Preservation Reformatting is committed to building and sustaining library collections for the use of students, faculty, visiting scholars, and the public. Unfortunately, the physical and chemical compositions of many items actively work against this commitment. To combat degradation and other forms of damage, Preservation Reformatting is responsible for identifying, assessing, and reformatting damaged materials from both general and special collections. This ensures easier and continued access to materials — both in the library and online — while also supporting long-term preservation initiatives.
Preservation Reformatting offers assessment, consultation, customized project workflows, conservation treatments, in-house and outsourced reformatting, long-term preservation storage, digital access, and patron-based services for the Library’s print materials with a special focus on brittle materials. Click the links below or the menu above for more information on services offered.
Service Criteria
Due to limited resources, not all of the Library’s collections can receive a reformatting treatment. Preservation Reformatting has developed a set of criteria to prioritize materials. To make this decision, a combination of various factors are taken consideration. These include:
- Identified as brittle or damaged
- Has a high circulation number
- Has unique properties that will add to research in the field
- Condition of the item
- Significance of the subject/genre of the item
- Current or potential use
- Cost of reformatting
- Appropriateness of the reformatting option to the material
- Availability of reprint or acceptable microfilm
- If the item will provide complete access to an unfinished serial online
For further inquiries about our services email us at digibb@library.illinois.edu.