This document discusses preservation and conservation of library materials. Preservation aims to maintain materials in their original condition by preventing decay, while conservation treats physically damaged materials to extend their lifespan. Key threats include improper handling, lack of environmental control of temperature and humidity, lighting, pollution, pests and security issues. Proper storage conditions, pest control and security systems can help prevent damage. A disaster plan should assess risks, form response teams, prioritize materials, and maintain supplies. Conservation focuses on keeping materials in their original format through repairs, collections treatments, and prudent management practices. The goal is long-term accessibility, not cosmetic changes.

1. SpT 03:
Preservation
and
Conservation
of Library
Materials
Prepared By: Mr. Jolo Van Clyde S. Abatayo

2. MUST be answered Questions

3. What is Preservation?
• It is the maintenance of library
resources.
• It is done to prevent (organic bodies)
from decaying or spoiling library
materials.
• It is an activity that keeps library
materials in perfect or unaltered
condition.

4. What is Conservation?
• It is the treatment of physically damaged
library materials to extend their life.
• It means “to repair”
• It is the preservation or restoration of
library materials from loss, damage, or
neglect.

5. What are the factors that damage
Library Materials?

6. Improper Handling
• Using too narrow/too shallow shelf will
result in items being knocked off and
damaged.
• Fore-edge shelving undue strain on the
binding.

7. Lack of Environmental Control
• Temperature cycling is damaging. For every
rise of 1, book papers deteriorate twice as
fast.
• Humidity and heat combine to accelerate
deterioration from paper acidity.
• The ideal range for microforms is 70 +/-5℉
with humidity at 40% +/-5%. Nitrate-based
motion picture film must be stored below 55℉
but can tolerate humidity up to 45%.

8. Lack of Environmental Control
• Videotapes do best at 65℉ +/-5℉ and no more
than 40% humidity. Audio discs (LPs, 45s, and
so forth) can handle temperatures up to 75℉
and 50% humidity. However, the upper limits
for audiotapes are 70℉ and 45% humidity.
Electronic me4dia (CDs and DVDs) are best
store4d at temperature between 14℉ and
73℉, with a relative humidity between 20 and
50%. However, lower relative temperatures
only slow the process but can’t stop it.

9. • Lighting (natural/artificial) influences
preservation. Artificial lighting when close
to material there can be significant
temperature differentials from button to
the top shelf in a storage unit.
• Windows and sunlight generate heat as
well, and they create mini-climates that
resulted to the damaging of the materials.

10. • Non-print materials are more sensitive in natural
lighting (ultraviolet radiation) like fluorescent
light.
• Sulfur dioxide is a major air pollutant and a
concern for library preservation program, because
it combines with water vapor to form sulfuric acid
that makes the book paper deteriorate.
• Silverfish, cockroaches, termites, larder beetle
larvae (book worm), and book lice eat the entire
papers of the book.

11. Security
• Lost library materials such as
books, films, etc. are the major
problems in preservation of the
library materials.

12. Disaster
• An unexpected natural/accidental disaster
may lost the library materials.
• Natural disasters such as earthquake are
cannot easily to prevent while accidental
disaster such as fire are preventable.
• The prevention of those disasters may be
depending upon the knowledge of the
librarian in how he/she can handle it.

13. How can we prevent those factors?
• Buying adjustable storage units provides the
library a measure of flexibility.
• Proper supports and book-ends help to keep
the materials in good order.
• The Library of Congress recommends a
temperature of 55℉ in book storage areas
and a maximum of 75℉ in reading areas.

14. • Do not use pesticides! Because it could
create pollution problems. To control this,
is to keep foods and drinks out of the
library and keeping humidity as low as
possible so that insects cannot multiply.
• People-based security and electronic
systems are required in the library to
prevent cases of theft and mutilation.

15. The following are the basic steps to
take in preparing a disaster plan:
1. Study the library for potential problems.
Often institution’s risk management officer
(insurance) is more than willing to help in
that assessment.
2. Meet with local fire and safety officers for
the same purpose.
3. Establish a planning team to develop a
plan. This team may become the disaster-
handling team.

16. 4. Establish procedures for handling each type
of disaster and, if appropriate. Form different
teams to handle each situation.
5. Establish a telephone calling tree, or other
fast notification system, for each disaster.
A telephone tree is a plan for who class in
a certain order.

17. 6. Develop a salvage priority list for the collections. If
necessary, mark a set of floor plans and include them
in the disaster planning and response manual. Most
plans do not have more than three levels of priority:
first priority is irreplaceable or costly materials;
second is materials that are expensive or difficult to
replace’ and third is the rest of the collection.
Establishing priorities can be a challenge for
planners, because everyone has some vested interest
in the subject areas with he or she works.

18. 7. Develop a list of recovery supplies the
library will maintain onsite (e.g., plastic
sheeting and butcher paper).
8. Include a list of resources—people and
companies that may assist in the recovery
work.

19. How can we conserve Library
Materials?
• The physical features of an original
artifact—paper, ink, binding, sewing
structure, and cover--hold matchless
information for the researcher.
• They establish a connection with the past
that cannot be established through
electronic access alone.

20. • Thus the main object if conservation is to keep
library and archival materials in their original
format as long as possible. Library and archival
materials can be preserved through remedial
treatment of individual materials (flattening,
book and paper repair, binding), treatment if an
entire collection (mass de-acidification,
fumigation), and stabilization (surface cleaning,
new containers, protective enclosures).
Conservation methods and materials should not
damage library materials.

21. • Conservation also involves prudent collection
management.
• For example, sound techniques for binding
materials such as periodicals and unbound
monographs are important, because the way
these materials are bound determines how
long they will last and how easily the
contents can be accessed.
• While in the past, highly-decorated bindings
were produced as a part of the rebinding
process, the primary object of conservation
is not cosmetic; indeed, the cosmetic
approach can often compromise good
conservation practice.

22. Sources:
• Prudencio, J. (2014). Preservation and
conservation of library materials. Retrieved
last June 10, 2017 from
https://www.slideshare.net/prudenciojohny/p
reservation-and-conservation-of-library-
materials?qid=86fbd3cf-3988-49b5-9c4e-
c8c76f9947d3&v=&b=&from_search=1
Reporter: Johny A. Prudencio