n.proactive steps taken to preserve archival resourcesFortson-Jones 1984, 88But “interest” alone is not enough; without the first two qualities (manual dexterity and attention to detail) the others are insufficient for applied conservation. In that case, an in-house program should be limited to preventive care.Gertz 1990, 227From this base the institution can then design a program to eliminate harmful elements and provide preventive care for undamaged materials as well as phased treatment for damaged documents.Kaplan et al. 2005Conservators worked during the planning stages of the project to establish preventive care policies and procedures. The goal was to integrate precautions into standard practices so that damage prevention was simply part of doing the job right. From the outset, conservators defined appropriate methods, materials, and techniques.Primeaux 2011, 353For years, preservation practices focused much more on treatment of individual items rather than preventive care.Phillips 2015, 477–478Preventive care strategies that contribute significantly to the long-term preservation of a collection include emergency preparedness, climate control, integrated pest management, and care and handling policies.
Notes
Preventive actions include monitoring climate controls, implementing an integrated pest management program, and writing policies and procedures, such as a disaster plan or contingency plan.
