April 27, 2007
Albuquerque, New Mexico

Members Present:
Fernando Acosta-Rodriguez (Princeton U.); Anne Barnhart (UC Santa Barbara); Adán Benavides (U.Texas) - Chair; David Block (Cornell U.); Hortensia Calvo (Tulane U.); Fehl Cannon (Library of Congress); Angela Carreño (NYU); Paloma Celis (U. Wisconsin); Teresa Chapa (UNC-Chapel Hill); Paula Covington (Vanderbilt U.); Carlos R. Delgado (UC Berkeley); Patricia Figueroa (Brown U.); Edmundo Flores (Library of Congress); Luis A. González (Indiana U.); Nelly S. Gonzalez (U. Illinois); Pamela Graham (Columbia U.); Adan Griego (Stanford U.); Richard Hacken (Brigham Young University); Dan Hazen (Harvard U.); Joe Holub (U. Pennsylvania) Karen Lindvall-Larson (UC San Diego); Nerea Llamas (U. Michigan); Eudora Loh (UC Los Angeles); Catherine Marsicek (U. New Mexico); Martha Mantilla (U. Pittsburgh); Phil McLeod (UC Irvine); Elda Mulholland (Library of Congress-Rio); Rhonda Neugebauer (UC Riverside); Regina Nowicki de Guerra (UNC-Chapel Hill); Richard Phillips (U. Florida); Cesar Rodriguez (Yale U.); Lynn Shirey (Harvard U.); James Simon (CRL); Emily Stambaugh (UC Riverside); Peter Stern (U. Massachusetts); Rafael E. Tarrago (U. Minnesota); Scott Van Jacob (U. Notre Dame); Lesbia O. Varona (U. Miami); Mary Jo Zeter (Michigan State)

Guests: Ricarda Musser (Ibero-Amerikanisches Institut), Peter Altekruger (Ibero-Amerikanisches Institut), Arjan van Dijk (IDC-Brill), Alfredo Montalvo (Libros Andinos), Cecilia Puerto (San Diego State U.), Martha McPhail (San Diego State U.), Scott Dawson (Thomson Gale).

LAMP BUSINESS

1. Introductions were made.

2. Review/approval of 2006 minutes

The minutes from 2006 were approved as corrected.

3. Elections of Executive Committee [Benavides]

Adán Benavides proposed a corrected schedule of elections to get the committee back on track. Teresa Chapa will rotate off the committee. Benavides will serve one year, Anne Barnhart will serve two years. The committee approved the proposal. Rafael Tarrago, Lynn Shirey, Luis Gonzalez volunteered to stand for election. Lynn Shirey was elected to serve a three year term.

REPORTS

1. CRL/GRN Report [Simon]

James Simon recommended CRL’s semi-annual report to Chief Collection Development Officers to the member for a full update.

CRL and the International Coalition on Newspapers recently were awarded a $350,000 grant to preserve on microfilm newspapers from Latin America held by U.S. Libraries. Details will be provided soon.

2. Digitization of LAMP Collections : CRL Developments [Simon]

James Simon discussed recent strategic plans to digitize select portions of its collections. At the recent CRL Council meeting, members expressed interest in digitizing Latin American subject material, and supported LAMP as a means of proposing content. The members were interested in a selection model not unlike the purchase proposal model. There was much encouragement to think about cooperative digitization (selecting from our various collections), and to think about primary resources for undergraduate use. CRL will propose earmarking specific funds for Latin American content.

The LAMP Executive Committee will discuss selection methods and criteria following the meeting.

CRL has recently issued an RFP to varied institutions to propose terms of service relating to the digitization of CRL and affiliated libraries' international newspapers. The RFP focuses first on Latin American newspapers. More details are available at: http://icon.crl.edu/crlnewsrfp.htm

3. LAMP Financial Report & Completed Projects [Simon]

Simon presented the LAMP Financial Report list of recent receipts. In FY06, LAMP brought in $45,832 in revenue and expended $6,597. In FY07, LAMP has brought in $35,190 to date and has expended $23,775. Current ending fund balance is $137,256. Committed funds equal $28,517, leaving $88,739 in free funds to consider for new projects.

Simon reviewed the list of approved and completed projects.

NEW / DEVELOPING PROPOSALS (funding not yet approved)

Benavides remarked that proposals in hand total $49,000, while we have $88,000 in available funds. So funding will not be an issue.

Proposals in Hand

1. Publicaciones políticas y culturales argentinas (1923-1986) – Serie III [CeDInCI]

Simon presented the proposal on behalf of Roberto Pittaluga. This series is a continuance of the first two projects LAMP has supported. It has already been filmed, however, and Roberto proposes a cost of $130 per reel. The committee suggested that it is important to support CeDInCI in its effort, but the costs seem closer in line with commercial prices. The committee suggested seeking more equitable terms.

