Web-based training will help developing countries preserve their cultural heritage

Winter 2002
Communications Development has partnered with the Council on Library and Information Resources (CLIR) and Cornell University Library to develop Web-based training tutorials to meet the preservation needs of developing countries. Inspired by the poor conditions of important cultural heritage materials in developing countries, the tutorials will enable librarians, archivists, preservation administrators, and other cultural information practitioners to get basic and reliable preservation information. This distance learning initiative will also help the staff of cultural repositories develop strategies for preservation challenges distinctive to their climate, culture, resources, and content. The goal of the tutorials will be to disseminate intellectual content, but more importantly to promote self-directed learning and informed decisionmaking through an interactive approach.

CLIR is a private, nonprofit organization that works to ensure the well-being of the scholarly communication system. CLIR's agenda embraces the entire range of information resources and services—from traditional library and archival materials to emerging digital formats—and the entire network of organizations that gather, catalog, store, preserve, distribute, and provide access to information. Cornell University Library also boasts impressive credentials—its Department of Preservation and Conservation has extensive experience working with repositories worldwide to help librarians and archivists preserve important cultural heritage resources.

The pilot is scheduled for the second half of 2002 and will be targeted to Southeast Asia. Tutorial content will be revised for other regions, including Latin America and Africa.

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