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A rolling cart with three shelves full of books.
A batch of books sent to the Library of Congress by a partner institution awaits visual assessment. Photo Credit: Andrew Forsberg

Register Now: Assessing the Physical Condition of the National Collection

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Join us, at The Library of Congress or virtually, as we discuss “Assessing the Physical Condition of the National Collection (ANC)”. This Andrew W. Mellon funded project has collected data from over 2500 volumes to compare the physical, chemical and optical characteristics of 500 “identical” books from five large research libraries in distinct regions of the United States for the time period 1840-1940, when more acidic paper production processes began. This research study was intended for developing a national plan to ensure that books retained and preserved in shared print programs have the best physical properties for long-term preservation.

Date: August 8, 2023

Time: 10:00 am – 4:00 pm

* Sessions will be from 10:00 am – 12:00 pm and 2:00 pm – 4:00 pm *

Speakers will address the methodology of the research approach for such a complex data set; the infrastructure and platform needed for extracting active usable data and meeting FAIR data principles; using non-invasive techniques for determining and predicting paper pulp types; chemometric and data modeling; and the potential for simple portable tools. The event will end with a discussion on how the research led to addressing accepted assumptions in the field.

Register to Attend in Person

Location: Montpelier Room – Library of Congress Madison Building

101 Independence Ave SE, Washington, DC 20540

Not able to attend in person? Register in advance for the livestream.

The Topics on Preservation Series (TOPS) is an ongoing lecture series organized by the Preservation Directorate. You can find past lectures and recordings here.

Please request ADA accommodations at least five business days in advance by contacting (202) 707-6362 or [email protected].

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