Preservation
We care for the library’s collections, repair materials in the circulating collections, and perform conservation treatments.
We also monitor the temperature and humidity of the library and promote proper handling of library collections.
We use the term “preservation” to refer to our efforts to combat the deterioration of objects over time. We preserve the items we collect, not only because it is incumbent upon us to do so as responsible stewards, but also, pragmatically, so we are not required to spend money to acquire them again.
When we perform conservation treatments on items, we preserve the content and retain as much of its original qualities as possible. This is especially important when working with rare and unique materials because the physical properties of a book add to its value and provide important historical details. Our conservation treatments are reversible and minimally invasive.