Penn State Libraries - Digitization & Preservation Department

Welcome!

Welcome to the Penn State University Libraries’ Digitization & Preservation Department Homepage. Among the pages at this site you will find information about our department, our services, who we are and how to contact us, and links to regional and national Digitization & Preservation programs and initiatives.

Visit our site often, as we will continue to update and add new information. If you have comments or questions about this site or our program, please don’t hesitate to contact Sue Kellerman or any other members of the department. Thanks!

If you want to contact our department, our mailing address is:

            Digitization & Preservation Department
            402 Pattee Library
            The Pennsylvania State University
            University Park, PA 16802-1804
            Phone: (814) 863-4696
            Fax: (814) 865-8769

If you want to drop by our Digitization & Preservation lab and offices, our hours are Monday through Friday 7:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Stop by and see our new space!

Mission of the Digitization & Preservation Department

The principal goals of the department are to preserve and safeguard library materials in all formats belonging to the general circulating collection and to prolong the life of these materials while ensuring continued access for as long as possible.

Department History

The University Libraries’ Digitization & Preservation program is of comparatively recent origin. In 1990, a half-time Digitization & Preservation librarian faculty position was established and by 1992 the position became full-time. Since 1990, the Libraries’ Digitization & Preservation program has grown considerably to now include an administrative unit and four distinct service units employing ten full-time and numerous part-time and student employees. The managers of each service unit, the head of the department, and the administrative support assistant form the Digitization & Preservation Management Team that oversees and unifies the department's operations. In 1998 the Digitization & Preservation program received the distinction as a library department. See organizational chart.

Currently the Digitization & Preservation program engages in reformatting brittle collections through microfilming and digitization, commercial binding, book repair, single-item deacidification, encapsulation, mass deacidification, disaster preparedness and recovery planning, and training.

For more information, please contact Sue Kellerman.

maintained by Heather Solimini
created by Larry Wentzel
updated June 20, 2005