公開セミナー 国立国会図書館 「スマトラ沖地震・津波による文書遺産の被災と復興支援」 平成 17 年 12 月 6 日
Recent activities of the IFLA/PAC Regional Centre for Asia (abstract) by Masaki Nasu
Ⅰ Disaster activities 1. Earthquake off Sumatra / Indian Ocean Tsunami The IFLA/PAC Regional Centre for Asia collected information of the disaster promptly and shared it with other institutions inside and outside Japan. The IFLA headquarters drew up the “IFLA Relief and Development Partnership” and sent it to the Library Associations around the world to ask their cooperation. But relief activities for libraries and documentary heritage have not gone very far. The reasons are as follows: ―the highest priority was put on saving lives and providing life support rather than cultural restoration. ―damage to library infrastructure such as equipment and service systems was beyond the framework of preservation and conservation, other problems. Cultural relief activities have gradually become active on site. Restoration of documentary heritage and educational institutions such as libraries, archives, etc. has got under way. I hope that relief activities will expand and become more active taking advantage of this seminar.
2. Pakistan Earthquake I asked the Director of the National Library of Pakistan about situation of damage in the country, but have heard nothing from him at present.
3. Disaster activities of the IFLA/PAC Regional Centre for Asia The IFLA/PAC Regional Centre for Asia is asked to take an active part in accordance with the disaster program of IFLA PAC and its roles are as follows: ― to disseminate knowledge and information about disaster prevention in the region and to raise the awareness of libraries concerning it ― to encourage the national libraries in Asia to make national disaster plans and to guide them in their preparedness for disaster ― to immediately provide information services on appropriate first–aid treatment to the damaged library, if a disaster should occur Furthermore the IFLA PAC has recently been asked to evaluate and assess the situation of damage and support needs, to take a leading part in activities such as finding and sending experts in preservation and conservation through subsidies by various foundations. But the roles of the Regional Centres have not been defined yet.
1/6 Open seminar on the documentary heritage damaged by the Indian Ocean Tsunami / National Diet Library, Tokyo / December 6, 2005
公開セミナー 国立国会図書館 「スマトラ沖地震・津波による文書遺産の被災と復興支援」 平成 17 年 12 月 6 日
Since the Kobe Earthquake, the IFLA/PAC Regional Centre for Asia has commonly taken disaster issues as themes of Preservation Forums held by the National Diet Library and made efforts to formulate disaster plans one by one for guidelines of other libraries in Japan. But as for the Earthquake off Sumatra / Indian Ocean Tsunami, there have been questions of communication with affected countries and information services to them. In Japan, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Agency of Culture are considering ratifying the Hague Treaty, the “Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict,” which Japan signed in 1954, and “Protocols,” and putting a bill on the agenda of the coming session of the Diet. The National Blue Shield Committee will be set up soon. As for the “IFLA Relief and Development Partnership,” it is very difficult to establish a national IFLA foundation in the present circumstances. But such a mechanism is now operated in Japan; for example, international cooperation institutions such as the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and the Japan Foundation and private foundations aid the developing countries and support the countries affected by disaster. In future, the following are needed domestically: ― Better understanding and raising the awareness of the persons concerned on preservation of cultural assets and restoration of damaged cultural assets ―Developing closer routine communication with foreign countries and establishing a system to enable to take emergency measures for disaster relief ―Existing of the institutions taking initiative and coordinating and forming the network The Regional Centre for Asia wishes to work together with “the consortium of the international cooperation for cultural assets” program of the national government.
Ⅱ Recent activities of the IFLA/PAC Regional Centre for Asia At present regional centres are located in 12 cities around the world. Each Regional Centre works according to rules defined in an "agreement" signed annually between the Director of the International Centre and the directors of the libraries that host each Regional Centre. In 1989 the National Diet Library was designated as the IFLA/PAC Regional Centre for Asia. In Asia other two Regional Centres: Regional Centre for Oceania and South East Asia (National Library of Australia) and Regional Centre for China (National Library of China), are also operating. It has recently been pointed out that there is a need for new regional centres for South East Asia and South Asia.
