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The National and University Library (NUL) in Ljubljana is the national library of Slovenia. Slovenia, one of the six republics of the former Yugoslavia, gained its independence as a sovereign state in 1991. The precursor of the national library was established in 1774. The library was given its current name in 1945, after World War II.
Although the NUL had attended to urgent preservation and conservation needs for decades, it was not until 1992 that the Preservation and Conservation Department was formally established, enabling more extensive preservation and conservation work. Currently, the department consists of the conservation and bookbinding sections. Microfilming is done offsite. A centralized microfilming project has been under way since 1986.
Surveying the storage conditions
The first task of the newly formed department was to assess storage conditions. The library building, erected in 1941, is considered to be a masterpiece of one of the country's finest architects, Joze Plecnik. Although it has no environmental control system, storage conditions within the repositories are fairly good throughout the year, maintaining temperatures of 18-24 degrees Centigrade and 45-60 percent relative humidity.The library's main problem is a lack of space: the building was designed to hold 250,000 volumes, while the library's collections now amount to more than 2.2 million volumes. Consequently, materials had to be stored in offsite repositories where relative humidity seldom fell below 70 percent. In 2000, suitable repositories were finally acquired. br>
A new library is being designed
Plannes for a new library building are close to completion. The new building, to be located near the present one, will be approximately 36,000 square meters. Books will be stored in three areas. The largest repository, for about two million volumes, will be situated underground. It will be equipped with a fully automated storage and retrieval system, which will enable the library to maintain a low temperature environment. The second area will consist of closed stacks containing bookshelves and compactus shelves that can hold about 500,000 volumes. About 200,000 volumes will be located in an open access zone.
Although the new library will have sophisticated environmental, fire, and safety control systems, the National and University Library's most precious pieces, which are kept as special collections, will remain in the old building. During the renovation of the NUL in 1998, a special vault was built to accommodate the library's most valuable artifacts. The vault is controlled for light, temperature, and humidity, and is also fireproof.
Surveying the collection
After assessing the storage conditions, the preservation and conservation department set forth to survey the condition of library collections. The first part of the project, a condition survey of medieval codices and incunabula, is under way; it is cofinanced by the Open Society Fund. Staff members are using Access software to create a database containing detailed descriptions of the degree of damage to the paper or parchment, ink, and binding. The survey includes brightness measurements of paper, since our previous research showed good correlation between a decrease in the degree of polymerization of cellulose and a decrease in brightness (Graph). Repeated measurements in the future will allow staff to monitor the rate of degradation of each paper manuscript and take timely action.Based on the results of the survey, the library has launched a large-scale boxing program.
Raising awareness (and money)
Because of the difficult economic situation in Slovenia, resources for preservation and conservation activities are extremely limited. The problem is partially being solved by a campaign called "adopt a book," which was started in 1993. Sponsors can adopt a book by contributing 1,500 to 15,000 DEM. In return, the library organizes an exhibition once a year with sponsors receiving honorary diplomas. This has greatly raised awareness about book preservation among authorities and the public.
Education
TRAINING PROGRAMS FOR STAFF OF CONSERVATION DPT.Since there are no training programs in paper and book conservation offered in Slovenia, the NUL regularly organizes short courses for its staff on different conservation topics, sometimes in cooperation with institutions abroad. Four years ago, the Preservation Department of the Deutsche Bücherei in Leipzig organized a three-month training course on book conservation. Also, in 1995, a workshop on leaf-casting techniques took place at the National and University Library of Slovenia. It was led by Dr. Helmut Bansa from the Bayerische Staatsbibliothek and was financially supported by the Government of Bavaria.
In October 1997 and December 1998 and 1999, two-week courses on late-gothic binding structures, limp vellum bindings, and conservation of books took place under the supervision of Prof. Christopher Clarkson from the United Kingdom. The workshops were a joint venture of the National and University Library and the Slovenian National Archives and were financially supported by the Open Society Institute, British Council, and the Slovenian Ministry of Culture.
EDUCATING LIBRARY STAFF
The National and University Library regularly organizes training programs in the preservation of library materials for other Slovenian librarians as well. Recently, NUL constructed a Web page containing information on the proper handling and storage of a variety of library materials. NUL also encourages librarians to contact the Preservation and Conservation Department with questions regarding the preservation of library materials.
Research
The collaboration of the NUL with the Pulp and Paper Institute and the Department of Chemistry at the University of Ljubljana led to an extensive research project, which concentrated on the elucidation of autoxidative mechanisms leading to the deterioration of paper during aging and the development of new stabilizing treatments for papers containing iron-gall inks.In 1998, Jana Kolar, head of the library's Preservation and Conservation Department, recieved a Ph.D. in chemistry for her dissertation about the Effects of Conservation Treatments on the Stability of Cellulose. The work is currently being translated into English.
The Preservation and Conservation department is also involved in the international research project Laser Cleaning of Paper and Parchment (EUREKA 1681). This project aims to develop a prototype laser cleaning system for historical paper and parchment including a catalogue of working parameters to define the optimum conditions for application by parchment and paper restorers. For a brief review of our recent work see our Laclepa page
Microfilming
Microfilming of Slovenian periodicals and newspapers is an ongoing task of the NUL. Each year, it produces 160 to 200 reels of microfilmed material, containing 150.000 to 200.000 frames.Digitalization
DIGITIZATION OF MEDIAEVAL SLAVIC CODICESWithin the scope of the project, medieval Slavic codices originally collected by Slovenian linguist Jernej Kopitar in the first half of the nineteenth century were digitalized. The collection consists of 34 codices, containing about 13,000 pages, dating from the eleventh to fifteenth centuries. Most are written in Cyrillic script. Microfilm and paper copies of these materials are in high demand internationally. Scanning and publishing the materials on CD-ROM and mounting the database on the Internet will improve access for libraries, universities, and interested individuals. After the digitalisation is completed, the project staff will format and edit the database, publish three CD-ROM discs (500 copies each), edit and print the accompanying manual, and mount the database on the Internet.
ELECTRONIC CLEANSING AND ARCHIVING OF OLDER SLOVENIAN SOUND RECORDINGS
Many sound recordings on phonograph records and music cassettes, particularly those from 1950 to 1980, have become inaudible. To restore their use, the library initiated a project for their electronic cleaning and subsequent archiving on CD. The project, to be completed at the end of 1999, involves several steps: identifying and selecting the material, detecting and documenting damage, documenting the new version, cleaning and re-recording, producing CDs, listening to and evaluating the CDs, and completing the catalog.
Internet address: http://www.nuk.uni-lj.si/jana/preservation.html
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