Reports on a survey of the book collection at the Wellsley Free Library (MA) to ascertain the age and physical condition of the collection and causes of damage. Cost implications and proposed solutions are discussed, and the significance of the findings for public libraries is considered. (five references) (MES)

The Association of Research Libraries distributed a survey to its 119 member libraries to assess the use of state-of-the-art digital technologies as a preservation method. Libraries were asked to report detailed data on all projects designed specifically to: (1) enhance images of faded or brittle originals, (2) provide access to digital images…

A survey of preservation activities in large academic libraries revealed widespread problems of deterioration of library materials. Some countermeasures are described. (Author/PF)

Describes results of a library collection survey conducted in 1987 at the University of Manitoba to determine the extent of the problem with brittle pages. Paper acidity and deterioration are described, the need for a national plan is discussed, and recommendations to improve preservation efforts and results are offered. (five references) (LRW)

This Association of Research Libraries (ARL) kit on preservation of library materials contains: (1) descriptions of preservation programs and objectives from Boston University, the University of Michigan, University of Wisconsin, and University of California at Los Angeles; (2) a description of the Library of Congress' National Preservation…

The goals of this program were to alert Florida's academic and public librarians to the nature of fire- and water-related disasters, train them to prepare for and respond to emergency situations in ways that would minimize damage to collections, and establish a statewide library disaster recovery network. These goals were met by means of the…

The survey documented in this report was conducted in 1981 to investigate the preservation conditions, practices, and needs of the units of the University of Texas at Austin General Libraries. The report is divided into six major portions. The first five sections report the responses to questionnaires on specific formats: books and serials;…

Results of survey evaluating physical condition of 36,500 volumes and nature of collections in Yale University Library system reveal that 37.1 percent of books sampled overall had brittle paper and 82.6 percent had acidic paper. Sampling methodology, survey instructions, abbreviations for publishing countries, and methods of statistical analysis…

Discusses the results of two collection assessments conducted 13 years apart at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Both assessments focused on the central stacks collection, a repository collection serving the institution's 42 branch and departmental libraries. Findings provide insight into the results of deferred collections care and…

Discussion of deteriorating library materials focuses on a study that investigated preservation activities at the Oberlin Group of college libraries of nineteenth-century American and British periodicals. Results from the study and from a review of the literature are used to help develop a model for preservation decision making. (12 references)…

Book condition surveys have been conducted in several large research libraries in the United States to determine the extent of book deterioration in those libraries. This paper outlines the steps for conducting a brittle book survey adapted from more comprehensive surveys to assess the extent of paper brittleness of the book collections in a small…

Three articles on preservation present a theoretical framework for making preservation selection decisions by Atkinson, comments on Atkinson's concepts and possible mechanisms for identifying collections for top priority in microfilming by Child, and results of a Research Libraries Group study of the costs of preservation microfilming by McClung .…

This report describes and presents the results of a survey designed to obtain information on the preservation and conservation policies and procedures, staff, facilities, and expenditures of 18 academic libraries in Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio. The goals of the survey were to inform each library surveyed of its strengths and weaknesses in the…

This SPEC (Systems and Procedures Exchange Center) Kit is based on a survey of Association of Research Libraries (ARL) member libraries in June 2000. The goal of the survey was to identify issues to be addressed and actions ARL might take to advance the preservation goals of the members. The survey was designed to gather data on recent changes,…

This document is concerned with the practice of conservation of library materials in African university libraries south of the Sahara and north of the Limpopo. Data were collected using a questionnaire mailed to 42 university libraries in Sub-Saharan Africa. Responses were received from 27 libraries for a 64% response rate. Data analysis was…