Best Practices for Preservation in Shared Print Programs

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Note: This Best Practice uses the Good, Better, Best, Aspirational terminology

Future access to the materials of shared print collections depends on their preservation over time. Successful preservation of printed books comes from active management at the time of selection, during the entire course of storage and use, and when a book’s physical usefulness approaches its end. 

Each book selected into a shared print collection has its own materiality and history. Best practice involves significant investment as early as possible in selecting sound copies and in creating a program and a physical environment that minimizes deterioration and risks. Early investment reduces later costs and losses; however, it is neither practical nor possible to start a shared print program with only perfect copies. 

Even the best storage environments and materials in them can deteriorate over time. Therefore ongoing management directed by dedicated, trained preservation professionals is one of the most important requirements to remediate damage in order to meet the needs of users and to mitigate new risks to the collection as they emerge. Material objects decay, even under ideal conditions. Best practice acknowledges this potential for loss and incorporates mechanisms to transfer text to new formats while maintaining some copies of the old format as long as possible to validate the new.

The following outline articulates the process of print preservation in the areas of staff, environment, condition, security, and risk mitigation. For all their vulnerabilities, printed books are persistent objects, especially in numbers distributed over different locations. Any of the activities described here will increase their chances of survival.

Each level presumes all checks of any/all preceding levels.

1. Staff
   1. Good
      The SPP will encourage member libraries to have
      1. readily available staff trained in preservation or if that is not possible, identify a member library with preservation staff to assist all program members 
      2. an informal digitization process (i.e. identify where the print item has an equivalent digital version and/or digitize local materials)
   2. Better
      The SPP will encourage member libraries to
      1. engage in a formal digitization program that identifies when the print item has an equivalent digital version and/or digitize local materials
   3. Best
      The SPP will encourage member libraries to
      1. have dedicated onsite preservation and/or conservator staff
   4. Aspirational
      The SPP will encourage member libraries to
      1. have an onsite conservator and dedicated lab

Practices for Staffing	Good	Better	Best	Aspirational
Trained Staff in Preservation	x	x	x	x
Informal Digitization Process	x
Formal Digitization Program		x	x	x
Onsite Preservation and/or Conservation Staff			x	x
Onsite Conservator				x
Dedicated Lab				x

Table 1: Better, Best, and Aspirational Practices for Staffing

2. Preservation Environment (See Best Practice Tier System for Storage Environments at https://sharedprint.org/best-practices/storage-environment/)
   1. Good 
      The SPP will encourage member libraries to take actions that correspond with tier 1 of the Best Practice Tier System for Storage Environments, and member libraries will prioritize retained items for preservation
   2. Better 
      The SPP will encourage member libraries to take actions that correspond with tier 2 of the Best Practice Tier System for Storage Environments, and member libraries will prioritize retained items for preservation
   3. Best 
      The SPP will encourage member libraries to take actions that correspond with tier 3 of the Best Practice Tier System for Storage Environments, and member libraries will prioritize retained items for preservation
   4. Aspirational
      The SPP will encourage member libraries to take actions that correspond with tier 4 of the Best Practice Tier System for Storage Environments, and member libraries will prioritize retained items for preservation. In addition, member libraries can strive for the following:
      1. TWPI 200 or better, 30-40% humidity, temperature 50˚F or less
      2. no windows
      3. no UV
      4. lights on only in local area at use (timed or motion-sensing)
      5. comprehensive boxing/lids on trays

3. Condition
   1. Good (Acceptable)
      The SPP will encourage member libraries to use the following metrics:
      1. some damage acceptable
      2. no active pests or mold 
      3. no significant loss of text 
      4. extensive paper damage flagged as the paper original retained primarily for production of copies

[enf_note]See Gary Frost’s definition of “leaf master” at https://cool.culturalheritage.org/byauth/frost/frost1.html or https://web.archive.org/web/20090327104645/http://futureofthebook.com/storiestoc/leaf.[/enf_note]

Better
The SPP will encourage member libraries to use the following metrics:

1. text not marked (highlighting, underlining, notes)
2. paper withstands at least one double-fold
3. binding is intact or can be rebound at modest cost
4. books not intact (if only option available) are in enclosures or tied
5. shelf validation (physical volume present)

