Preservation: An Overview Nancy E Kraft University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa nancy-e-kraft@uiowa.edu Preservation of Books and Other Media 21-25, May, 2012 IODE Project Office Oostende, Belgium

Preservation of Books and Other Media What is Preservation? The protection of cultural property through activities that minimize chemical and physical deterioration and damage and that prevent loss of informational content. The primary goal of preservation is to prolong the existence of cultural property. (AIC Directory, 1999) Activities associated with maintaining library, archival, or museum materials for use, either in original physical form or in some other format. [“Glossary of Selected Preservation Terms,” ALCTS Newsletter 1.2 (1990):15.]

Preventive Conservation Preservation of Books and Other Media Preventive Conservation The mitigation of deterioration and damage to cultural property through the formulation and implementation of policies and procedures for the following: appropriate environmental conditions; handling and maintenance procedures for storage, exhibition, packing, transport, and use; integrated pest management; emergency preparedness and response; and reformatting/duplication. (AIC Directory, 1999)

Preservation of Books and Other Media Conservation The profession devoted to the preservation of cultural property for the future. Conservation activities include examination, documentation, treatment, and preventive care, supported by research and education. (AIC Directory 1999) The treatment of library or archive materials, works of art, or museum objects to stabilize them physically, sustaining their survival as long as possible in their original form. (ALCTS Newsletter, p. 14)

Preservation of Books and Other Media Restoration Treatment procedures intended to return cultural property to a known or assumed state, often through the addition of non-original material.

Elements of Preservation Preservation of Books and Other Media Elements of Preservation Planning Environment Storage and handling Treatments Protection

Preservation of Books and Other Media

Preservation of Books and Other Media Decisions on what one keeps or not and how items are treated need to be based, in part, on your Collection Policy.

Collection Policy Should answer: Preservation of Books and Other Media Collection Policy Should answer: What areas/topics are you trying to cover? What are you documenting with your collection? Who are you serving? What types of material will you collect? What do people expect to find in your collection?

Collection Policy Includes … Preservation of Books and Other Media Collection Policy Includes … Purpose Scope Location Management Acquisitions Deaccession Documentation & Care Lending Access

Preservation of Books and Other Media Purpose This Collection Development Policy is intended to provide statements reflecting long term, current, and anticipated future information needs of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and of the oceanic and atmospheric communities, both national and worldwide.

Preservation of Books and Other Media Scope The NOAA Central Library currently maintains a collection of books, periodicals, technical reports, micro-image materials, digital optic storage devices (CD-Rom), and online services to support research in the atmospheric sciences, oceanography, geophysics, satellite technology, and related disciplines.

Location Will there be a special area for specific materials? Preservation of Books and Other Media Location Will there be a special area for specific materials?

Preservation of Books and Other Media Management It is the responsibility of the [acquisitions librarian, director, etc.] to see to it that the collection permanently acquires only items that fit within the scope of the collection.

Preservation of Books and Other Media Acquisitions Selection of material is designed to provide thorough coverage which should enhance the value of the overall library collection. Factors which are considered in the evaluation of recommended material are relevance to the Library's mission, expressed need for support for NOAA programs, quality of the item, and cost. Duplicate copies are not acquired unless the titles are heavily used or are NOAA or Sea Grant publications.

Preservation of Books and Other Media Gifts Books and Technical Reports are added to the collection as the result of donations from NOAA Offices, other libraries, organizations, etc. These gifts are evaluated using the same standards of selection as those applied to the purchase of new materials. If the material is not suited or needed for the Library, it will be evaluated for field libraries, or sent to the United States Book Exchange.

Deaccessioning or Weeding Preservation of Books and Other Media Deaccessioning or Weeding Material which no longer fit the selection criteria are withdrawn at the discretion of the Documents Librarian, with the concurrence of the Collection Development and the Reference Librarians. Weeding policy for government documents is determined by depository regulations as stated in the Instructions to Depository Libraries. Candidates for weeding include: Badly damaged or brittle documents Superseded publications Duplicate copies The collection is reviewed regularly for items and areas which need to be weeded.

Preservation of Books and Other Media Since the collection is a research collection, the library does not generally deaccession material unless it does not fit within the scope of the collection. When an item or collection is deaccessioned from the collection, the following steps will be taken [list]

Preservation of Books and Other Media Documentation & Care Everything used in the Special Collection room to preserve the material is acid-free. Material which requires some preservation work are sent to the bindery for rebinding or to be placed in a phase box.

Lending Maps are loaned to other libraries on a case-by-case basis. Preservation of Books and Other Media Lending Maps are loaned to other libraries on a case-by-case basis.

Preservation of Books and Other Media Access It is the responsibility of the library to make historical materials available on a restricted basis to researchers and to hold these in trust for future generations. List restrictions: Must show identification, can be used only in research room, etc.

Preservation of Books and Other Media Remember the umbrella? Preservation occurs at the building and collection level and at the item level.

Selection for Preservation Considerations Preservation of Books and Other Media Selection for Preservation Considerations •Condition and Use •Condition and Library Processing •Condition at the Shelf •Collection and Condition •Scholarly Review •Vulnerability to Loss or Deterioration •Value or Uniqueness

For Historical Collections Preservation of Books and Other Media For Historical Collections Uniqueness Form Importance Intrinsic Value Historical Value

Preservation Survey Identify potential hazards to the collection Preservation of Books and Other Media Preservation Survey Identify potential hazards to the collection Prioritize areas of the collections for preservation action Distinguishing between artifacts and informational or limited-lifespan materials Identify preservation actions required to keep collections in the best condition possible for the longest time possible (examples include extending security, improving housekeeping, installing climate-control equipment, replacing poor enclosures, conservation treatment) Prioritize the needs of the collections and identify steps necessary to achieve the required preservation actions.

Excerpts for Collection Development Policy, courtesy of Linda Pikula Preservation of Books and Other Media Excerpts for Collection Development Policy, courtesy of Linda Pikula Nancy E. Kraft University of Iowa Libraries Iowa City, IA email: nancy-e-kraft@uiowa.edu Website: http://www.lib.uiowa.edu/preservation/ Blog: http://blog.lib.uiowa.edu/preservation/