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niso-l: News Release: Paper permanence publications and tools

niso-l: News Release: Paper permanence publications & tools

News Release: Paper permanence publications & tools

Cecilia Preston (cpreston@info.berkeley.edu)
Thu, 18 Aug 1994 10:54:58 -0800 

Message-Id: <9408181754.AA05563@briet.berkeley.edu>
Date: Thu, 18 Aug 1994 10:54:58 -0800
To: niso-l@cni.org
From: cpreston@info.berkeley.edu (Cecilia Preston)
Subject: News Release: Paper permanence publications & tools

                                  NISO
                    National Information Standards Organization
            Standards for Libraries, Information Services, Publishing

News Release

For Immediate Release                         Contact:  Patricia Harris
                                                         (301) 975-2814


     NISO Paper Permanence Publications and Tools Available from NISO

     Bethesda, MD (August 1, 1994) -- A new publication available from
the National Information Standards Organization (NISO) makes it easier
for publishers and consumers to obtain permanent paper for publications
or other projects.

     North American Permanent Papers, published by Abbey Publication in
May 1994, lists 387 permanent papers manufactured in the U.S. and Canada
that meet the NISO-developed American National Standard for Permanence
of Paper for Publication and Documents in Libraries and Archives
(ANSI/NISO Z39.48-1992).  Papers that meet the ANSI/NISO standard must
be able to last at least several hundred years without significant
deterioration under normal use and storage conditions in libraries and
archives.

     "This is the first publication of its kind to list permanent papers
available from both U.S. and Canadian manufacturers," said Patricia
Harris, NISO Executive Director.  "Consumers often have difficulty
locating sources of permanent paper.  This publication makes it easier
to locate sources of permanent paper and will help consumers find the
best price among competing suppliers."

     The papers listed are manufactured by twenty-eight companies and
are classified according to manufacturer's name, market brand, and type
of paper (i.e., endleaf, letterpress, bond, copier, etc.).  The
publication also provides phone numbers for each manufacturer so that
readers can easily locate the nearest source of supply for any given
paper.

     Also available from NISO are the American National Standard for
Permanence of Paper for Publications and Documents in Libraries and
Archives (ANSI/NISO Z39.48-1992), and the Abbey pH Pen (Chlorophenol
Red).

     ANSI/NISO Z39.48-1992 establishes criteria for permanent paper,
identifies the specific properties of such paper, and specifies the
tests required to demonstrate these properties.  Through this standard,
NISO seeks to encourage wider use of permanent paper and promote
recognition of its importance to the long-term preservation of recorded
knowledge.

     The Abbey pH Pen (Chlorophenol Red) ($5.00) offers a convenient and
portable way to identify alkaline paper.  The pH Pen  makes a purple
line on alkaline paper (pH above 6.8 or so) and a light yellow line on
acid paper (pH below 6.0 or so).  Between 6.0 and 6.8, the mark will be
yellow-tan or mixed tan and lavender.  For most papers, all you need to
do is to draw a line on the surface and read it as soon as it dries.
This tool is a quick aid for all libraries, especially those in the
midst of preservation projects, and for publishers checking on the stock
used by their printer.

     North American Papers ($15.00), ANSI/NISO Z39.48-1992 ($24.00), and
the Abbey pH Pen (Chlorophenol Red) ($5.00) all are available directly
from NISO.  To place an order, call NISO Press toll-free at
1-800-282-NISO.

                                    *****

      The National Information Standards Organization (NISO) is a
non-profit organization that develops and promotes consensus-approved
standards used in library services, publishing and many other
information-related industries.  NISO Standards address the
communication needs of these industries in areas such as information
retrieval, preservation of materials, information transfer, forms and
records, identification systems, publication formats, and equipment and
supplies.

                                      ####

PO Box 1056   Bethesda, MD 20827   (301) 975-2814   FAX (301) 869-8071

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