At that time, they have neither a bibliographical nor, perhaps, an accession record. After an item has received an identifying record, the greatest risk to fitness for use comes from the inherent instabilities of the physical recording medium and, when it is in use, from improper handling. Much work has been done in the past decade to determine the proper storage conditions for a variety of media. Digital assets aside, preservation awareness and training are often the most cost-effective controls over heritage assets. Many preventive preservation measures do not require money, but rather staff training and small but important modifications in the behavior of both staff and patrons.
Libraries are workplaces characterized by high levels of trust and professional pride.
Requiring that staff check out books, even if they need them for only one day, or enforcing a similar policy for faculty members, may strike some as a subtle accusation. Nevertheless, the good stewardship of heritage assets is a responsibility of every member of the research community or general public that supports and uses a library. Library cultures are characterized by high levels of trust because American society places heritage assets in the public trust. Making members of the community aware of the risks to these assets and educating them about how they can help protect them does not lessen, but rather increases the chance that these assets will be accessible well into the future.