AIC's 43rd Annual Meeting

Building on the success of the Audiovisual Self-Assessment Program (AvSAP), the University of Illinois Library preservation and conservation program, with the generous support of the Institute of Museum & Library Services, is currently developing the Preservation Self-Assessment Program (PSAP): a web application designed to address the evaluation and prioritization of preservation and conservation needs among collection materials typically found in library special collections, archives, museums, and historical societies. This tool will consider the impact and prioritization of preservation not only by assessment of individual objects, but will also consider the impact of more global policies and care as well as the effects of storage and exhibit environments. I would like to present on the launch of this tool, which is anticipated for early spring 2015, and to promote its use to the conservation community, specifically those who do public outreach and assessment projects to smaller institutions who do not have preservation and conservation staff of their own. This tool can offer an excellent starting point to both educate non-specialists on basic preservation/conservation awareness, as well as help to prioritize materials so that limited consultant time can be better utilized and conservation grant funds better focused. The PSAP is a free, open source, standalone web application hosted by the University of Illinois. No installation necessary. No limit to the items and collections one may assess, analyze, save, and export (see: http://www.library.illinois.edu/prescons/projects_grants/grants/PSAP/). As the PSAP is an expansion and refinement of the AvSAP, the focus extends beyond audiovisual media to include paper, book/bound, and photographic materials. Through visual inspection of items and collections, as well as analysis of environments and institutional policies, PSAP users create profiles of their organization, facilities, and collections materials. Together these profiles will yield preservation assessment reports detailing the “health risks” posed to their collections, as well as direct actions that may be taken to extend the life of collections. Additionally, the program and its supplementary features include resources to advise on the myriad facets of collections care—including where to begin improving and how to do so incrementally and practically.