ALA Core Values - Preservation

52.2.1 Preservation Policy. National Information Services and Responsibilities. Permanence and Durability of Information Products

The American Library Association's policy on preservation is based on its goal of ensuring that every person has access to information at the time needed and in a usable format. ALA affirms that the preservation of library resources protects the public's right to the free flow of information as embodied in the First Amendment to the Constitution and the Library Bill of Rights.

The Association supports the preservation of information published in all media and formats. The Association affirms that the preservation of information resources is central to libraries and librarianship.

The Association and its Divisions will work closely with standards-setting organizations to identify and develop standards relevant to the preservation of library collections, participate in their periodic review and updating, identify and develop new standards when needed, and promote compliance with existing standards.

Manufacturers, publishers, distributors and purchasers of information products must work in tandem to imp rove the usability, durability, and longevity of the media (e.g., paper, film, magnetic tape, optical disk) that ensure the persistence of these products. The Association will engage in active education and public relations efforts to develop, promote, and publicize standards for the usability, longevity, and durability of information media.

The Association will work with the publishers of content in digital form to develop guidelines on the preservation of digital information to help ensure that such information will not be lost when publishers can no longer retain and disseminate it.

Libraries have an obligation (a) to inform donors, users, administrators, and local officials about the ephemeral nature of primary source materials, (b) to promote strategies for the proper care, handling, and storage of these materials, and (c) to recommend the use of durable media and methods of documentation.

The federal government must provide leadership in developing an expansive and inclusive national preservation policy. The Association urges the federal government to take responsibility for the longevity of information that it publishes on paper, in microform, and in digital formats. (See "Current Reference File": Preservation Policy. National Information Services and Responsibilities. Permanence and Durability of Information Products, 2000-2001 CD#39.1)