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The Preservation Reformatting Division of the Library of Congress
announces the web release of its first digitizing project, the full
ten-volume set of the periodical Garden and Forest: A Journal of
Horticulture, Landscape Art, and Forestry.  This landmark publication
was the first American journal devoted to horticulture, botany,
landscape design and preservation, national and urban park development,
scientific forestry, and the conservation of forest resources.  The
digital  reproduction can be viewed at the following URL:

http://lcweb.loc.gov/preserv/prd/gardfor/gfhome.html

The National Digital Library provided experience and personnel in the
planning and execution of this preservation project.  The Garden and
Forest project is the first Library of Congress initiative to adapt the
use of digital technology to serve the traditional preservation goals of
reformatting deteriorating originals. Preservation goals and
requirements for selection, completeness, fidelity to the original
content and structure, and cataloging as applied to this digital project
are described in the “Digitizing and Delivery” link from the Garden and
Forest site.

New policy information that addresses the integration of digital
technology among the options available for crafting preservation
strategies has also been added to the LC Preservation web site:

http://lcweb.loc.gov/preserv/prd/presdig/presintro.html

Garden and Forest contains approximately 8,400 pages, including over
1,000 illustrations and 2,000 pages of advertisements.  Each issue
contains articles that are both literary, as well as scholarly and
scientific, and are of interest to readers ranging from curious amateurs
to practicing professionals. It provides practical information on
specific plants as well as horticultural practices, guidance on the
design of gardens, the growth of trees, and the care and management of
public and private grounds.  Many of the articles are illustrated.  The
art work includes line drawings, halftones, diagrams, plans, botanical
illustrations, portraits, and landscapes.  Every issue also contains at
least four pages of advertisements that provide a valuable snapshot of
contemporary commercial products, services, and establishments.

The Preservation Reformatting Division is working collaboratively with
the University of Michigan on the digital conversion and online delivery
of Garden and Forest with the goal of building a foundation for
interoperability with other Making of America digital materials (see
http://moa.umdl.umich.edu/).  This has involved developing a model for
phased delivery that allows progressive additions of features and
functionality to be provided by different parties, over time.  Another
collaborative effort with the Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University has
focused on the phased addition of access and interpretive aids, such as
background essays and a comprehensive subject index; the first
historical background essay is available online with this Phase 1
release.

Please send all comments and questions to [log in to unmask]
 _________________________________________________________

   Elizabeth L. Brown
   Automated Reference Services Librarian
   National Digital Library Program, LIBN/NDL/LC(1330)
   Library of Congress, Washington, DC  20540-1330
   [log in to unmask]                telephone: 202/707-2235

   Library of Congress American Memory Home Page:
   http://memory.loc.gov/
_________________________________________________________