ALA Preservation Week

ALA Preservation Week
Name	ALA Preservation Week
Formation	2010
Type	Initiative
Headquarters	Chicago, Illinois
Location	United States
Parent organization	American Library Association

ALA Preservation Week is an annual initiative of the American Library Association that highlights preservation planning, collections care, and disaster preparedness for libraries, archives, and museums. Launched to increase awareness among public librarians, academic librarians, and special collections professionals, the observance encourages hands-on activities, public programs, and professional development. The initiative connects institutional preservation priorities with community engagement through partner organizations, training resources, and coordinated promotion.

History

Preservation Week was initiated in 2010 by the American Library Association's Association for Library Collections and Technical Services and the ALA Office for Information Technology Policy as a response to growing concerns about collections stewardship following disasters such as Hurricane Katrina, Earthquake in Haiti (2010), and the 2003 Northeast blackout of 2003. Early efforts drew on precedents set by preservation campaigns like National Preservation Week (UK) and programs developed by the National Endowment for the Humanities and the Institute of Museum and Library Services. The initiative formalized an annual calendar event that libraries could adopt alongside longstanding observances such as National Library Week and collaborations with organizations including the Society of American Archivists and the Council on Library and Information Resources. Over time, the event incorporated digital preservation concerns foregrounded by institutions like the Library of Congress, the Digital Public Library of America, and the Internet Archive.

Objectives and Themes

Preservation Week's core objective is to promote practical preservation actions for collections in libraries, archives, and museums represented by entities such as the Smithsonian Institution, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the New York Public Library. Annual themes have linked conservation priorities to topics championed by the American Institute for Conservation, the National Archives and Records Administration, and the Getty Conservation Institute. Themes often emphasize disaster planning referenced in materials from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, digital stewardship practices advocated by the National Digital Stewardship Alliance, and community memory projects similar to those of the Historic New Orleans Collection. Objectives include raising awareness among staff at institutions like the University of Michigan, the Yale University Library, and the Harvard Library; engaging volunteers from groups such as the American Association of University Women and the Boy Scouts of America; and supporting policy development mirrored in frameworks by the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions and the UNESCO Memory of the World Programme.

Events and Activities

Participating sites organize a range of activities modeled after workshops and events developed by organizations like the Conservation Center for Art and Historic Artifacts, the National Trust for Historic Preservation, and the Library of Congress Veterans History Project. Typical programming includes assessments and surveys inspired by the Heritage Health Index, hands-on bindings and repairs following techniques taught by the British Library and the National Library of Scotland, and digitization clinics drawing on standards from the Open Archives Initiative and the Digital Preservation Coalition. Events often feature panel talks with speakers from the Smithsonian Conservation Institute, demonstrations led by staff from the Morgan Library & Museum and the Peabody Essex Museum, and community archiving projects modeled after efforts at the Minnesota Historical Society and the Massachusetts Historical Society. Institutions sometimes host emergency response simulations informed by procedures from the American Red Cross and the National Park Service.

Participants and Partners

Preservation Week engages a network of participants including public systems such as the Los Angeles Public Library, academic libraries like the University of California, Berkeley Library, special collections at the Bodleian Library, and museums including the Art Institute of Chicago. Partner organizations enhancing programming include the Association of Research Libraries, the Society of American Archivists, the American Institute for Conservation, and the National Information Standards Organization. Corporate and nonprofit partners such as the Getty Foundation, the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation have supported related preservation initiatives. International partnerships sometimes reference practices from the International Council on Archives and the International Council of Museums.

Impact and Outreach

Preservation Week has contributed to measurable increases in local preservation activities, emergency planning adoption rates, and community engagement projects documented by partners including the Institute of Museum and Library Services and the National Endowment for the Humanities. Libraries have used the observance to launch preservation surveys modeled on the OCLC technical reports and to secure funding through grants from entities such as the Institute of Museum and Library Services and the National Historical Publications and Records Commission. Outreach has connected collections stewards with civic partners like the American Red Cross and cultural organizations including the National Trust for Historic Preservation, expanding public awareness about conservation and the cultural heritage responsibilities shared by institutions such as the Library of Congress and the Smithsonian Institution.

Resources and Best Practices

Guidance distributed for Preservation Week draws on standards and toolkits developed by the National Information Standards Organization, the Digital Preservation Coalition, and the Library of Congress's preservation programs. Best practices promoted include environmental monitoring strategies used in institutions like the Getty Conservation Institute, disaster planning templates associated with the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and digitization workflows aligned with recommendations from the Digital Public Library of America and the Open Archives Initiative. Training resources and case studies often reference professional development offerings from the Association for Library Collections and Technical Services, the Society of American Archivists, and university-based programs at Columbia University and the University of Texas at Austin.

Category:Library events