Best
The SPP will encourage member libraries to use the following metrics:

1. few or no tears
2. article or chapter validation

Aspirational
The SPP will encourage member libraries to use the following metrics: 

1. as printed condition (original binding)
2. page validation
3. value added: effective enclosures, deacidification
4. brittle: have verified additional copies or digital surrogate

Practices for Condition	Good (Acceptable)	Better	Best	Aspirational
No Major Damage	x	x	x	x
No Active Pests or Mold	x	x	x	x
No Significant Loss of Text	x	x	x	x
Major Paper Damage Flagged for Reformatting	x	x	x	x
No Markings		x	x	x
Paper Withstands Double Folds		x	x	x
Binding Intact		x	x	x
Book Enclosed (if Necessary)		x	x	x
Shelf Validation		x	x	x
Few or No Tears			x	x
Article/Chapter Validation			x	x
As Printed Condition				x
Deacidification				x
Surrogate Copies Available				x

Table 3: Good, Better, Best, and Aspirational Practices for Condition

4. Security/Circulation See also Best Practices for Inventory at https://sharedprint.org/best-practices/inventory-for-shared-print-programs/
   1. Good
      The SPP will encourage member libraries to have
      1. some sort of security tracking (RFID/3M etc)
      2. ownership marking/labeling
   2. Better
      The SPP will encourage member libraries to
      1. engage in shelf verification
   3. Best
      The SPP will encourage member libraries to
      1. have closed stacks (staff retrieval only)
   4. Aspirational
      The SPP will encourage member libraries to
      1. have closed verified stacks
      2. engage in controlled digital lending 

Practices for Security/Circulation	Good	Better	Best	Aspirational
Security Tracking System	x	x	x	x
Ownership Marking	x	x	x	x
Shelf Verification		x	x	x
Closed Stacks			x	x
Verified Stacks				x
CDL Practiced				x

Table 4: Good, Better, Best, and Aspirational Practices for Security/Circulation

5. Risk Mitigation
   1. Good
      The SPP will encourage member libraries to have
      1. a disaster response plan
      2. fire detection
      3. shelves 1 or more inches off floor
      4. integrated pest management program
   2. Better
      The SPP will encourage member libraries to
      1. have an up-to-date (within 5 years) disaster response plan
      2. have fire suppression
      3. be sited for safety (not in flood plain,  high-industrial area, or next to railroad, etc.)
   3. Best
      The SPP will encourage member libraries to
      1. have a disaster response plan and permanent staff trained in disaster response/recovery
      2. have a building shell designed to reduce risks (no water lines over stacks, roof design appropriate to climate; insect and small animal barriers)
   4. Aspirational
      The SPP will encourage member libraries to
      1. have a comprehensive disaster plan that is reviewed regularly (annually recommended) and permanent staff trained in disaster response/recovery
      2. have a standing contract with disaster response firm

Practices for Risk Mitigation	Good	Better	Best	Aspirational
Disaster Response Plan	x	x	x	x
Fire Detection	x	x	x	x
Shelves Off of Floor	x	x	x	x
Integrated Pest Management	x	x	x	x
Up-to-Date Disaster Plan		x	x	x
Fire Suppression		x	x	x
Sited for Safety		x	x	x
Permanent Staff for Disaster Response			x	x
Building Designed to Reduce Risk			x	x
Comprehensive Disaster Plan				x
Standing Contract with Disaster Response Firm				x

Table 5: Good, Better, Best, and Aspirational Practices for Risk Mitigation

6. Shared Print Program MOUs (See also Best Practices for MOUs)
   1. Good
      1. MOUs include preservation considerations and recommendations for member libraries
   2. Better
      1. MOUs include preservation requirements for member libraries 
      2. The SPP provides access to preservationists for questions and issues that may arise within member libraries 
   3. Best
      1. MOUs include preservation requirements for member libraries 
      2. The SPP provides a designated preservation expert for member libraries 

Resources 

Library of Congress:

• Preservation Guidelines for Digitizing Library Materials
• Risk Management 
• Federal Agencies Digital Guidelines Initiatives

Last updated January 2024