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Join us for Preservation Week!

Smithsonian Institution Libraries 2012 - Pennsy Restoration LabThe Smithsonian Libraries will host an afternoon program titled Preservation Matters! on April 24 in the S. Dillon Ripley Center. This event is in participation of the American Library Association’s National Preservation Week (April 21-27) and is free and open to the public.

From superstorms to blizzards to tornados to wildfires, America has frequently shuddered under the onslaught of natural disasters. “Why Preserving History Matters” against the threat of catastrophe will be the focus of the keynote lecture by New York Times and internationally bestselling author Steve Berry, who serves as  national spokesperson for the Second Annual National Preservation Week. A devoted student of history and member of the Smithsonian Libraries Advisory Board, Berry and his wife, Elizabeth, founded History Matters, a nonprofit organization dedicated to aiding the preservation of the fragile reminders of our past.

An assortment of tools used at the SIL Book Conservation Lab
An assortment of tools used at the SIL Book Conservation Lab

As spring cleaning is underway, people across the country will be left to contemplate how to preserve new-found treasures. Preservation Matters! will provide information and expertise on how to preserve books, digital photos, family records and other items through presentations and discussions on disaster response, pest management and archives preservation by preservation specialists, conservators and librarians. Participating organizations include the Library of Congress, Folger Shakespeare Library, Defense Acquisitions University, National Archives and Records Administration, Smithsonian Institution Archives, National Portrait Gallery and the American Institute for Conservation.

Preservation Week is a collaborative effort supported by the Association for Library Collections and Technical Services, a division of the American Library Association, Library of Congress and the Institute of Museum and Library Services. For more information, including RSVP and the event schedule, visit http://library.si.edu/events/.

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