Staff Preservation Training:
I. Introduction

Preserving Library Collections:
What's Your Role?

Everyone has a role in preserving the Library’s collections. You will learn what you can do in the following web pages.

The Library makes an enormous investment in its collections. For one book to make it to the shelf, it must go through an ordering and acquisition process, get cataloged, possibly get bound, get labeled, and then get shelved. The cost of one book is much more than the price tag on the book—lots of staff time is involved as well.

We can all do things to help preserve the library’s collections. Most things are commonsense and require just a little effort. Proper book handling, for instance, reduces needless damage caused by careless actions.

This training session will tell you some ways you can help extend the life of our library’s collections and introduce you to some basic preservation concepts and issues. This first section will focus on:

• Key Terms
• Environment
• Anatomy of a Book
• Types of Deterioration
• The Preservation Department

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