Press contact: Donna Urschel (202) 707-1639
Public contact: William LeFurgy (202) 707-8618

April 10, 2012

Library of Congress Celebrates "Preservation Week: Pass It On"

Events Scheduled for April 23 to April 28

For many years, people have kept their precious mementos—letters, photo albums, home movies, digital photos and videos, and paper documents—as a link to the past, and a recognized tradition is to pass along these family treasures to future generations.

In celebration of Preservation Week 2012, April 22-28, the Library of Congress is sponsoring a number of activities to share preservation strategies that help people care for their personal materials—and thereby pass them on.

Preservation Week Events

• Monday, April 23, noon to 1 p.m., "Film—Investment in the Future." A 35-minute photofilm (a film made from still images) from the 1980s explains the history of library preservation through the activities of the Library of Congress at that time. With interviews and images from the Library, the film focuses on the value of preserving the Library’s collections for the future. Associate Librarian for Library Services Roberta Shaffer will introduce the film and a discussion will follow the viewing. Dining Room A, on the sixth floor of the James Madison Building, 101 Independence Ave. S.E., Washington, D.C.
• Tuesday, April 24, noon to 1 p.m., "Caring for Your Digital Photos—Strategies to Help You Organize and Save Your Digital Memories." Increasingly, people create and share photographic memories in digital form. Staff from the National Digital Information Infrastructure and Preservation Program and the Prints and Photographs Division will provide basic, practical tips for organizing and saving digital photos. Dining Room A, on the sixth floor of the James Madison Building, 101 Independence Ave., S.E., Washington, D.C.
• Tuesday, April 24, 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m., "Save Your Digital Stuff—Practical Strategies for Preserving Your Digital Materials." A majority of the items created today are in digital form. Staff from the National Digital Information Infrastructure and Preservation Program will provide some basic, practical tips for preserving personal digital collections. The Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial D.C. Public Library, 901 G St N.W., Washington, D.C.
• Wednesday, April 25, noon to 1 p.m., "Caring for Your Books, Documents and Works of Art on Paper, and Photographic Prints." Conservation specialists from the Preservation Directorate will discuss and demonstrate basic preservation measures one can do at home to care for personal collections. Pickford Theater on the third floor of the James Madison Building, 101 Independence Ave. S.E., Washington, D.C.
• Thursday, April 26, at 2 p.m., EDT, webinar: "Preserving Your Personal Digital Photographs." The National Digital Information Infrastructure and Preservation Program will present information about learning to care for digital photos. Hosted by the Association for Library Collections and Technical Services. Free; registration required at https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/666813208 (external link).
• Saturday, April 28, 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m., "Save Your Digital Stuff: Practical Strategies for Preserving Your Digital Materials." Basic, practical tips for preserving personal digital collections. Arlington Country Public Library, Central Branch, 1015 North Quincy St., Arlington, Va.
• Throughout the month, Young Readers Center Open House: The center will feature lively presentations and a book display introducing aspects of preservation to its young visitors and their families. The Young Readers Center is open Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., in Room G29 on the ground floor of the Library of Congress’s Thomas Jefferson Building, 10 First St. S.E., Washington, D.C.

The Library’s events are co-sponsored by the Library's Office of Strategic Initiatives and Library Services. For information about visiting the Library, visit www.loc.gov/visit/.

Preservation Week, a joint initiative of the Association for Library Collections and Technical Services (ALCTS), the Library of Congress and IMLS, encourages libraries and other institutions to connect our communities through events, activities and resources that highlight what we can do, individually and together, to preserve our personal and shared collections. Visit the Preservation Week 2012 website (external link) for more information or how you can get involved.

Founded in 1800, the Library of Congress is the nation’s oldest federal cultural institution and the largest library in the world, with nearly 151.8 million items in various languages, disciplines and formats. The Library serves the U.S. Congress and the nation both on-site, in its reading rooms on Capitol Hill, and through its award-winning website at www.loc.gov.

# # #

PR 12-069
04/10/12
ISSN 0731-3527

Back to top