ALA Preservation Policy - from Assn for Lib Collections & Tech Svcs

http://www.acrl.org/ala/mgrps/divs/alcts/resources/preserv/01alaprespolicy.cfm

AMERICAN LIBRARY ASSOCIATION PRESERVATION POLICY, Revised 2001

Preamble

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.

Librarians must be committed to preserving their collections through appropriate and non-damaging storage, remedial treatment of damaged and fragile items, preservation of materials in their original format when possible, replacement or reformatting of deteriorated materials, appropriate security measures, and life-cycle management of digital publications to assure their usefulness for future generations. Preservation issues should be addressed while planning for new construction or the renovation of existing buildings.

Librarians who create, maintain, and share bibliographic records and other metadata associated with physical and digital objects in their collections enhance security, access, and preservation and facilitate collaborative efforts to protect the Nation's cultural heritage.

Librarians must educate the public about the choices and the financial commitments necessary to preserve our society's cultural and social records.

Preservation of Digital Information

Publishers and distributors of content in digital form must address the usability and longevity of their electronic works. The Association encourages publishers to provide to libraries metadata that will facilitate the life cycle management of works in digital formats and to deposit digital works in repositories that provide for the long-term persistence and usability of digital content. 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.

The Association encourages research on metadata, software, operating systems, and life cycle management techniques that may effect the preservation of digital works.