2003/10/08 Council Agenda Packet

i. Washington Preservation Initiative 2003 Grant Application assessment • How library operations are currently conducted • Staffing levels • What is the problem, need, or opportunity? • Who is affected? • How are they affected? • What are the consequences for the library as a result? • Other factors specific to the situation Review and Evaluation This question worth 20 points. Reviewers will look for: • Discussion of what is being done and why it is inadequate • Impact on existing situation and service delivery • Who is affected and how they are affected • How many are affected Present Situation The Everett Public Library has made much of the Juleen Collection publicly available. Patrons can browse a file of copy prints made from the 5 x 7 and 8 x 10 negatives and can purchase either traditional or digital prints of most Juleen images. The collection is currently housed in the library's Northwest Room archive, and since the library's acquisition of this material, professional advice has been sought and followed regarding their preservation. The Juleen panoramas currently have limited access. In 2000, the library began a strategic planning process. The final plan contains an initiative that speaks to the importance of preserving and transmitting local history. This plan was updated in spring of 2003, and the local history initiative now includes an objective that states, "...materials are both easy to access and properly stored." In 2001, as part of another project, we consulted with Rod Slemmons, then at the University of Washington, about the Juleen panoramas specifically. With his advice in hand, we began preservation efforts regarding these panorama views. The Northwest Room is staffed by two full-time historians. We have an in- house darkroom, and Northwest Room staff know how to copy images in 4 x 5 format (using a Polaroid MP4 camera and Kodak Professional Copy Film), and can make prints from these negatives. This popular service began in the 1970s and continues today, now with the addition of digital options. Digital access to our collections expanded when we received a 2001 LSTA grant to purchase ContentDM software to create a web site featuring our Everett Massacre collection. Since then we have added four additional collections, including photos from the Juleen Studio. EPL can and has utilized these skills, equipment, and facilities to preserve and make accessible much of the library's early photographs, but these services are limited. Patrons can obtain up to 11 x 14 format prints, and while staff have been able to print and duplicate the 5 x 7s and 8 x 10, the library can neither properly treat nor duplicate these panorama negatives. Page 10 of 21 1 ,.1