CONCERN FOR THE FUTURE - PRESERVATION MANAGEMENT IN LIBRARIES AND ARCHIVES

Combines the results of two questionnaire surveys of preservation poli cies, conducted by Loughborough University, Department of Information and Library Studies, to compare the ways in which librarians perceive and carry out preservation management and how their perceptions and ac tivities compare with those of archivists, for whom preservation plays a more central role in their working practices. The first project was based on a questionnaire survey of 682 UK academic, national, public and special libraries. The second project was based on a questionnaire survey of 290 archives and record offices and interviews with 25 libr arians, archivists and conservators. Discusses appropriate issues incl uding: attitudes to preservation; selection for preservation; resource s available; external funding; increasing use of library and archive c ollections; photocopying demand; past neglect; and digital technology. Concludes that, although librarians and archivists may have different attitudes to preservation, preservation managers face similar problem s regardless of profession. Digitization can offer researchers distant access to surrogates of important materials via networked systems but stresses the need for a coherent and comprehensive UK national preser vation strategy.