American Library Association Preservation Policy, 1991

In 1990, ALA President Patricia W. Berger appointed a President's Committee on Preservation Policy. Its charge was to draft policies that outline explicitly the responsibilities of the library profession for the preservation of library materials of all types in order to guarantee access to the information they contain, both for the current generation of library users and for generations to come.

The Association's policies on preservation are based on its goal of ensuring that every individual has access to information at the time needed and in a format the individual can use. These policies address national information services and responsibilities, federal legislative policy, and the services and responsibilities of libraries.

Preservation Policy

Adopted by the Council of the American Library Association, June 30, 1991

National Information Services and Responsibilities

Permanence and Durability of Information Products

The American Library Association, with its history of concern and action in the preservation of information resources, affirms that the preservation of information resources is central to libraries and librarianship. The Association believes that manufacturers, publishers, and purchasers of information media must address the usability, durability, and longevity of those products. These groups must address the preservation issues associated with information resources published and disseminated in both electronic and traditional formats. These issues include the permanence of the medium itself, its intelligibility and readability over time, the threat to information posed by technical obsolescence, the long-term retention of information resident in commercial databases, and the security of library and commercial databases.

The American Library Association and its Divisions will work closely with standards-setting organizations to identify and develop needed preservation standards and to promote compliance with those that exist. The Association further affirms that while preservation guidelines and standards emanating from the Divisions are helpful, they should be seen as a prelude to official national and international standards. An official standard developed through consensus of all parties, including commercial concerns, has a greater chance of implementation than a guideline or standard developed and promulgated solely by a professional association.

The Association's preservation concerns are not limited to the information resident in books printed on paper, but include information products such as sound recordings, photographs, videotapes, and CD-ROM, as well as the transfer of machine-readable data to either human-readable copy or an archive that will ensure continued access to the information.

1) The useful life of library materials is affected by the longevity, stability, and durability of information media such as paper, film, and optical disks. It is the Association's official position that publishers and manufacturers have an obligation and a responsibility to libraries and to the public for appropr iate performance of information media for use by library patrons, in terms of their usability, durability, and longevity. To this end, the Association will engage in active education and public relations efforts, and will establish and promote links with trade associations, publishers, and publishing associations to develop, promote, and publicize standards for the permanence and durability of information media.

Concerning the permanence of information products printed on paper, the American Library Association urges publishers to use paper meeting standards promulgated by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and the International Standards Organization (ISO) for all publications of enduring value and to include a statement of compliance on the verso of the title page of a book or the masthead or copyright area of a periodical, and in catalogs, advertising, and bibliographic references.

2) The standards for publication of information, whether paper-based or machine-readable, affect continued access to that information. ALA will encourage the development of appropriate standards and promote their use by the manufacturers of information media, the publishers of information products, and the library community. In addition, ALA will work with electronic publishers to develop guidelines governing the preservation of data, so that information will not be lost when publishers can no longer economically retain and disseminate it. Finally, libraries must be able to guarantee the security and integrity of their own co mputer systems, while ensuring legitimate access to them.

Concerning access to information by the public, ALA affirms that the preservation of library resources is essential in order to protect the public's right to the free flow of information as embodied in the First Amendment to the Constitution and the Library Bill of Rights.¹

3) Impermanence of primary source documents threatens our ability to preserve local and family history. Libraries around the country collect materials from individuals, local governments, and private and public institutions that document cultural and social history. Typically, much of this material is intended as a record of current events rather than as permanent documentation. Although citizens may know about the impermanent nature of newsprint, they are less likely to be aware of the highly impermanent nature of media such as color photographs and videotape, even though these media ultimately constitute important primary resource documents. This is an issue of enormous public concern, and libraries have an obligation to inform their users, administrators, and local officials about the ephemeral nature of these materials and to recommend more permanent documentation techniques. The Association will help libraries stimulate public interest in this issue and will make information available regarding the various courses of action that concerned individuals, organizations, and governments may take.

Federal Legislative Policy

The federal government must provide leadership in developing a more expansive and inclusive national preservation policy in terms of both programs and funding. This policy should link the efforts of national, state, and local libraries in preserving materials that document our cultural heritage and making their content widely available to all citizens. The federal government, by example, by policy, and by the efforts of its historical, cultural, and information institutions, should affirm the responsibility of all cultural institutions, including local and state libraries, to preserve and provide access to historical documents. Incentives are also needed to encourage private institutions to participate in the national effort.

Although great progress has been made by Congress through the funding of the preservation programs of the National Endowment for the Humanities, scholarly collections in the humanities are not the only collections that are at risk. The American Library Association will work to increase funding for preservation through such sources as the Library Services and Construction Act, the National Science Foundation, and the National Historical Publications and Records Commission. Such funding is urgently needed to ensure a balance of preservation activity nationwide and future access to historic materials by a broad spectrum of people.

The American Library Association firmly supports the goal of addressing our nation's solid waste problem by using recycled paper products. The federal government should be clear in its legislation regarding the appropriate use of recycled paper. Not all recycled paper is suitable for documents that will become part of our nation's permanent documentary heritage. The choice of recycled paper for use by Congress, the Public Printer, and other federal publishers should be in compliance with the ANSI standard for permanent paper, Z39.48, in its latest version. ALA will continue to articulate the complexity of this issue.

Attention to the longevity, stability, and durability of information media is also critical for materials published by the government in microform, in electronic format, and in other emerging technologies.

Services and Responsibilities of Libraries

Access to Library Materials through Their Preservation

To ensure the continued availability of library materials to present and future generations of library users, the American Library Association urges all libraries and library professionals to initiate and support preservation efforts at all levels. These efforts should include supporting research into the causes of deterioration; communicating the need for increased funding for the preservation of endangered materials to appropriate organizations and federal, state, and local governments; educating current and future librarians, library users, and the public about preservation issues; and promoting the use of permanent and durable media by the publishers of information products. Libraries also have a responsibility to provide for the preservation of their collections. Basic preservation activities include appropriate and non-damaging storage conditions, remedial treatment to keep materials usable for as long as they are needed, preservation of materials in their original format when appropriate, and replacement or reformatting of deteriorated materials. Preservation issues should be addressed during the planning for new buildings and additions to and renovations of existing buildings. In addition to already established activities for preserving paper and books, preservation strategies should be extended to new and emerging technologies, including the updating and reformatting of magnetic media to allow continued access and protecting against viruses, worms, and unauthorized alteration of data and information in electronic media.

Reference Note

¹American Library Association Policy Manual, Section 53.I Library Bill of Rights.

The Council of the American Library Association adopted the Preservation Policy on June 30, 1991, during the Annual Conference in Atlanta, Georgia. Later in the Conference, the Association for Library Collections & Technical Services (ALCTS), a division of the American Library Association, was charged with implementing the policy. For more information about ALA's preservation activities or additional copies of this preservation policy, contact the ALCTS Office.