1. Purpose

This policy provides a framework aligned with corporate strategic priorities, for all programs of work that preserve and, through preservation, facilitate access to the collections held by the National Library of Australia.

The Library holds the largest collection in the world of material relating to Australia and the Australian people. The collection currently includes physical items, ranging from the earliest European works to the most current digital publications and encompasses books, journals, paintings, photographs, personal and organisational records, maps, music, oral history and folklore recordings, ephemera and electronic resources.

The materials that make up the physical collection are subject to deterioration and are potentially vulnerable to damage during use. The digital collection material depends on particular technologies for access, making it vulnerable to loss through technological obsolescence. The Library’s role is to ensure that these nationally significant resources are preserved and made accessible either through the Library itself or through collaborative arrangements with other libraries and information providers.

The National Library Act 1960 requires the Library (s.6):

2. Scope

This policy applies to the National Library collection and to building art and heritage collections.

It also applies to all people who interact directly with the collection:

• While using collection material for research and Reading Room access, internal or external exhibitions, events, and viewings and for education and public programs.
• While processing collection material, including description, digitising, labelling, moving and storing, shelving and retrieving.
• During preservation activities such as conservation treatments, digital preservation actions, preparing and upgrading collection housings and purchasing materials for housing collections and maintaining climate-controlled storage.

The Collection Care and Preservation Policy also applies to those who do not necessarily have direct contact with the Collection, but whose actions could affect the Collection through the:

• Management of HVAC systems for control of the internal environments of Library buildings.
• Maintenance and cleaning of Library buildings and other Library infrastructure.
• Construction and fit-out within Library buildings.
• Management of digital systems.
• Development of policies and procedures that potentially impact on the Collection.

This policy also applies to material on loan to the Library from other collecting institutions and private collections unless other conditions are specified in the loan agreements.

3. Definitions

4. Policy Statement

This policy provides advice, guidance, and information to:

• Government, the Library Council and the Australian people of the policy framework governing collection care and preservation programs at the Library.
• Library users outlining their responsibilities in caring for the collections that they use.
• Library staff and contractors to strategic and operational planning for preservation and collection care activities and to highlight their roles in caring for the collections.
• The Library’s specialist preservation staff in the Collection and Digital Branches as the foundation of their work to deliver the optimum preservation outcomes for the Library’s extensive, varied, and growing collections within available resources.
• Conservation, preservation, and library colleagues, nationally and internationally, to facilitate discussion.
• The Library’s partners, collaborators, lenders, and donors as an aid to decision-making and as assurance that collections will receive appropriate levels of care.

4.1 Overarching guiding principles

• Caring for the collection is everyone’s responsibility, with differing roles and varying levels of responsibility across Library staff and stakeholder groups.
• Preventive measures deliver more holistic benefits – activities to prevent and reduce damage to collection material will benefit more of the collection and be more cost effective than focussing principally on parts of the collection and/or on individual items.
• Collection care and preservation activities are strategically and corporately focused. The programs of work deliver cost-effective and coordinated preservation actions based on identified corporate priorities.
• Collection risk management is embedded in the Library’s enterprise risk management framework. Risk assessment and the mitigation of identified risks are used to prioritise and program preservation activities.
• Knowledge and skills need to be updated across the Library – preservation of both physical and digital collections are dynamic and developing disciplines and thus approaches will change over time resulting in the need to update and train Library staff and users.
• Collection care and preservation decision-making takes sustainability issues into account. This is in terms of internal Library resourcing – both staff and funding, and also considers environmental sustainability issues such as energy use, materials selection, and recycling.

4.2 Preservation

Preservation maintains the integrity of physical and digital collections and facilitates access to their intellectual content.

Preservation approaches are grounded in up-to-date professional practice for digital and physical collections.

The level and type of preservation treatment applied is determined by the consideration of:

• the collection or item’s expected life cycle in the Library.
• the availability of usable surrogate/s.
• current and anticipated future use.
• condition.
• significance, and
• operating context including availability of resources.

