The National Preservation Office: Raising Preservation Awareness in the UK Now – Planning for the Future of Our Past

Abstract

The National Preservation Office in the UK was established within the British Library in 1984, guided by independent advisory machinery. A vigorous programme of seminars, conferences, training packs and promotional material, including a journal, has been carried out. The NPO's terms of reference are to develop and coordinate a national preservation strategy, provide an information and referral service, promote good practice through education and training, and coordinate and initiate research. Commercial sponsors have been generous. There is a Management Committee, drawn from the principal funders, a Preservation Administrators Panel to advise on preservation strategy, a Committee on Preservation Surrogates, and a Digital Archiving Working Group. Several research projects are being supported, including work on gaps in preservation training, resolving dampness in buildings, and preservation management of digital materials. This last is now occupying a great deal of attention, and the NPO works closely with other preservation initiatives in the UK and abroad. Much work is also taking place towards a national preservation strategy.