Introduction
The preservation program should be based on the collection needs of a specific library or cultural institution. There are many preservation principles that can be applied to all types of cultural institutions and the emphasis and the direction for the program will be determined by the collections, organizational culture, history and environmental factors. The preservation goals will be determined by many factors such as: how large is the collection; is the collection new or historical materials or a mix of both; do library materials circulate outside of the building; is it a research collection, instructional, or recreational or a mixture of all; who are the library users. The library building itself and the environment (externally and internally) will have the greatest impact on the physical condition of the collection. This tutorial will guide and help you in fulfilling these responsibilities.
We recommend that first time users begin with the self-assessment.
Acknowledgements
Support for this tutorial comes from the Henry Luce Foundation. No part of this tutorial may be reproduced or transcribed in any form without prior written permission of Cornell University Library/Department of Preservation. Requests for reproduction should be directed to conservation at cornell.edu. All URLs and internal links valid as of May 2014.
Development Team
Department of Preservation
Cornell University Library
May 2014