The integrity of original format and function, and meaningful access to collection materials can be important to research, and the Library takes this into account in preservation decision-making. The Library also employs the preservation principles of minimal intervention and ‘re-treatability’, these principles involve:

• The minimum treatment required to protect collection material in a manner appropriate to its intended use.
• A commitment to employ techniques and materials that can be ‘reversed’ to enable future treatment should this be required.

Digitisation is not the primary preservation pathway for most physical collection material with the exception of audio-visual materials and photographic negatives. As a preservation pathway, it is applied in cases where levels of use and deteriorated condition place the original material at considerable risk of loss or repeated damage.

The Library undertakes research to support its preservation programs, where relevant information is not available, new techniques need to be developed and/or when faced with previously unknown formats, materials display, or functionality requirements.

4.3 Commitment to collection care and preservation

The Library is committed to managing and providing access to its Collection in ways that protect collection material from factors that can cause or contribute to deterioration.

4.3.1 Storage

To provide appropriate storage for the physical and digital collections, the Library:

• Provides a range of environmental conditions appropriate to collection types and the deterioration characteristics of different materials and formats.
• Employs measures to monitor and control biological and digital threats, such as integrated pest management and malware checking.
• Provides physical and IT security commensurate with the identified level of risk of unauthorised access, theft and vandalism.
• Minimises the risk of accidental damage or loss by using appropriate storage management and retrieval equipment and techniques, as well as maintaining collection tracking procedures.
• Maintains physical and digital storage equipment and collections in appropriate condition using methods and materials selected to have minimal effect on collection material.

The Library’s specialist preservation staff are actively involved in monitoring and reporting on all storage environments (both physical and digital) and provide advice and assist in developing the appropriate storage standards for the Library’s collections.

4.3.2 Processing and use

To facilitate safe and meaningful use of the collection, the Library:

• Ensures collection material is discoverable and trackable through timely processing of newly acquired materials and through provision of suitable metadata, identifiers and labels.
• Ensures material is stored appropriately to minimise damage, misplacement, degradation and loss, through physical housing, as well as migration of digital content off vulnerable physical carriers and into managed storage.
• Develops guidelines for users on appropriate handling techniques for a range of formats, as well as appropriate equipment to facilitate safe handling.
• Applies legislated control measures for the safe management of hazardous collection materials.
• Manages and monitors micro-environments for items on display and in use, including lighting levels, relative humidity, temperature, and possible contaminants.
• Specifies the acceptable conditions of use and display for items on loan from the Library.
• Monitors technological obsolescence and take appropriate measures to mitigate it.

Specialist preservation staff:

• Provide training and advice to Library colleagues to ensure the optimum housing methods are used and the most suitable materials are selected.
• Provide Care and Handling training to Library staff and contractors.
• Advise Exhibitions and Loans on display environments and methods and collaborate on exhibition and loan preparation.
• Provide advice and training on digital acquisition and processing.
• Keep abreast of new and changing technology and scientific approaches and maintains specialised hardware and software in support of the ongoing preservation of the collection.

4.4 Emergency preparedness and response

To ensure a timely return to service provision and to minimise the risk of damage to, or loss of collection material in the event of unforeseen incidents or disasters, the Library actively maintains and updates its Business Continuity Policy, Framework and Plan. This includes an IT Disaster Recovery Plan and the Physical Collection Emergency Response Procedures.

5. Key roles and responsibilities

6. Review

The Library reviews this policy every three years to ensure its provisions are aligned with the current Corporate Plan and with contemporary collection management principles.

7. References and related documents

The policy framework facilitates access to the Nation’s memory through strategically focused preservation actions, regardless of format. All policies and procedures within this framework are consistent with national and international preservation standards and approaches.

Business Continuity Plan

Physical Collection Emergency Response Procedures

• Physical Collection Salvage Priority Guidelines
• Physical Collection Emergency Response – Business Impact Assessment

Illumination of Collection Items on Display Policy

Food and Drink in Non-Public Areas Policy

Food and Drink in Public Areas Policy

Digital Preservation Policy

Bit-level Preservation of Digital Material Policy