Preserving the Past for the Futurethe importance of archival information in forestry

Roger MillsBiosciences and Environmental Sciences Librarianand Manager, Oxford Forest Information Service

Oxford University Library ServicesAugust 2005

Trees matter• In many

disciplines:– Forest and plant

sciences– Taxonomy– Climatology– Environmental

change– Geography– Ecology

– Etc etc

– Earth sciences– Biochemistry– Medicine– Development

studies– Economics– Social sciences– Law

Data about trees• Takes a long time to collect• Maybe several generations• How to keep comparable data

accessible• The Oxford story

– Hanging on in quiet desperation is the English way

For example

following a search of your on-line catalogue, I see that you retain the following journal :- Schweizerische Zeitschrift fur das Forstwesen…..the one that I am interested in is by COAZ, J, entitled "Kulturversuch mit auslandischen holzarten inder Waldung des Schlosses Marschlins, Gemeindegebiet von Igis, in Graubunden". It was published in 1917… (15-12-04)

I am trying to track down a report by C. E. Lane Poole who was an Australian forester. He wrote a report called "The Forests of Erromago" in 1948. Erromago is an island in the New Hebrides (now called Vanuatu) ….It may well be a semi-manuscript , rather than a formal publication. (5-1-05)

I am writing to enquire about a book which I understand my Grandfather wrote when in the Indian Forestry Service.  He retired in October 1926, so I imagine it was written before that time, but I really don't know….The reference I have seen was "Henry Farrington, the Chief Conservator, was a specialist on botany; he was the author of a very useful flora of the trees of the Northern and Berar Circles". (11-01-05)

It was a most productive visit to your library for 'grey' literature on the useful plants of tropical Africa for the PROTA project (11-01-05)

I am working for a German biodiversity research group studying the forests of Kakamega in Kenya and of Budongo and Mabira in Uganda. We are attempting to trace the forest cover changes for these areas and I have heard that you have some archives relating to them. Is that true?I am interested in old maps or absolutely any written archival material relating to these forests, and of any date, but the older the better (12-12-04)

IUFRO• Information Clearing House to record

forest data planned 1906 for Switzerland

• War intervened, funds lost to inflation• British Imperial Forestry Institute

founded 1924• Gathered UK-generated reports,

indexed in Current Monthly Record• Passed to Imperial Forestry Bureau

1938• Forestry Abstracts 1939-

Clearing House• IFI/IFB – Oxford by default• Post-WW2 declaration: ‘authors should

generally send a copy of their work to Forestry Abstracts’

• Free deposit still works– With a little help from my friends

• CABI/Oxford Agreement still current• Recording/storing/retrieving not free• Why should Oxford pay?• Why? Why? Why? Why?....

Threat no. 1• Space• New building 1950, completely full by

1960• Microfilming programme funded by

Ford Foundation 1964• Through support of one man – Frank

Wadsworth, USDA• Three-year funding stretched to 30

years through sales• Now going digital – at a price

Threat no. 2• Academic priorities change

– Undergraduate teaching: forestry > agricultural science > biology

– Postgraduate teaching: forestry > forest science > environmental science

– Research: whole plant > molecular• And will change again…

Threat no. 3• Institutional re-organisation• Departmental reorganization: forestry /

botany / agriculture > Plant Sciences 1985

• CABI centralization – away from Oxford 1987

• ‘Oxford’s Forestry Felled’• You don’t do forestry any more, do

you?• So why should I send you my stuff?

Threat no. 4• £££££££ • Resource allocation• Full economic costing• Reduce staff

– 1985: 12 >1995: 8 > 2000: 2.5• Reduce space

– 1985: 3000m > 2000: 2000m– You can’t keep a growing lad down

Something’s got to give

• Restructuring• 100 libraries > one library• Gradually• Plant Sciences > OULS: Nov 2000

Identity crises• Oxford Forest Information Service

– Collections may move, service remains

• But not everywhere• UK agriculture: 50% of

organizations in membership of IAALD/Aslib merged, moved, changed owners, role, funding source in past decade

Lest auld acquaintance be forgot• IUFRO Directory• Joining hands:

– EBHL / CBHL– FORELISE– GFIS

New publishing paradigms

• Speed communication• Wider communication• Multiple versions• Multiple formats• Archival conversion• Oxford-Google: 1 million 19th

century books being digitised• Oxford Digital Library• Oxford Eprints

The Biggest Threat of All:It’s on the web• Well it was….• Race against time for

– Electronic archiving– Electronic legal deposit– Preserving e-mail?

• Born digital – die digital• Endless refreshment• Endless cash• Who pays? • And why? why? why?

We’re working on that…• The Problem of the UK Forest

Research Programme Archive• Closing in March 2006• 320m shelving• 40 years of research, £50m of

public money• Who keeps it? Who makes it

searchable? Who pays?

Who cares?• We do!• So it’s just as well we’re still

alive…• And kicking:

Please join us!