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Special Collections

University of Saint Mary's Le Beau Special Collections

Sustainable Preservation

Conceptualizing Library Preservation Sustainability and Efficiency: Current Practices and Solutions

Preservation is a core function in collection care and management, providing longevity and access for materials found in special collections and archives. Preservation practices include several steps during the physical processing of the material, including description, condition reports, stabilization, reformatting, and rehousing. Several institutions have incorporated efficient methods to reduce costs and increase access, but have not integrated sustainable measures with these efforts. Sustainable preservation initiatives derive from a holistic approach to collection care and management, providing a chance to understand the breadth of a preservation program, and find the areas that can be adjusted to incorporate sustainability, such as recycling, slow conservation, supply waste, climate control, processing strategies, reusable methods and material, local partnerships and programs, and community engagement.

This poster will display sustainable preservation initiatives through images and step-by-step examples from top special collections and archives institutions. Current sustainability practices will be examined and assessed by surveying special collections and archives institutions through library and museum associations’ listservs. The future of sustainability will be evaluated and model repositories which center on sustainability will be shared through graphical depictions. A comprehensive special collections and archives holistic sustainability preservation framework will be provided. The poster will offer flexible and inexpensive sustainable preservation solutions highlighting a small private university’s holistic and cost-effective approaches. The poster presentation will engage participants with a dynamic slideshow illustrating holistic sustainable preservation practices. Feedback and participatory conversation with the presenter is encouraged for continued collaborative initiatives and improved practices within the library community.