November 28, 1994

Press contact: Guy Lamolinara (202) 707-9217

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Diane Kresh Named Library of Congress Director of Preservation

Diane Nester Kresh has been named Director of Preservation and National Preservation Program Officer, effective November 13, by Winston Tabb, Associate Librarian for Collections Services. Ms. Kresh will report directly to Mr. Tabb in her new position.

As Director for Preservation, Ms. Kresh will be responsible for Library-wide activities relating to preservation, conservation, restoration, protection and maintenance of the Library's collections.

Ms. Kresh has had extensive management experience at the Library of Congress, having moved successfully through a series of progressively responsible positions since becoming Head of the Collections Improvement Section in 1984. Subsequent to that assignment she served as Assistant Chief of the Collections Management Division (CMD), Acting Chief of CMD, and Acting Director for Public Service and Collections Management I. She was appointed Preservation Resources Officer in 1992, and has served as Acting Director of Preservation since February of this year.

"These assignments have given Diane Kresh an unusually broad exposure to the preservation and collections management problems and solutions involving the whole gamut of Library of Congress materials -- from books to manuscripts to sound recordings," said Mr. Tabb.

As Preservation Resources Officer and Acting Director of Preservation, Ms. Kresh initiated an extensive preservation planning effort, involving numerous staff from the Library as well as many dozens of outside experts. She played a critical role in the development of the Library's comprehensive preservation emergency preparedness plan, and has identified and implemented new ways of handling preservation problems.

Ms. Kresh represents the Library on the ARL Preservation Committee and the Commission on Preservation and Access's Preservation Managers' Council. She recently delivered a paper on preservation planning for the Iowa Conservation Conference and has been invited to address meetings of the American Institute of Conservators and National Institute for the Conservation of Cultural Property.

Ms. Kresh joined the Library of Congress staff in 1972 as a GS-2 Reading Room Assistant. Before beginning her management career, she served several years as a copyright examiner and as a reference librarian in the General Reading Rooms Division. She was a member of the 1981-82 LC Intern Class, and has received numerous outstanding ratings and several Superior Service, Meritorious Service and Special Achievement Awards. Ms. Kresh received her bachelor's degree and master of library science degree from Catholic University of America.

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PR 94-184
11/28/94
ISSN 0731-3527