Existing Allocations
There is considerable incentive for the preservation professional to do an
analysis and look for possible cost savings resulting from an analysis of preservation.
Whether a library has a formally recognized preservation program or not, some
money is always spent on such things as commercial
binding contracts (usually managed in technical services); processing
new, unbound books; repairing damaged books (usually managed through a contractor);
and purchasing reprint and microfilm publications for books that have badly
deteriorated (usually managed by a collection development or acquisitions unit).
Analyzing and centralizing these functions usually results in cost savings
that can be redirected towards the establishment or development of a preservation
program.
Analyzing patterns of use
The management of commercial
binding funds by serials processing units is usually based entirely
upon precedent. Most technical service units are concerned with process but
less concerned with patterns of use. A prudent preservation professional must
analyze patterns of use and design binding systems accordingly. Periodicals
that are infrequently used after being bound should be bound in a simple but
sound fashion, which is generally much less expensive than more elaborate bindings
designed for short-term durability.
To bind or not to bind?
More and more, newly acquired books are unbound. In many cases the library
expends commercial
binding funds to make them safe for use. However, there is
no evidence that binding these materials is a sound investment, because no
one knows whether these books will ever be used. Devising a simple in-house
strengthening operation can result in speedier processing and cost savings.
The commercial rebinding of
damaged books is often approached uncritically by staff whose main responsibilities
are only tenuously connected to preservation. Selection for repair or rebinding
should be made on the basis of recent documented use and not merely on a book's
condition. A competent book repair technician can usually repair a book in
roughly the same amount of time that a binding transaction can be conducted.
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