20-24 septembrie 2009 - Biblioteca Metropolitana Bucuresti

Conservation of modern library collections... 429––to elaborate and forward methods and regulations for thesafeguarding of movable cultural heritage in libraries and subject thosemethods and regulations to approval by the Minister of Culture and ReligiousAffairs and by the National Commission of Museums and Collections.As regards the educational system aiming for the advanced trainingof conservationists and restorers who are employed in information anddocument departments, the only institution that may provide training is theCenter for Professional Training in Culture, subordinated to the Ministry ofCulture and Religious Affairs. By attending the programs of the center, onecould become a general conservation expert for museums and libraries andrestorers for all types of cultural heritage are also trained within the center.The Analysis of legislation enforcementAfter reviewing the legislative and institutional frame concerningcultural heritage and which includes provisions for the document patrimonyin libraries, I intend to analyse further the activity of the institutions set upby the previously mentioned laws and to suggest efficiency improvementsfor the national system.As the document heritage is of prime importance to us, I consider thata first alarming fact is that the National Center for Document Pathologyand Restoration subordinated to the National Library of Romania providesonly training for document restorers without developing the other activitiesassigned to it by law and without having a permanent, appropriate spaceavailable for educational purpose.Another upsetting issue not only for conservation experts but also forall those concerned with adjusting our institutions to European standardsis that the National Commission for Libraries (a representative body forall activities developed within libraries) and its subcommissions do notemploy any trained document conservationist or restorer.Nevertheless, the subcommission for strategies, programs and projectsfor library and professional training activities has drawn up the strategicdirections for Romania’s national library system in the period 2008-2010.Strategic direction no. 3 includes objective 4 which we should quote asit provides for Establishment of document preservation, conservationand restoration policies at national level and according to internationalstandards.On the other hand, we remark that the National Institute of Researchfor Conservation and Restoration has been functioning for nine years withminimum equipment and short of staff, inside the building of the Romanian