Another 50 percent contain the same acidic wood-pulp paper and will also reach the point of being unusable if steps aren't taken to salvage them. Yes, McAfee has had at least one book brought to her that had a Twinkie smashed between two pages, as if the patron had been trying to press it like a rose. Resources being limited, it clearly isn't possible to repair, replace, and fortify every book that needs attention. What is selected or not selected for preservation impacts heavily on the quality of library collections, so it's crucial that these decisions be based on intelligently informed guidelines. But McAfee doesn't see conflict between the goal of preservation and the ideal of ready access.
Preservation ensures that the materials customers desire remain accessible.
McAfee is also at work on mechanisms to help clarify preservation options. This data will assist the bibliographers in deciding just what should be done with the patient. That's when the choices get even more complicated. Indiana University Bloomington Preservation Librarian Melissa McAfee works on a new cover for a 1905 volume, while conservation technicians Soline d'Haussy, back left, and Garry Harrison tech to other books in the IUB Main Library's basement preservation laboratory. Each option has advantages and drawbacks.