Preservation Division | Columbia University Libraries

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The Division provides a comprehensive program to prolong the existence and accessibility of the collections for current and future students and scholars, by acting to prevent or retard deterioration of physical materials through correct housing and environment, through disaster preparedness, and through <a href="https://www1.columbia.edu/sec/cu/libraries/bts/preservation/care/index.html">staff and user education</a>; where possible, acting to improve the condition of materials through conservation treatment; and, when necessary, acting to change their format in order to preserve their intellectual content, including converting analog content to digital form. The Division coordinates with other units in the Libraries to assure preservation of digital content.</p> <p>Learn more about <a href="https://library.columbia.edu/services/preservation/mellon-conservator.html">Conserving Cultural Heritage at Columbia</a> and the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation's challenge to the Libraries.</p> <p><a href="/content/dam/libraryweb/services/preservation/Preservation%20Policy%20revised%202018.pdf">Columbia University Libraries Preservation Policy</a></p> </div> </div></div> <div class="section_heading section"> <div class="cul-sectionheading cul-component"> <h3>Departments</h3> </div></div> <div class="text parbase section"> <div class="cul-image cul-component"> <div class="cul-text cul-component"><ul> <li>Preservation Reformatting and Metadata</li> <li>Imaging Lab</li> <li><a href="https://library.columbia.edu/services/preservation/conservation.html">Conservation</a></li> <li><a href="https://library.columbia.edu/services/preservation/bsp.html">Binding and Shelf Preparation</a></li> <li><a href="https://library.columbia.edu/services/preservation/audio.html">Audio Preservation</a></li> </ul> </div> </div></div> <div class="section_heading section"> <div class="cul-sectionheading cul-component"> <h3>Services for Patrons</h3> </div></div> <div class="text parbase section"> <div class="cul-image cul-component"> <div class="cul-text cul-component"><ul> <li><a href="https://library.columbia.edu/services/preservation/reproductions.html">Photography, Digital Photography, Flatbed Scanning, and Microfilming</a></li> <li><a href="https://library.columbia.edu/services/preservation/publications_policy.html">Publication and Digital Reproduction Policy and Procedures</a></li> <li><a href="https://library.columbia.edu/about/policies/loans_for_exhibits.html">Guidelines for Borrowing  Materials for Exhibition</a></li> </ul> </div> </div></div> <div class="section_heading section"> <div class="cul-sectionheading cul-component"> <h3>Survey Tools</h3> </div></div> <div class="text parbase section"> <div class="cul-image cul-component"> <div class="cul-text cul-component"><ul> <li><a href="https://library.columbia.edu/services/preservation/audiosurvey.html">Audio/Moving Image Survey</a></li> <li><a href="https://library.columbia.edu/services/preservation/survey_tools.html">Special Collections Survey</a></li> </ul> </div> </div></div> <div class="section_heading section"> <div class="cul-sectionheading cul-component"> <h3>SELECTED SPECIAL PROJECTS</h3> </div></div> <div class="text parbase section"> <div class="cul-image cul-component"> <div class="cul-text cul-component"><ul> <li><a href="https://library.columbia.edu/bts/spectator.html">Digitizing the Columbia Spectator</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.medicalheritage.org/">Medical Heritage Library</a>: Digitizing monographs and journals from the Health Sciences Library</li> <li><a href="http://lindquist.cul.columbia.edu/">Lindquist Native American Photographs</a></li> </ul> </div> </div></div> </div> </section> </div> <div id="secondary" class="span3"> <aside> <h1 class="hide">Sidebar</h1> <div class="well sidebar-nav"> <div class="layout_inheritedsidebar inherited_sidebar parbase"><div class="inherited_sidebar parbase"><div 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Preservation Division | Columbia University Libraries