2. Publicaciones Periódicas y Seriadas Socialistas (1899-1951) [CeDInCI]

This proposal is the equivalent of "Serie 4" and is being supported by the Ibero-Amerikanisches Institut. CeDInCI is seeking $5000 matching commitment from LAMP. The committee was more comfortable with this type of relationship and approved $5000. Need to check to be sure titles are not already filmed.

3. Benson collection of Central American serials [Benavides]

Texas filmed this collection under Title IIc funding. There were insufficient funds to complete all three generations of film, and U. Texas requires all three generations of film be made before cataloging the material. Texas needs $23/reel to create print masters, and will make a positive for LAMP. These are preservation copies for which Texas does not have additional rights. Titles have not been checked against OCLC to see whether titles have since been preserved. It is unlikely LAMP advocacy will provoke Texas to duplicate the remainder of their film, as there is no funding. The committee approved $7544.

4. Proyecto Biblioteca y Archivo de Teatro Peruano [von Bischoffshausen/Block]

This proposal from Gustavo von Bischoffshausen (Biblioteca España de las Artes) is different than the initial proposal described last year. Von Bischoffshausen is requesting $7400 to digitize the archival collection of the Teatro Peruano It consists of newspaper clippings, posters and announcements of shows, photos and watercolors of artists, programs, the collection of the Concursos Nacionales de Obras de Teatro (1960-1980), sound and music collections, and rare periodicals from the from the late 19th through the 20th century.

David Block discussed the dilemma of the proposal: as LAMP’s mission stands, this proposal does not fit our model. All previous support for digital efforts has had some preservation (microform) component (either previously or concurrently filmed). This may be a good time to revisit what it is we do. In order to support this or other projects, we must first revisit the By-Laws. Exec Committee will discuss and bring recommendations to the membership.

Members discussed concerns with digital proposals and the requirements of training, standards, and sustainability. Most Latin American partners have had limited experience in digitization and require substantial capacity building. Is LAMP prepared to offer this assistance, and how will we go about it? The existing model of the subject specialist overseeing the project would pose many challenges, as we are not experts in digitization, standards, quality control, and other issues in the life cycle of a project. LAMP needs to set certain guidelines and expectations for digital proposals to clarify some of these issues. Look to existing guidelines and standards as our recommended model.

The project proposal lacks certain details. Defer approval for now. David will contact von Bischoffshausen with the results of the discussion and will continue to monitor this.

5. 19th c. Women’s Journals from Brazil [Figueroa]

Patricia Figueroa described the proposal to film and/or purchase microfilm of resources described in “Emancipating the female sex: the struggle for women’s rights in Brazil” (June Hahner). 90% of the titles are held at the Biblioteca Nacional in Brazil, and many (but not all) exist in film. The proposal is to seek copies of the filmed titles and to pursue original filming of the rest (from BN or other copies in the Arquivo do Estado de São Paulo. Figueroa will be traveling soon and will pursue more details. The committee expressed strong support and approved up to $1500 to pursue this. If more funds are required, the Executive Committee can approve at their discretion. A good candidate for digitization? (Small runs, already preserved).

6. La Novela Semanal [Gonzalez]

Nelly Gonzalez proposed to film 13 volumes of this series (nos. 271-469, years 1923-1926). Important writers contributed stories and novellas, and it has importance for literature and other fields. Stanford has filmed 1-270. OCLC quoted $5,500.

The Ibero-Amerikanisches Institut has further holdings and would be willing to participate, but they have put in for a grant to digitize literature from this period, including this resource. It would be openly accessible online if successful. Each issue would be cataloged individually. It is expected to be available within two years. The committee agreed this was preferable, and the Executive Committee offered to write a letter of support for the IAI.

7. Registers of British Subjects and Ships [Frias/UdeSA]

The Universidad de San Andres (UdeSA) has remaining funds from their earlier LAMP project, and proposed to film the registers of British subjects and British ships from 1925-32 and 1864-1912, respectively. This would cost $2085 ($1710 from LAMP). LAMP agreed in principle, but would like some assurance they have permission from the owners of these resources.

8. El Federal (1944), Argentina [Frias/UdeSA]

UdeSA has remaining funds from their earlier approved project, and proposed to film el Federal for the period of 1944. This has great historical value (unique perspective during WWII relating to Argentinean nationalism); these issues are not held elsewhere. This would cost $3529 ($1723 from LAMP), remainder from UdeSA). LAMP agreed in principle, but would like some assurance (written) they have permission from the owners of these resources.

Under Development

9. Afro-Cuban newspapers, Biblioteca Nacional Jose Martí, Cuba [Tarragó]

No progress made. Eliades is no longer at the BN. Rafael Tarrago will confer with some additional colleagues regarding this proposal.

