Preservation Education for Staff & Users

Introduction

The goal of this unit is to help all levels of library staff, in all types of libraries, initiate the programs and training in preservation that will help educate staff and users in sound preservation practices.

When educating your community of patrons, some of the practices involved in the education process may take extra time and effort. However you will be able to establish desirable preservation behaviors by the example you demonstrate, the attitude you portray, and the actions you take. Raising preservation awareness of staff and users takes the ongoing commitment of library personnel.

1. Responsibilities of Library Staff

Preservation education for library users is more than just posters and no-food-or-drink policies. It involves the commitment and involvement of all library staff and the active support of library administration to bring about a heightened awareness of preservation issues. includes some basic observations about educating staff and users.

2. Public Libraries and School Libraries

Public and school library staffs can refer to these sections for brief overviews of training issues for their clienteles. While libraries have many preservation education issues in common, some libraries have specific preservation concerns which are unique for their staff and user group.

3. Training Tools

This document links to relevant preservation education for library and archives staffs.

4. Promoting Preservation Awareness in Libraries:
A Sourcebook for Academic, Public, School, and Special Collections edited by Jeanne M. Drewes and Julie A. Page (Greenwood Press, 1997) is a key resource for all aspects of preservation education is the book. Selections from the book have been excerpted and edited with permission of the publisher for this Preservation Education for Staff & Users section.

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