Class Reading - Ch. 14 &15

Chapter 14: Commercial Library Binding
I found chapter 14 to be really informative, far more than the title actually implied. I wasn't surprised that for many libraries the main concern is to fix  things now, rather than try to preserve things from the beginning for the long-term future. However one thing that stuck out to me was that the managerial structure of the institution would have the most affect on how the program is run. I am not that surprised now that I have thought about the
way an administration could change what is a priority in the library. I have had positions where one administrator wanted one thing, and then you get a new administrator who changes the policies and things change! It would make sense that the same is true in a library as well. If you have a administration that is very concerned about the long term maintenance of its collection they would put a much larger emphasis on things like shelving books correctly and reinforcing things before they are even put on the shelves in the first place! versus just trying to fix things later on. I wonder how long this would last. Basically when that administration leaves, or retires, and the new administration no longer cares about long term conservation, would it become noticeable that materials before they started we lasting longer than newer materials?

Chapter 15: Preservation Microfilming and Photocopying
Until I read this chapter I had no idea that libraries had used so many microfilms, and that it was such a reasonable way to make a longer lasting copy of materials. I was especially surprised when the chapter said that the life expectancy of items on microfilm was 500 years. That seems crazy to me....but reasonable. However it makes me wonder what will happen after this point, and as fantastic as that sounds, I just wonder if there needs to be some introduction to the general populace of your library to the use of microfilm. I don't know a lot of people that use microfilm. And I hate to be that person, but it doesn't make a lot of sense to have something last for 500 years if no one will use it.

Class Oct 7th, Readings - Ch. 8 & 13

During class we discussed security and staff training, which is something that has already come up in basically every class I have taken at St. Kate's. I agreed with everything we discussed about what you staff would need to know in regards to security and training, but I found it interesting that the class had come up so many ways for an administrator the ability to disseminate information to your staff is key in keeping thing security and keeping your preservation plan in place. I did love that it was commented that people really learn "on-the-fly"...I feel that for most people experience is what you use to really learn about something. In fact, I feel that regardless of how much knowledge you have, you need actual experience. Think about the medical profession: it takes years of study before you are allowed experience with actual patients, and even then you are still supervised. While the library profession is not quite the same as the medical I do think the same concept applies. 


Chapter 8: Collections and Stack Management
I had not truly realized the entirety of what collection management meant. I always thought it meant working to preserve the items that you currently have in your library. Specifically to keep damage from happening in the present. I had not thought of it as preserving items through access and storage from when the library receives the item until it is deaccessioned. I also had not thought about how the responsibility of the items can be traced to multiple institutions, especially when the item could be circulated to multiple institutions. It makes sense then that the institutions policies would be important. It has really surprised me how over and over again the book has reiterated the idea that the library's policy is really what defines how library's treat their materials. It makes sense but I had always thought it was more about the librarians and how the patrons treated their materials.

Chapter 13: The Conservation of General Collections
I really liked how the text pointed out the differences of working to preserve a general collection rather than a special collection. It makes sense that with a general collection you have to be much more concerned with exposure to the elements and how patrons are treating the books (Its not like a library where people request books and then they are brought out but never allowed to leave the room!). I did appreciate that the text pointed out that it entirely depends on the resources of the library when you consider treatment options for fixing materials. Again the book pointed out the need for a good library policy, and the need for the staff, from administration down to pages, to follow that policy.