10. Latin American Labor Movement newspapers [Loh]

Eudora Loh reminded members that this digital project was underway at UCLA. La Protesta Humana is available via UCLA digital library, digitized and fully searchable. The other five titles are in process. In MELVYL? Dora will check.

11. La Protesta [Simon]

This project is finally moving. CeDInCI proposes to investigate holdings in Argentina and will assemble for filming and digitization. Simon received a proposal too late to reproduce for the meeting, and will send along via the listserv for discussion.

12. Universal de Cartagena [Vazquez]

No progress made. While it seemed there was many roadblocks to this project (no qualified filmers, unable to ship the material), Hortensia Calvo spoke to the owners who seemed very willing to cooperate. Calvo suggests “someone should put pressure on this project to move forward.”

13. Oaxacan newspapers [Covington]

The professor who was using the archives spoke with two people in charge of newspaper section. They are favorable to a project, but were not sure what the next step was. Paula Covington will suggest top titles and put together a proposal.

14. 19th c. Brazilian serials at the National Library of Brazil [Hazen/Ruschoff]

Dan Hazen spoke with Carlen Ruschoff (UMD) regarding this project. Film exists in Campinas. Project a “grab bag” of various newspapers. May be something to consider, may want to consider digital. Ca. 1500 titles. Hazen will send more information.

CURRENT AND CONTINUING PROJECTS (funding approved)

1. Aqui (Bolivia) [Block]

David Block has revived this proposal, as he has made successful contact with our filmer in the region. The originals of this newspaper are at the filmer, and an initial payment has been made to begin filming work.

2. Argentine Serials (Grillo de Papel, Escarabajo de Oro, el Ornitorrinco) [Simon]

LAMP has filmed Escarabajo de Oro, and Grillo was previously filmed by Princeton. LAMP previously decided (2005) to continue with microfilming despite the availability of the CD, and we were seeking institutions willing to donate Ornitorrinco for filming. However, Simon noted that these titles exist on film through CeDInCI. He recommended releasing the funds and dropping the project. Released.

3. CEHIPE Film duplication [Benavides]

The LAMP executive committee selected numerous titles from CEHIPE’s available material. LAMP is expecting the receipt of these materials soon, and CEHIPE will distribute a list of other available material for selection.

COLECCIÓN CANTIDAD
Prensa Rosarina 105
Diario El Eco de Tandil 54
Prensa política: Periódico La Bomba 1
Almanaque Sudamericano 3
Almanaque El Mosquito 1
Prensa Hispanoamericana 3
Impresos de la Provincia
de Santa Fe 2
Total rollos: 169 U$S12.675

4. CIESPI digitization project, Moncorvo family collection [Van Jacob/Mulholland]

Elda Mulholland reported that the 10 reels were scanned, though the pages need to be split into two separate images (filmed 2-up). Still sorting through the issues, but hope to have images available by the end of month.

5. Colección Lafragua catalog records [Snyder]

Simon negotiated a memorandum with Henry Snyder but is awaiting a signed copy. Snyder (not present) feels ready to begin this project.

6. Cromos [Benavides]

Adán submitted a detailed report online, which included an inventory of filmed and missing issues.

7. Memorias [Flores]

Flores reported that the eight proposed titles are underway and should be complete by next year. This should exhaust the funding and the existing titles for this project.

8. Senator Abdias Nascimento Archive [Mulholland]

A report from LC-Rio was distributed online. The revised report seems to resolve most issues the committee had. LAMP has received 8 reels of film (still require a negative copy). IPEAFRO is requesting $10,493 to continue organization, indexing, and preservation of the archives of the Black Experimental Theater Section of the Nascimento collection. After discussion, this proposal was Approved.

9. La Protesta [Simon]

See above.

10. Variedades [Loh]

This project is still not complete. The preservation librarian is coming back to complete filming.

11. 19th c. Venezuelan newspapers [Acosta-Rodriguez/Simon]

3 reels received February 2007. Cataloging is underway.

Other business

Benavides reported that he attended a special event hosted by the library of the Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León (Monterrey, Mexico), which opened a new research area dedicated to historic Mexican newspapers on April 24, 2007. The occasion for installing two state-of-the-art microfilm reader-printers with the capacity to save to CD was prompted by the purchase of the microfilm of Mexican newspapers (1907-1929) produced by the Benson Latin American Collection in cooperation with several U.S. libraries. The microfilming was funded in part by two grants from the National Endowment for the Humanities. A grant from LAMP helped film newspapers held by the University of Connecticut for the nineteenth-century project. The acquisition of the microfilmed newspapers adds significantly to the holdings of UANL and provides an opportunity for its library to become a regional repository for national and local newspapers.

The meeting was adjourned.

Submitted by James Simon 5/11/07