How can librarians help?

Abstract

In the conservation and preventive protection of heritage libraries, it is extremely important that librarians are educated and aware of the steps they can take to protect written heritage. Often, restoration and conservation are not available, and library staff are left with the responsibility of properly protecting the collections. In my poster, I will list some of the most common but solvable problems in maintaining collections, as well as the basic guidelines for their protection. At the Croatian Institute of Librarianship, we strive to educate librarians on the importance of proper handling of protected materials and to spread awareness of the importance of such an approach in other libraries in Croatia. Preventive protection is an established form of protection for cultural property that can make a decisive difference in the amount and speed of material deterioration. The subject of education on the preventive protection of heritage collections greatly contributes to the long-term sustainability of collections. In the case of the preservation of cultural heritage, it should be in the main interest of all involved that the heritage continues to be preserved as a witness of the past times, from which we learn about our history and development.