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.