Exploring

Program Management

Policy

The development of written preservation policies and documentation is crucial to the planning process. Written policies provide guidance for carrying out specific activities, help to codify procedures, and ensure that staff members accept them and carry them out.

Overall Preservation Policy

One of the first steps in the planning process must be to develop an overall institutional preservation policy. This document will provide a framework for setting preservation priorities and preparing a detailed preservation plan. It should reflect the institution's mission and goals and should include:

• a general description of the preservation problems facing the institution
• definitions/explanations of key preservation concepts and terms
• the general principles and practices that will guide the preservation program
• a general outline of the preservation program that includes responsibilities for preservation activities and describes how preservation relates to other functions within the institution (e.g., provision of access, processing of new collections)

Once an overall preservation policy has been developed, more detailed polices will be needed to provide staff with written guidelines for carrying out specific preservation activities as part of everyday collections care efforts. This is particularly important in smaller institutions where there is no separate preservation department. The policy-development process may also facilitate change within the institution, educating staff and administration about the damaging effects of current practices and procedures.

Essentially, the preservation policy articulates the overall goals of the preservation program. This policy should be revisited periodically, as the institution and circumstances change and as preservation goals are achieved.

Policies for Specific Activities

Preservation should be a part of all activities including, but not limited to:

• acquisition (use of nondamaging spine labels, etc.)
• binding (use of archival materials and nondamaging binding techniques that allow the book to open completely, etc.)
• shelving (storing oversized books flat or spine down, using proper bookends)
• photocopying (using an "edge" photocopier with an edge platen and being careful not to damage the spines of books)
• exhibition (supporting collections properly and using nondamaging exhibit techniques, etc.)

Once an overall preservation policy has been developed, strategies will be needed for specific preservation activities, which will provide staff with written guidelines for carrying out these activities as part of everyday collections care efforts. Written policies are best developed over time as preservation activities are systematized.

Following is a list of potential policies and procedures that have a preservation component (all of these may not be needed for every institution):

• Disaster planning and recovery
• Collection acquisitions and processing
• Donor forms and agreements
• Exhibit guidelines
• Rights and reproductions policies
• Book repair policy
• Selection for conservation treatment
• Documenting conservation treatment
• Binding quality check
• Microfilming selection and quality
• Selection for digitization
• Handling materials for digitization
• Food and drinks policy
• Security policy
• Patron access/use policy
• Loan policy
• Environmental monitoring
• Collection storage and rehousing

In general, clear and well-considered policies that are universally enforced will make preventive preservation measures routine and lengthen the useful life of collections.