To Protect and Preserve

The voice on the phone sounded exhausted. “I have lost my life’s work,” the man said. He was an artist who had his paintings stored in a basement somewhere in Lower Manhattan in New York City.

It was November 2, 2012, four days after Hurricane Sandy hit the New Jersey coast, and the call came during my month-long, 24-hour phone duty as a volunteer on the emergency call line operated by the American Institute for Conservation’s Collections Emergency Response Team.

After taking his information—name, location, type of media—I cautioned him about such personal issues as mold exposure and advised him what to do next to preserve his still-submerged paintings once the water was pumped out of his storage space. After suggesting where to find more information and urging him to call back once he could see his artwork, I counseled him to not think that all was lost; water-damaged items can be salvaged through proper conservation procedures.

Then I asked him to open himself up to seeing his art in a new way, a Sandy-affected way that might not be what he had first created but that could allow him to share his experience. Perhaps he could feel that a positive outcome to this disaster is possible if he could visualize his work as transformed. He asked if I was a psychiatrist as well as a preservationist.

This call was one of many inquiries from archives, libraries, museums, historic sites, artists, gallery owners, and collectors, all trying to save their valuables from the effects of water damage and mold. I had answers and I had resources. And I had experts to help when my knowledge didn’t go deep enough on such topics as water damage to gold leaf or wood sculptures.

All this was in addition to my regular preservation job at the Library of Congress. It’s sad that it took a disaster for people to call, but the experience exemplifies the role of a typical preservation librarian.

What you can do now

Preservation librarians around the country work to protect and preserve the collections in their care. Many also have the zeal to help others save the personal items that make up our lives, our history, and our culture. We are among many such specialists for whom sharing preservation information is an avocation as well as a vocation.

Preservation work isn’t all about disasters. In fact, libraries should be proactive—before disasters hit—and find out how to prepare, protect, and preserve collections and share with patrons this crucial information. Preservation librarians are an expert resource for many issues: lighting for exhibits; temperature and humidity settings to inhibit deterioration; pest management; and conservation of physical items (books, paper, and art) as well as digital collections. It all falls under the rubric of preservation, but information sharing is what librarians do so well.

In 2010, ALA’s Association for Library Collections and Technical Services (ALCTS), the Library Services office of the Library of Congress, and the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) launched Preservation Week (ala.org/alcts/confevents/preswk), an annual program that promotes the sharing of preservation information with the public.

This year Preservation Week takes place April 21–27. The ALCTS website offers ideas and resources for programming, webinars, and other activities, both for that week and beyond. ALA supports this outreach program through the @ your library campaign, which focuses on resources and current information for the public (atyourlibrary.org/passiton). The Library of Congress and IMLS continue to support preservation outreach for libraries by supplying (free of charge) printed bookmarks and posters when requested through LC’s Ask a Librarian webpage.

Preservation action matters even more today, as climate and other change occurs so rapidly. Sharing this information helps our communities hold memories, retain history, and inspire future generations to preserve our cultural legacy. From many small private histories, a public history forms.

Preservation Resources

The American Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works is the national membership organization of conservation professionals. It offers updates about the Hurricane Sandy recovery under Conservation News, as well as conservation help at Find a Conservator and its Resource Center.
The ALA Store offers books on disaster planning and preservation, as well as a poster and bookmark.
The ALCTS Publications and Resources page, the Disaster Preparedness Clearinghouse, and the Preservation Week page provide free resources.
The ALCTS Preservation and Reformatting Section offers programs and online training.
The Library of Congress Preservation Directorate provides a broad spectrum of preservation information. Use Ask a Librarian to ask questions and request bookmarks, posters, and archives-appropriate ink for special collections property stamping.
The National Archives and Records Administration and the National Park Service have useful information for the public.

Latest Library Links

2h

Rodney Freeman writes: “I am proud to be a librarian—and rare. Less than 7 percent of librarians in the U.S. are Black. Libraries symbolize the literacy that was denied to so many of our ancestors. For our enslaved forebears, something as fundamental as learning to read was illegal and dangerous, but they did it anyway. Separate but ‘equal’ schools and ‘colored’ libraries filled with cast-offs from white libraries were key features of the Jim Crow era. Today we are seeing the same impulse to distort access to information into a tool to suppress and control, and to make some people ‘other.’”

Newsweek, Apr. 16
6h

Lori Birrell writes: “Staff want to feel valued, and they want their work to have an impact. A reorganization process can help leaders to surface such areas of impact and give staff a feeling of empowerment and value. Practitioners considering any sized reorganization are strongly encouraged to consider what models and resources will best support them as they plan and lead this work. Regardless of the model or resources, any reorganization process should be more than just moving boxes and reporting lines around on an organizational chart.”

Library Leadership and Management, Apr. 15
24h

Megan Bennett writes: “Two decades ago, while Daily Show Senior Correspondent Dulcé Sloan was doing summer shows at a community theater in Quakertown, Pennsylvania, the library was her main hangout spot. In the small town of 9,000 people, it was a place to gather with other young actors—and the only place with internet access. American Libraries spoke with Sloan before her closing session at the Public Library Association 2024 Conference in Columbus, Ohio, about her new book, her journey in stand-up comedy, and her memories of libraries.”

American Libraries Trend, Apr. 17
1d

Ashley Cosby Fowlkes writes: “In February 2023, Warren County (Ky.) Public Library (WCPL) began working with LifeWorks at Western Kentucky University in Bowling Green, a residential community for neurodiverse young adults that focuses on independent living and job readiness. By May, WCPL opened a satellite location at LifeWorks—making it the state’s first public library branch dedicated to serving neurodiverse patrons. The satellite is designed to be a sensory-sensitive environment, enabling individuals with autism, ADHD, or other learning differences—who can become overstimulated in crowded public areas—to concentrate on their studies, read a book, or browse digital library resources.”

American Libraries Trend, Mar./Apr.
1d

Araceli Méndez Hintermeister writes: “In the dynamic landscape of modern entrepreneurship, libraries emerge as powerful allies. The books in this collection delve into why and how libraries can be pivotal in supporting local businesses. Explore how libraries can serve as economic incubators and build relationships in the process.”

American Libraries column, Mar./Apr.
4d

Joe Árvai writes: “As artificial intelligence (AI) creeps further into people’s daily lives, so do worries about it. At the most alarmist are concerns about AI going rogue and terminating its human masters. But my own research as a psychologist who studies how people make decisions leads me to believe that all these risks are overshadowed by an even more corrupting, though largely invisible, threat. That is, AI is mere keystrokes away from making people even less disciplined and skilled when it comes to thoughtful decisions.”

The Conversation, Apr. 12
4d

Tess Prendergast writes: “As someone who teaches contemporary children’s literature, I have been following the surge of picture books about climate and environment topics for several years. While there has been some great scholarly research about such books, I have devised a simple framework for grouping these kinds of books. This four-tiered categorization may help you decided what to read, suggest, or display in various scenarios and for different audiences.”

ALSC Blog, Apr. 11