2/6 Open seminar on the documentary heritage damaged by the Indian Ocean Tsunami / National Diet Library, Tokyo / December 6, 2005
公開セミナー 国立国会図書館 「スマトラ沖地震・津波による文書遺産の被災と復興支援」 平成 17 年 12 月 6 日
1. Roles and Functions Preservation information service, which includes: ― collection and dissemination of information about preservation ― reference service ― drawing up and distributing publications on preservation issues Research activities, which deal with the following subjects: ― preservation science ― preservation of various media ― binding and conservation techniques ― Asia-specific issues in preservation Educational and training programs a. holding workshops, seminars, symposia b. training programs (to train preservation technicians and managers) ― receiving trainees ― sending staff members with expertise in preservation as lecturers ― referral to preservation specialists of other institutions Activities in the field of excellence The field of excellence assigned to the Regional Centre for Asia is paper conservation.
2. Main recent activities For these several years, the IFLA/PAC Regional Centre for Asia carried out the following in collaboration with the Preservation Division, Acquisitions Department, National Diet Library. z Strengthening relationships with libraries and institutions in Asian countries We are now making efforts to create a mailing group for the whole Asian region, but we cannot gather information as we wish. We intend to continue it taking advantage of every means and opportunity. z Acceptance of a trainee from the Nepal National Library Based on the assessment of its preservation needs, we made an arrangement with the Nepal National Library for preservation training in cooperation with the Japan International Cooperation Agency and received a staff member of the Library, for one month and a half from October to December. The training program mainly comprised preservation and conservation, the roles, function and activities of the national library and visits to public libraries and preservation institutions. Since then, we continue to support in collaboration with the Paper Conservators Asia Unlimited, which takes an active part on the spot, so that things learned will be
3/6 Open seminar on the documentary heritage damaged by the Indian Ocean Tsunami / National Diet Library, Tokyo / December 6, 2005
公開セミナー 国立国会図書館 「スマトラ沖地震・津波による文書遺産の被災と復興支援」 平成 17 年 12 月 6 日
expanded and spread to all preservation institutions of Nepal. z Preservation cooperation between Korea, China, Japan The Preservation Division, National Diet Library, accepted some trainees from the National Library of Korea in November 2003, and the Preservation Conference between Korea, China, and Japan under the theme of “Preservation technology and management plan,” was held at the National Library of Korea in Seoul from November 14 to 20, 2004. We would like to continue to collaborate with Korea and China on our common preservation issues. z Social Meetings for Experts in Preservation The NDL held several times from last year the “Social Meeting for Experts in Preservation” from libraries, archives and museums and other institutions in order to exchange information among them and share knowledge and experience. A series of meetings is also intended to promote preservation activities in Japan as well as at the IFLA/PAC Regional Centre for Asia, which facilitates working together with libraries and institutions in Asia. z pH testing and manual for pH testing and encouraging the increased use of acid-free paper From 1986 the National Diet Library has conducted pH test of current Japanese publications held by the NDL. The Centre has publicized its longstanding efforts in conducting a pH survey of paper materials and promoting the use of permanent paper. We are now conducting the 18th pH test. We will give out its result by March next year, within the fiscal year. According to the result of the 17th pH test in October 2003, the rate of acid-free paper use was 94.6 % in monographs, 86.9 % in periodicals and 91.4 % in total. Based on the result, the Centre is also planning to make a manual for pH testing and encouraging the increased use of acid-free paper for information of preservation institutions in Asia. z PR activities We published the Japanese version of the “IFLA Principles for the Care and Handling of Library Materials” in 2003. And we have also translated “A Blue Shield for the Protection of our Endangered Cultural Heritage” (IPI, no.4) and “Care, Handling, and Storage of Photographs” (IPI, no.5) into Japanese. We will publish them in the near future. We contribute some articles from time to time to International Preservation News, NDL Newsletter and CDNLAO Newsletter. I will give a presentation at the preservation session in the 13th CONSAL next March.
