Preservation Group General Policies

Contents

• Mission
• Policies Supporting the Mission
• Policies by Team
• Bindery, End Processing
• Brittle Materials, Reformatting, and Deacidification
• Conservation

1. Tie preservation selection/decision making closely to collection policies of the institution.
2. Address damaged in-demand materials, as identified by circulation, as the primary focus of our workflow.
3. Use established mechanisms such as the Preservation Committee to set and carry out preservation priorities in a collaborative process that distributes preservation resources fairly across UM Libraries.
4. Maximize access by:
1. Minimizing turnaround times for materials in Preservation for treatment.
2. Tracking all materials while they are in Preservation.
3. Responding to user requests for items in Preservation.
4. Use national/international standards and best practices to perform our work.
5. Prevent damage as the most cost effect approach to preservation by promoting and facilitating proper storage and handling of library materials.

Bindery
• We will hold the commercial library bindery responsible for creating bindings that meet LBI standards.
• Our tolerance for error rate from the commercial library bindery will be no higher than a 2% error rate.
• The commercial library bindery will provide a 2-week turnaround with weekly pickup/deliveries.
• We will return errors asap for correction.
• We will track and document commercial library bindery errors.
• We will maintain good communication with the commercial library bindery.

End Processing
• Rush items will be processed 2X per day.
• Shelves for each branch will be cleared for delivery once a day.

• Context of other holdings (other copies, editions, and/or volumes).
• Condition.
• Use.
• Rareness as reflected in WorldCat.
• Availability in print or electronically.
• Consultation with subject specialists if there are questions about the continued fit of the item with collection policies.
• Actions will include replacement by purchase of another copy; creation of a new paper and/or digital copy; boxing; withdrawal if other copies exist in the Libraries.
• Deacidification will be carried out for books which have been formally identified as needed in the original format for the foreseeable future.

• Our first priority is to conserve damaged materials so that they may be returned to use.
• Damaged in-demand materials, as identified by circulation points, are the primary focus of our workflow.
• Assessment and treatments will be made to current conservation/preservation standards and will be at an appropriate level for each piece.
• Treatments will be reversible.
• Items will be routed to the most appropriate and cost-effective location for timely treatment, to any one of the following places:
  • In-house lab.
  • Outsourced, if in-house facilities or staff do not accommodate the needed treatment.
  • Commercial bindery, providing preparatory work in-house if necessary.
  • Brittle Materials Unit.
• Appropriate and qualified outside conservation specialists will be brought in when items require specialized expertise for assessment and treatment.
• Staff will be assigned to the treatments suitable to their level of expertise, although all may need to assist with lower-end treatments on occasion.
• Staff/student(s) with beginning level skills will be hired in sufficient numbers to cover the simplest tasks in order to permit the more skilled staff to focus on higher-end treatments.
• Special projects, such as for reference collections and special collections, will be undertaken based on priorities set by consensus of the Preservation Committee.

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