Videos on Preservation

There are some excellent films on preservation. The following list includes where to obtain the video and the cost or lending information.

Books Are Not for Bashing. (1989).Videocassette, (10 min.), sd., col., ½" VHS. Dynamics Productions, Warwick, R.I. Availability: version available on interlibrary loan.
Basic information for library users about appropriate handling of library materials. Includes humorous examples.

Cleaning Library Stacks. (2002). Videocassette (8:30 min.), sd., col., ½" VHS. Also available on DVD. San Diego: University of California, San Diego.
Availability: Preservation Dept., Geisel Library 0175N, UC San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive,
La Jolla 92093-01755. $25 prepaid sale; no interlibrary loan.
Demonstrates the proper supplies & cleaning techniques that will prolong the life of books in library collections.

Handle with Care. (1988). Videocassette (4 min.), sd., col., ½" VHS. New York: New York University.
Availability: New York University Libraries Collection Management Office, 70 Washington Square, South, NY, NY 10012. $39 sale.
A young man demonstrates the wrong ways to treat books as a satiric off-screen narrator comments
on the action.

Handling Books in General Collections: Guidelines for Readers and Library Staff Members. (1994). Videocassette (12 min.), sd., col., ½" VHS. San Diego: University of California, San Diego.
Availability: Preservation Dept., Geisel Library 0175N, UC San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive,
La Jolla 92093-01755. $25 prepaid sale; no interlibrary loan.
Suggests handling and shelving practices that will prolong the life of books in general collections.

Into the Future: On the Preservation of Knowledge in the Electronic Age. (1997). Videocassette (60 min.), sd., col., ½" VHS. Washington D.C.: Council of Library and Information Resources and
American Council of Learned Societies.
Availability: American Film Foundation, P.O. Box 2000, Santa Monica, CA 90406.
$59.50 plus $10 shipping for 60 min. version, $39.50 plus $10 shipping for 30 min. version.
Explores the preservation of knowledge in the electronic age and informs patrons about issues of preservation. Articulates what might be at stake for our society and points to ways individuals and
groups can work together to find solutions.


Murder in the Stacks. (1987). Videocassette (15 min.), sd., col., ½" VHS. New York: Center for Biomedical Communications, College of Physicians & Surgeons, Columbia University.
Availability: Columbia University Libraries gifts and Exchanges, 104 Butler Library, NY, NY 10027. $35 sale; Solinet Preservation Program (1-800-999-8558), $20 rental.
A presentation by Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson on the shelving and handling of library books.

Preservation Orientation for Library Staff. (2002). Videocassette (74 min.), sd., col., ½" VHS. San Diego:
 Availability: University of California, San Diego, Geisel Library, Preservation Dept., 0175N, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093. $25.00
Annual UCSD staff training program which can be used as an outline for other libraries.

Slow Fires: On the Preservation of the Human Record. (1987). Videocassette (33 min.), sd., col., ½" VHS. Santa Monica, CA: American Film Foundation.
Availability: American Film Foundation, 2021 North Western Ave., P.O. Box 2000, Santa Monica, CA 90406. 58 min. version. $40 for 33 min. version; $60 for
58 min. version. AMIGOS Preservation Service (1-800-843-8482) has 33 min. version available free on interlibrary loan. Raises awareness of preservation issues. It describes the loss of the world's intellectual heritage through the deterioration of library and archival materials, focusing attention on acidic paper.

Turning to Dust. (1990). Videocassette (45 min.), sd., col., all formats. Toronto: Canadian Broadcasting Corp.
Availability: Filmmakers Library, 124 East 40th St., NY, NY 10016; (1-212-808-4980, $395 sale,
$65 rental. In Canada: CBC Enterprises, $99 sale.
Shows how scientists and librarians in the U.S. and Canada are seeking solutions to preservation
problems in the deterioration of library materials.

Use and Care of Books. (1979). Videocassette (13 min.), sd., col., ½" VHS. [s.l.]: Centron Films.
Availability: Coronet Films and Video, Simon & Schuster, 4350 Equity Dr., Columbus, OH 43228
(1-800-777-8100). $29.95 sale.
Introduces some basic techniques of properly handling library books and textbooks for elementary
school children.

Use or Abuse: The Role of Staff and Patrons in Maintaining General Library Collections. (1986). Videocassette (24 min.), sd., col., ½" VHS. Carbondale, IL: Produced by the Illinois Cooperative
Conservation Program at the SUI Broadcasting Service.
Availability: Request interlibrary loan from: Illinois State Library, 300
South Second St., Springfield, IL 62701 (1-217-785-5531).
Describes the role of staff and patrons in maintaining library collections, and shows correct practices for care of library materials. Includes repair of books.