Preserving Library Materials

Completely revised from the first edition (Professional Reading, LJ 9/1/80), this is a a basic yet comprehensive overview of the state of preservation in libraries and archives. While the past 20 years have represented a period of consciousness-raising within the profession, anyone aware of the scope of the problem-from commitments of time, staff, and money to the peculiar needs of nonprint media-cannot but feel overwhelmed. As Swartzburg, author of Libraries and Archives: Design and Renovation with a Preservation Perspective (Scarecrow, 1991), bluntly acknowledges, ‘We cannot save everything.’ For those unfamiliar with the issue of preservation, this is an excellent introduction, sketching the background of the problem and touching on the simplest and most effective methods of prevention-such as housekeeping practices, staff training, preservation microfilming, and the creation of a disaster plan. For the experienced, the author provides an enormous bibliography, citing writings by many of the leading authorities in the field. An up-to-date list of perservation-related periodicals and organizations is included, and there is an excellent glossary. Highly recommended for novices and professionals.