4. Plan of Work--Project Administration


Director, as he has in Phase I, and will oversee the work of the Project Coordinator, Wallace C. Olsen, who
will work closely with the ten project libraries and their designated institutional Project Managers or Co-
Managers to implement the project. The USAIN National Preservation Program Steering Committee will
serve as advisor to the project. [See Appendix A for the vitas of the principal project staff.]

The plan for administration, coordination, and management of this project is based on a successful model
that has been well-established and tested through other cooperative preservation and access projects such
as those of the Committee on Institutional Cooperation (i.e. the Big-Ten University libraries and the
University of Chicago), the Research Libraries Group for their "Great Collections" projects, and the
projects administered by the Southeastern Library Network (SOLINET). The value of this particular
project is that it will enable institutions to be linked in a discipline-based preservation and access project
for the benefit of humanities scholars, while also insuring that preservation and access standards for
quality and productivity are maintained across the project.

During phase 1, the cooperative preservation model was successfully adapted to a cooperative project
incorporating a discipline-based selection model and using a scholarly review panel to rank materials
according to their importance as resources for humanities studies. Experience gained during phase 1 is
being shared during meetings held in conjunction with the annual meetings of the American Library
Association. This dialog will not only improve the methodolgy of the present program to preserve the
history of agriculture and rural life, but also explore the value of the model for other disciplines. Based
on the experience in the phase 1 project, the model is a useful one, helping libraries address the
additional set of preservation issues faced in identifying and preserving high priority materials within the
context of a discipline-based approach to preservation.

Cornell University has long been a leader in the land grant community and in the agricultural sciences
world-wide. The Albert R. Mann library is a major land grant library with a proven record of leadership
in the trends and issues in agricultural information. Cornell's commitment to preserving the literature of
the agricultural sciences is an outgrowth of its role as a world center for agricultural sciences research.
This commitment to excellence and innovation in agricultural information services, and to leadership in
preservation is demonstrated in Cornell's initiative in the development of a National Preservation Program
for Agriculture; in identifying the core literature, contemporary and historical, of the agricultural
sciences; in preserving the core historical literature; and in developing a methodology for the
preservation of state and local literature.

Sam Demas of Albert R. Mann Library organized the 1991 USAIN preconference program in which the
idea of a national preservation program was developed and an outline and plan of action emerged. Jan
Olsen, Director of Albert R. Mann Library, is an active member of the USAIN NPP Steering Committee,
stimulating continued action on projects to implement the program. Wallace Olsen's work in identifying
the core literature and Mann's work to preserve the core historical literature have contributed immensely
to the USAIN preservation program. Cornell is deeply committed to the National Preservation Program
for Agriculture. Albert R. Mann Library views the proposed NEH project as a continuing step forward in
the evolution of cooperative, discipline-based preservation programs, and is sponsoring the project in that
spirit.

As Project Director, Sam Demas will oversee the implementation of the project devoting 10% of his time
to the project for two years. He will be responsible for establishing standards for the project, maintaining
contact with NEH staff and Cornell's Office of Sponsored Programs, and administering project funds. He
will assure progress toward project goals, represent the project in national forums, and direct the work of
the Project Coordinator.

Mr. Demas has worked in administrative positions in academic libraries for twenty years. For the past ten
years he has specialized in the development and preservation of research library collections, working as