4/6 Open seminar on the documentary heritage damaged by the Indian Ocean Tsunami / National Diet Library, Tokyo / December 6, 2005
公開セミナー 国立国会図書館 「スマトラ沖地震・津波による文書遺産の被災と復興支援」 平成 17 年 12 月 6 日
3. Future activities We will have the Meeting of Directors of the Asian IFLA/PAC Regional Centres in Asia and Others tomorrow afternoon. Although we will formulate future policy on our major activities based on the discussion, generally speaking, the Regional Centre for Asia should further advance its international activities in Asia in the light of its role and functions. While updating and developing the existing directory of Asian institutions in the field of preservation, the Centre will expand its preservation information service through the Centre’s homepage. For that purpose, it is necessary to make even more efforts to collect information relating to preservation activities and to pursue scientific research on preservation. The Centre will also reinforce backup activities to the areas/countries by receiving trainees and sending staff members with expertise in preservation so that each area/country can conduct its own survey on preservation needs to formulate a national preservation and conservation policy and then implement it. For paper conservation, our field of excellence, the Centre is planning to carry out a joint study with other Asian countries on traditional paper produced in Asia. With these efforts, the Centre intends to facilitate greater regional cooperation with Asian countries. As for the disaster plan and relief, the Centre will have to develop routine activities and routine communication so as to be able to play its part. The international preservation activities need resources such as budget and experts in preservation and conservation. The Regional Centre for Asia has managed to play an active part within the resources of the National Diet Library or in collaboration with the JICA, the Japan Foundation, and private foundations. In order to strengthen and develop effectively its activities from now on, the Centre will have to collaborate with cultural aid by ODA, technical aid of JICA, preservation aid of cultural assets by the Japan Foundation, activities of UNESCO, and international preservation activities of private bodies, private foundations and NPO.
4. Draft of a Satellite Meeting (Pre-conference) of the World Library and Information Congress 2006 1. Theme: Preservation and conservation in Asia 2. Objectives Library materials including various traditional formats in Asian countries are at a serious crisis. There are several reasons: political and social situation in the area, peculiar climate unsuitable for preservation and insufficient resources for preservation (experts, funds, knowledge, etc.). Under this circumstance, the meeting will aim at the
5/6 Open seminar on the documentary heritage damaged by the Indian Ocean Tsunami / National Diet Library, Tokyo / December 6, 2005
公開セミナー 国立国会図書館 「スマトラ沖地震・津波による文書遺産の被災と復興支援」 平成 17 年 12 月 6 日
following: (1) To grasp the situation of preservation in Asia (2) To identify preservation needs in Asian countries (3) To coordinate present preservation activities in Asia and discuss the future form of collaboration It will be an occasion for librarians and experts who are interested in preservation and conservation in Asia, to gather from all parts of the world and to communicate with each other. It will also motivate participants to develop preservation activities in Asia. 3. Date and duration: Wednesday August 16-Thursday August 17, 2006 (1.5 days) 4. Place of meeting: National Diet Library 1-10-1, Nagata-cho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 100-8924, Japan 5. Co sponsors: Preservation and Conservation Section, Asia and Oceania Section, IFLA/PAC Core Activity, IFLA/PAC Regional Centre for Asia (National Diet Library) 6. Host institution: National Diet Library 7. Program Day 1(Wednesday August 16) Afternoon session: Preservation and conservation in Asia Day 2 (Thursday August 17) Morning session: Microfilming and digitization of documentary heritage in Asia
6/6 Open seminar on the documentary heritage damaged by the Indian Ocean Tsunami / National Diet Library, Tokyo / December 6, 2005