistics for annual local and New York State reports. A site review was made to the Ogdensburg Public Library, Local History and Genealogy Collection in Ogdensburg on Jan. 16, 2001. The consultant suggested that in regards to the photographic collection, the library should have professional conservators survey specific parts of the collection to assess their need for treatment, and to suggest other ways of protecting it. He also said the library should record daily readings for temperature and relative humidity; regarding the library in the basement, he said installing water alert sensors tied by telephone lines to the library’s existing fire and intrusion alarm system can mitigate the threat of many problems. He said the steel cabinets used to store several large manuscript collections are inefficient, and the collections might be more economically re-housed in acid-free boxes and stored on adjustable steel shelves; and the library should consider controlling access to the reading room and vault. In the report for each site visit, the consultant gave a detailed listing of what materials would be needed to incorporate each suggestion. If you are interested in having an Advisory and Technical Assistance site review made at no cost to your repository, simply fill out a registration form at www.nnyln.org/dhpapplication and send it back to the Northern New York Library Network office.