Use of General Preservation Assessments

Abstract

This paper describes the typology of general preservation assessments and investigates what is being accomplished based on recommendations identified in the process. The author characterizes the assessment based on tabulated data. A range of institutional types and sizes are represented. The investment of staff time and the role of the consultant are examined. The most frequent goal of respondents was to develop a preservation plan. Interest in repair and reformatting was significantly less than interest in preventive activities. The findings of this study suggest that assessment reports are thorough and organized; report content is consistent across the population studied. The study informs future assessments by defining current practice through the collection of concrete data on specific representative measures.