No. 112, December1999

10th Annual Symposium on Preservation
"Networks in Asia: Preservation Cooperation Hereafter"

Ten years have passed since 1989, when the National Diet Library (NDL) became the Asia Regional Centre for the Preservation and Conservation (PAC) Core Programme of IFLA. In commemoration of the 10th anniversary, the Library held a symposium on November 8th, 1999. The purpose of this symposium was to contribute to the expansion of the preservation cooperation programme and to strengthen preservation-related research, training and interchange.

With the theme, "Networks in Asia: Preservation Cooperation Hereafter", conference speakers included

Ms. Marie-Therese Varlamoff

Director, IFLA PAC Core Programme International Focal Point

Bibliotheque nationale de France

Mr. Ryuji Yonemura

Director, PAC Regional Centre for Asia

Director, Preservation Planning Office, National Diet Library

Mr. Akio Yasue

Ex-Chair, Committee on Preservation and Conservation, Japan Library Association

Director, Serials Department, National Diet Library

Mr. Isamu Sakamoto

Paper Conservator, Tokyo Restoration & Conservation Center

Mr. Alan Feinstein

Coordinator, Intellectual Exchange Division Japan Foundation Asia Center

"Activities of the International Focal Point: expectation for regional centres"
Ms. Marie-Therese Varlamoff

We invited Ms. Marie-Therese Varlamoff, Director of the IFLA/PAC International Focal Point, as a keynote speaker.
She described the mission and goals of the IFLA Core programme on Preservation and Conservation, its various activities and priorities ranging from raising awareness to training, without forgetting the dissemination of information, publications or the waking out of standards. Cooperative activities were underlined and projects like the UNESCO Memory of the World Programme, the International Committee of the Blue Shield or JICPA (Joint IFLA/ICA Committee for Preservation in Africa) were summarized. She proposed stronger cooperation with other PAC Centres, and envisaged perspectives on exchanging conservators.

"Proposals for cultural cooperation; to preserve Asian collections"
Mr. Akio Yasue

Mr. Yasue focused on how Japan can cooperate in the preservation of Asian collections.
Japan's cooperation in this field is not sufficient at present. He pointed out six key points for effective international cultural cooperation as follows: vision, esprit positif, subjectivity, partnership, preparation and assessment, continuity and cooperation.
The NDL's activities should include: to collect and disseminate information, to organize domestic institutions, to cooperate with international organizations, to coordinate preservation plans, to provide preservation tools, to foster specialists, and to promote understanding.
There are no national boundaries separating libraries and archives. We should cooperate in solving problems and learn from each other.

"Need for Individual Commitment in World-wide Preservation Network"
Mr. Isamu Sakamoto

Mr. Sakamoto is the chief conservator of the Tokyo Restoration & Conservation Center, which was established in 1988 to save original paper documents. The Center's activities include research, consulting, restoration, and conservation of important historical documents in Asian countries, such as Vietnam and Indonesia. He reviewed trends in conservation activities in Japan since the 80's, development of preservation techniques and activities of conservators in the young generation. From his experience, human networks and individual commitments are essential for conservation. Each and every one has to continually consider, "What shall I do?". 

"Challenges to International Cooperation in Library Preservation:Examples from Indonesia"
Mr. Alan Feinstein

Mr. Feinstein's speech was closely related to his experience as a preservation specialist in several foreign-funded preservation projects in Indonesia.
In Indonesia, outside scholars and librarians and outside donors are involved in some preservation projects at the nation's institutions. He assessed the relatively success of those projects, and drew out lessons from these Indonesian examples for other countries. Outside project planners and donors need to understand well the local context, to take into account local attitudes, local constraints, and to keep uppermost the end users for whom preservation strategies are being undertaken. He recommended a much higher level of cross-institutional sharing of lessons both intra-nationally and internationally. 

"Preservation cooperation programme of the National Diet Library and hereafter"
Mr. Ryuji Yonemura

As Director of the PAC Regional Centre for Asia, Mr. Yonemura summed up10 years' activities of the Centre, and discussed the development of a preservation cooperation network in Asia, an important base for future cooperation activities.
He stressed the importance of preservation information services, educational and public relations programmes and international cooperation, and announced that the NDL has set up the IFLA/PAC Regional Centre for Asia web site (http://www.ndl.go.jp/e/iflapac/) in November 1999 to improve dissemination of information.
As a conclusion, he called for further cooperation with related organizations such as UNESCO, IFLA UAP, ICA, and of course with the National Library of Australia, the IFLA/PAC regional Centre for Asia and the Pacific.

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