Advancing Preservation for Archives and Manuscripts (AFS III, Vol. 5)

“Preservation—regardless of format—must be understood in a broad professional, social, and political context that shapes preservation programs.” –ELIZABETH JOFFRION AND MICHÈLE V. CLOONAN The infrastructures in which preservation programs exist are changing rapidly, but one thing remains constant—the archivist’s role in ensuring that today’s records will be accessible in the future. Advancing Preservation for Archives and Manuscripts enhances our knowledge and understanding of what it means to preserve our heritage. Divided into three parts, the book covers preservation frameworks, the nuts and bolts of implementing and managing a preservation program, and the ethical and moral implications of preservation practices. Holding both the history of archival preservation and the current digital preservation landscape in mind, Elizabeth Joffrion and Michèle V. Cloonan have developed holistic principles and context for archival preservation that incorporate analog and digital approaches. They consider how “More Product, Less Process” can inform preservation strategies, examine sustainable practices that are sensitive to the impact of human activity on the environment, offer effective programmatic approaches to risk management, advocate for inclusive and community-focused preservation, and highlight the similarities and differences in preservation practices among libraries, archives, and museums. Whether you’re new to the profession or experienced in preservation management, you will find a valuable framework for thinking about how preservation is practiced today and how it may be carried out in the future to steward your collections and serve your communities. Readers will also discover that Advancing Preservation for Archives and Manuscripts complements and augments Mary Lynn Ritzenthaler’s classic manual, Preserving Archives & Manuscripts.