The most visible aspect of the preservation issue, is not only the large number of badly deteriorated and brittle books and journals, but also the archival and manuscript collections, maps, and sound recordings. Because of the magnitude of a preservation program, librarians have been aware for some time that preservation must be a programmatic rather than an ad hoc activity of the library. With a programmatic approach, we will be able to balance the interests of the today's library users with our responsibility to those who will come after us. Digitization provides additional access, and it stimulates increased usage of the library collections. But digitization is not really a means of preservation.
Some items lose much of their utility when they are transferred to a different format.
Electronic records are more fragile than the papyrus of ancient Egypt, and computer formats, programs and hardware undergo constant change and development. Technologies that are state of the art today are outmoded the day after tomorrow. Many of these materials cannot be used without severe damage to them. Books reflect their history and the lack of sustained preservation activities in the past is now hampering use by the present generation of researchers. Library collections exist to be used, and through use they will, of course, suffer inevitable loss and damage which requires ongoing programs for preservation treatment and replacement.