Schmidt Library Preservation Assistance
FAIN: PG-50886-10
York College of Pennsylvania (York, PA 17403-3614)
Beth E. Jacoby (Project Director: May 2009 to December 2011)
A general preservation assessment with a particular focus on disaster preparedness and response, and a workshop in disaster response for library staff. The library's collection dates from 1838, when a group of 300 volumes, a collection of the Lyceum Movement, was placed in the York County Academy, predecessor to York College. Today the library holds books, microfilm, microfiche, audio compact discs, and videos that support the liberal arts curriculum. In addition, there are special collections of rare books, manuscripts, artifacts, and archival records.
The first grant-supported activity will be to hire a professional consultant to perform a site survey to assess the vulnerabilities of the collections housed within Schmidt Library. The outcome will be a basic set of disaster preparedness and response documents that Library staff will use to ensure the future viability of our humanities and Archives collections for faculty, students, and community users. The second activity will be to hire a disaster preparedness consultant to instruct Library staff in aspects of emergency and disaster planning. Both the plan and the training to implement it will benefit the longevity of the Library's collections. The training will include exercises, discussion, and practical applications given by the consultant. The project will include the cost of travel and fees for the instructor.