Preserving our past : the preservation of heritage collections in New Zealand libraries

Abstract

New Zealand libraries hold collections of rare, often irreplaceable materials that document New Zealand's regional and national social and cultural histories. Preservation of these heritage resources is essential in order to ensure their continued availability for current and future generations. Despite this a literature review found that there has been very little research done on preservation practice in New Zealand libraries on a national scale. This research project surveyed public, academic, government, museum, theological, and law libraries in New Zealand in July 2005, with the aim of facilitating a broad analysis of current preservation activities in the management of heritage collections in New Zealand libraries. The survey covered the areas of environmental controls, disaster preparedness, handling, storage, security, preservation policy, grants, and re-formatting. The study found that in the areas where heritage collections are housed the preservation practices least undertaken by all libraries surveyed are relative humidity control, air pollution control , and monitoring of temperature and relative humidity, while only a minority of libraries surveyed have a written preservation policy and have undertaken grant applications for preservation activities. The study suggests that these are areas of preservation practice that could be further encouraged. The study results suggest that there has been little change in the use of environmental controls in the storage of heritage collections in New Zealand libraries over the last ten years, although qualitative analysis indicated that there is current and on-going activity in the upgrading of storage areas for heritage collections in a number of New Zealand libraries. Library size (as measured by the number of Equivalent Full-Time staff) was found to be the most significant factor in the use of preservation practices, although library type was also a factor. Geographic location was not found to be factor in the use of preservation practices in New Zealand libraries.