IML253:

Preservation of Library Materials

Issues and Problems

in Preservation of Library
Materials
Introduction
 The library plays a crucial role of protecting and preserving
information-bearing materials from distortion, deterioration,
and eventual loss because the materials are vital.
 In order to preserve and conserve their collection the library
face some issues and problem.
Issues & Problems
 Technological Obsolescence
 Deterioration of the Digital Media
 Inadequate Finance
 Inadequacy of Equipment/Materials
 Manpower and other infrastructure
 Lack of Preservation and Conservation Policy
 Low quality of paper and ink
 Administrative problem
Technological Obsolescence
 Markets are full of a variety of digital formats that continually change from time
to time with some formats getting obsolete.
 Format obsolescence is complemented by rapid hardware and software
obsolescence, which is a significant threat to digital preservation, as it causes the
loss of the means of access.
 This comes as a result of the continuous upgrade of operating systems,
programming languages, applications and storage media.
 Such loss of access makes preservation of digital materials meaningless since the
main purpose of preserving digital materials is to maintain accessibility.
electricalfundablog.com
Deterioration of the Digital Media
 One of the challenges of digital preservation is the
deterioration of the digital media. This is becoming a
cause for the disappearance or inaccessibility of digital
information, as the media usually deteriorate within a
few years or decades at most.
 Another challenge to digital preservation is the
possibility of digital media getting lost in the event of
disasters such as fire, flood, equipment failure, or virus
attack.
Inadequate Finance
 libraries, archives and information centers do not allocate
adequate funds in their annual budget for the preservation
and conservation of information materials in their holdings.
 This has really caused the low priority or lack of desired
attention given to the preservation and conservation of
information resources by the management of such libraries
and archives.
Inadequacy of Equipments/Materials:
 Lack of suitable or inadequate equipments and materials
contributes significantly to the present poor status of
preservation and conservation of information materials in
libraries, archives and information centers.
 Some of the essential materials and equipment required for
setting up functional conservation and restoration
laboratories libraries and archives are not available locally.
Manpower and other infrastructure:
 Any preservation and conservation programme to succeed in
libraries and archives there must be adequate and well-
trained manpower.
 This is because preservation and conservation of information
resources is a specialized field of knowledge that requires
information professionals who understand the physical and
chemical nature of the materials in their library and archive
holdings.
Lack of Preservation and Conservation Policy:
 Some organisation do not have a information policy which
makes the formulation of preservation and conservation
policies in the libraries and information centers out of the
question.
 For example departments did not have a disaster control
plan. The absence of such a plan means that in the event of a
disaster, they would not be in a position to respond to the
disaster with the urgency that is required.
Low quality of paper and ink
 The low quality of paper and ink used in the production of
information materials especially library book materials and
paper-based records in archives and records offices pose
serious danger to preservation and conservation of
information materials in library.
Administrative problem:
 Majority of the library and archive managers concentrate
much on the effective provision of information services to
users. There is a lack of proper recognition of the need for
preservation, conservation and restoration of information
resources.
 They have failed to realize that preservation and conservation
staff for improved job performance by providing good
conditions of service.
References
Ogunmodede, Thomas & Adefunke, Ebijuwa. (2013). Problems of Conservation and Preservation of
Library Resources in African Academic Libraries: A Review of Literature. Greener Journal of Social
Sciences. 3. 050-057. 10.15580/GJSS.2013.1.112412291.

Sunil A and Kumar P (2009). Preservation of Library Materials: Problems and Perspective. DESIDOC.
Journal of Library and Information Technology. 29 (4): 37-40.