Abstract
Metamorphosis: a word that means change but it also means keeping something from the original. Maybe even keeping the essence of that original. You can find metamorphosis in the classics, in literature, in art and, of course, in life itself: the changing of a caterpillar into a butterfly. In the Dutch language the word is spelled „Metamorfose”. The most famous late-nineteenth century author of the Netherlands, Louis Couperus, used an onorthodox way of spelling. His semi-autobiographical novel „Metamorfoze” with a „Z” which deals with the changes in an artist’s life was published in 1897. br> Exactly one hundred years later the Dutch National Preservation Programme was launched. And we decided to name it after this novel. The programme is all about change: from acid paper to microfilm or digital image, but it is also about keeping things from the past, preserving them. So the title of this nineteenth century novel seemed appropriate. And the Z could serve as an eyecatcher. This paper presents an overview of the programme, focusing on the following issues: • selection and setting priorities • method • approach • accomplishments (and setbacks) 1997-2000 • the second phase 2001-2004
Highlights
One hundred years later the Dutch National Preservation Programme was launched
In the Netherlands we focus upon the problem of the acid paper, which was used mostly in the 1840 to 1950 period
Still we have chosen to give absolute priority to the acid paper decay because it is an ongoing process which we consider at this moment the greatest threat to our national paper heritage
Summary
One hundred years later the Dutch National Preservation Programme was launched. We are still dealing with 600,000 books, 200,000 volumes of periodicals, 5,000 newspaper titles and two million manuscripts and letters in 500 collections.[2] This selection adds up to just about 1% of the total of library holdings in The Netherlands. For setting priorities for the 600,000 printed books we have used the results of a damage survey carried out by the Royal Library of The Netherlands in 1991 This survey was the basis for our 1840-1950 approach, but it gave an indication of the paper condition by decade. Taken into account the overall bad condition of newspapers, the Dutch national preservation programme gives priority to daily newspapers which were published nationwide and of direct national importance. They are arranged by number of years of publication within the 1840-1950 period.[9]
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