Preservation (library and archive)
Preservation, in this definition, is practiced in a library or an archive by a conservator, librarian, archivist, or other professional when they perceive a collection or record is in need of maintenance.
The main problems are that digital space costs money, media and file formats may become obsolete, and backwards compatibility is not guaranteed.
Other problems include scan quality, redundancy of digitized books among different libraries, and copyright law.
Key environmental factors to watch include temperature, relative humidity, pests, pollutants, and light exposure.
Generally, the relative humidity should be between 30–50% with as little variation as possible, however recommendations on specific levels to maintain vary depending on the type of material, i.e. paper-based, film, etc.
Particulate and gaseous pollutants, such as soot, ozone, sulfur dioxide, oxides of nitrogen, can cause dust, soiling, and irreversible molecular damage to materials.
Materials receiving more lux than recommended can be placed in dark storage periodically to prolong the original appearance of the object.
[21] Similarly, books that are fragile, valuable, oddly shaped, or in need of protection can be stored in archival boxes and enclosures.
[26] Assessment of significance can also aid in documenting the provenance and context to argue the case for grant funding for the object and collection.
This process entails identifying the general and specific needs of the collection, establishing priorities, and gathering the resources to execute the plan.
[29] Because budget and time limitations require priorities to be set, standards have been established by the profession to determine what should be preserved in a collection.
The first steps an institution should implement, according to the NEDCC, are to establish a policy that defines and charts the course of action and create a framework for carrying out goals and priorities.
Everything from how to preserve paper media to creating and maintaining electronic resources and gauging their digital permanence is being explored by students and professionals in archives/libraries.
The two main issues that most institutions tend to face are the rapid disintegration of acidic paper and water damage (due to flooding, plumbing problems, etc.).
Scholarly periodicals in this field from other publishers include International Preservation News, Journal of the American Institute for Conservation, and Collection Management among many others.
Public libraries usually try to tailor their services to meet the needs and desires of their local communities, which could cause an emphasis on acquiring new materials over preserving old ones.
With staff trained in appropriate techniques, archives are often available to many public and private library facilities as an alternative to destroying older materials.
Preservation as a formal profession in libraries and archives dates from the twentieth century, but its philosophy and practice has roots in many earlier traditions.
[53] In many ancient societies, appeals to heavenly protectors were used to preserve books, scrolls and manuscripts from insects, fire and decay.
Human record-keeping arguably dates back to the cave painting boom of the Upper Paleolithic, some 32,000–40,000 years ago.
The AIC Code of Ethics and Guidelines for Practice[62] has addressed such concerns, stating "All actions of the conservation professional must be governed by an informed respect for cultural property, its unique character and significance and the people or person who created it."
In many cases museums are working with the nations to find a compromise to balance the need for reliable supervision as well as access for both the public and researchers.
For example, sacred objects of the native peoples of the Western United States are supposed to be stored with sage to ensure their spiritual well-being.
The idea of storing an object with plant material is inherently problematic to an archival collection because of the possibility of insect infestation.
These restrictions can be considered hindrances to researchers who feel that these measures are in place solely to keep materials out of the hands of the public.
This was the subject of novelist Nicholson Baker's book Double Fold, which chronicled his efforts to save many old runs of American newspapers (formerly owned by the British Library) from being sold to dealers or pulped.
Concerns include scholarly needs and legal requirements for authentic or original records as well as questions about the longevity, quality, and completeness of reformatted materials.
[68] Further, the Modern Language Association's Committee on the Future of the Print Record structured its "Statement on the Significance of Primary Records" on the inherent theoretical ideology that there is a need to preserve as many copies of a printed edition as is possible as texts and their textual settings are, quite simply, not separable, just as the artifactual characteristics of texts are as relevant and varied as the texts themselves (in the report mentioned herewith, G. Thomas Tanselle suggests that presently existing book stacks need not be abandoned with emerging technologies; rather they serve as vitally important original (primary) sources for future study).
Through preservation efforts, patrons can rest assured that although materials are constantly deteriorating over time, the library itself will remain a stable, reliable environment for their information needs.
[71] By working to slow down the processes of deterioration and decay of library materials, preservation practices help keep this link to the past alive.
