More than 130 Participate in Preservation Online Conference

The Amigos Imaging and Preservation Service (IPS) hosted more than 130 participants for its September 19 online conference, "Preservation: Back to Basics." Fifteen sessions provided attendees with the fundamentals of preservation best practices.

IPS Manager Gina Minks said the lack of opportunities for basic preservation training prompted Amigos to develop the conference. "So many library schools don't have classes covering preservation," said Minks. "As a result, many people out there have preservation responsibilities as part of their jobs but don't have actual formal preservation training. This conference was for those who needed a good ground-floor introduction."

The online conference allowed Amigos to bring speakers together who normally would not present at conferences in the Southwest. Presentations included disaster planning and preparedness by Ann Marie Willer, Massachusetts Institute of Technology; preservation planning by Sara Stilley of the University of California-Riverside; and working with audio preservation vendors by Kimberley Tarr, New York University, and Peter Oleksik from New York's Museum of Modern Art.

In addition to providing attendees the basics of preservation, Minks hopes the conference served to heighten awareness of IPS and what it offers. "I hope everyone remembers that the Amigos IPS is here to provide information that helps libraries and cultural heritage institutions deal with their preservation issues," Minks said. "We thank the National Endowment for the Humanities for providing funding for IPS and important conferences like this."

Minks said that IPS is planning its next online conference, on the preservation of nontraditional collection materials, for next spring.

"MOOCs, Mobile Technologies - Their Impact on Reference Service" is the subject of the next Amigos online conference, set for November 7. Visit the conference web pages for complete conference information.