page_title: Preservation (library and archival science)
section_title: Preservation criteria
hierarchical_section_title: Preservation (library and archival science) / Practices / Preservation criteria
caption_attribution_description: English: Old book bindings at the Merton College library. Français&#160;: Reliures de livres anciens, à la bibliothèque du Merton College, à Oxford (Angleterre).
context_page_description: In library and archival science, preservation is a set of activities aimed at prolonging the life of a record, book, or object while making as few changes as possible. Preservation activities vary widely and may include monitoring the condition of items, maintaining the temperature and humidity in collection storage areas, writing a plan in case of emergencies, digitizing items, writing relevant metadata, and increasing accessibility. Preservation, in this definition, is practiced in a library or an archive by a librarian, archivist, or other professional when they perceive a record is in need of care.
  Preservation should be distinguished from conservation-restoration of cultural heritage, which refers to the treatment and repair of individual items to slow the process of decay, or restore them to a usable state. Because preservation covers a wide range of efforts aimed at prolonging the life of a record, conservation can be thought of as one of those efforts under the umbrella of preservation. Conservation is occasionally used interchangeably with preservation, particularly outside the professional literature.
context_section_description: Making a proper decision is an important factor before starting preservation practices. Decision making for preservation should be made considering significance and value of materials. Significance is considered to have two major components: importance and quality. "Importance" relates to the collection's role as a record, and "quality" covers comprehensiveness, depth, uniqueness, authenticity and reputation of the collection. Moreover, analyzing the significance of materials can be used to uncover more about their meaning. Assessment of significance can also aid in documenting the provenance and context to argue the case for grant funding for the object and collection.
  Forms of significance can be historically, culturally, socially, or spiritually significant. In the preservation context, libraries and archives make decisions in different ways. In libraries, decision-making likely targets existing holding materials, whereas in archives, decisions for preservation are often made when they acquire materials. Therefore, different criteria might be needed on different occasions. In general, for archive criteria, the points include:
  the characteristics of a record (purpose, creator, etc.);
  the quality of the information in the record;
  the record in context (part of a series or not);
  potential use and possible limitations; and
  the cost against the benefits from its existence.
  For archival criteria, the following are evidence of significance:
  uniqueness,
  irreplaceability,
  high level of impact – over time or place,
  high level of influence,
  representation of a type, and
  comparative value (rarity, completeness, integrity relative to others of its kind).
caption: Worn books at the library of Merton College, Oxford.
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