In April 2000, the Digital Library Federation commissioned three reports to address broader concerns about digital collections in research libraries. This report synthesizes the nearly 10 years' experience that libraries have had digitizing items from their rare, special, and general collections, and making them available online. The report…

Reflecting 18 months of work by the Preservation and Access Committee established by the Council on Library Resources in June 1984, these reports identify the essential elements of a national brittle book preservation program and propose an organizational structure and funding plan. Following a brief introduction, the Report of the Committee on…

Although a sustained campaign has been underway to preserve published materials of importance to scholarly research in the United States, there has not been a similar impetus for the preservation of unpublished materials and the kinds of collections held by archives. A systematic methodology for developing preservation priorities for archival…

Designed to present a broad picture that characterizes the current world situation with respect to preservation and conservation of library and archival documents, this report is based on a March 1986 survey on the state of the world's patrimony which was funded by Unesco and undertaken jointly by IFLA (the International Federation of Library…

Most librarians know the importance of disaster preparedness. Many disasters could have been prevented altogether or have had reduced impact if institutions had been better prepared. This resource guide suggests how disaster preparedness can be achieved at cultural institutions. Twenty-three basic resource articles are presented to introduce…

Library binding is one of the activities typically included in newly created preservation departments, but librarians continue to discover that transforming a traditional binding program into one that better meets preservation objectives requires considerable investment of time. This resource guide is intended to help libraries review their…

Library administrators, faced with the problems of acid-paper deterioration, are examining mass deacidification procedures. Mass deacidification of acidic books while they are still physically sound and not yet brittle is the most cost-effective corrective action to extend the life of the paper. There are currently at least five mass…

Collections conservation is an approach to the preservation treatment of books and book-like materials that is conceptualized and organized in terms of large groups of materials. This guide is intended to enable a library to evaluate its current collections conservation activities. The introduction describes collections conservation and gives…

This resource guide considers issues in the staffing and organization of preservation activities. It provides guidance in implementing a systematic preservation program and evaluates the structures of various types of preservation programs. The following articles complement the discussion of program models and implementation: (1)…

This resource guide provides information about the range of activities that can be implemented to maintain and improve the condition of research collections to ensure that they remain usable as long as possible. After an introduction that describes the major activities and a review of an investigation process that gives an overview of good…

This resource guide briefly defines, describes, outlines, and exemplifies a program with the goal of reaching library employees and library users with a message that states the positive benefits of enhanced collection preservation, longevity, usability, and access. The guide is organized and arranged to enable a library to evaluate its current…