Basic Preservation Guidelines for Library and Archive Collections

Basic Preservation Guidelines for Library and Archive Collections
Source: Preservation Advisory Centre, The British Library

Preservation can be defined as ‘all managerial, technical and financial considerations applied to retard deterioration and extend the useful life of (collection) materials to ensure their continued availability’. Preventive measures can considerably extend the useful life of collections, and are usually much more cost-effective than interventive measures taken to remedy damage after deterioration has taken place.