Preservation Services

• Born Digital Content Preservation
• Collections Care
• Conservation
• Digital Preservation
• Digitization Services
• Education & Training
• Media Preservation
• Preservation Reformatting

Mission Statement

The Preservation Services Unit exists to provide long-term access to the physical and intellectual contents of the Library’s collections through conservation, digitization, and preservation. These programs seek to provide this access with an eye toward maximizing the Library’s investment in collections and infrastructure while continually seeking to improve the services that we provide.

Brief History and Introduction to Preservation Services

The preservation program at the University of Illinois Library dates back to 1934, when a Depression-era grant from the Federal Emergency Relief Administration funded the establishment of the Library Mending Division. In the ensuing decades, the program has grown in both scope and size in response to the needs of the Library and developments in the field. Today the Preservation Services Unit encompasses a number of specialized sub-units that work to preserve the Library’s print, audiovisual, and digital collections. Bindery Preparation, Born Digital Content Preservation, Collections Care, Digital Preservation, Digitization Services, Media Preservation, and Reformatting & Replacement operate from the fourth floor of the Main Library. Conservation lab spaces and offices are located on the second floor of the Oak Street Library Facility.