Once more into the fray ...

So I get this e-mail starting out:

"Thank you so much for applying for our position in the Preservation Department. It is so nice to get an application from someone who had an idea of what "preservation administration" entails."

The only thing missing from this first paragraph is an actually. But the result of this e-mail and the ensuing telephone conversation is that I'm flying to Dallas in two weeks to interview at the University of North Texas in Denton. Things are looking pretty good. The job is both what I want to be doing and where I'd like to be doing it for now. It sounds pretty wonderful all around. I do have to give a 30-45 minute presentation on the topic of my choosing, so I'm thinking I'll discuss the larger topic of preservation, and, because I need this for myself, I'll outline it here:

The enemy -- agents of decay in a library

• water/leaks
• high or low relative humidity
• high temperatures
• fluctuation in relative humidity and/or temperature
• insects
• mold
• dust
• improper handling
• book drops
• inherent vices
• vermin
• vandalism

Level of granularity in preservation activities

• collection level preservation for useful though not necessarily valuable or significant collections
• item level preservation for rare, much used, or valuable materials
• item level preservation for entire collections deemed important to the library's mission

Collection level preservation activities

• stabilization of environment
• staff and user education
• monitoring for insect presence
• maintaining a secure environment
• mass deacidification

Item level preservation activities

• Individual evaluation and treatment
• recase
• reback/retained case
• phase box
• clamshell case
• pamphlet bind
• individual deacidification
• encapsulation
• send to a professional conservator
• send to a commercial bindery

Choosing between in-house work, a professional conservator, or the bindery

• Is the text-block split?
• No -- in house
• Yes -- send out
• Boxed or repaired?
• Boxed -- if rare, valuable, or use does not merit repair
• Repair -- if not rare or containing intrinsic, artifactual, historical, or associational value.
• Is it rare or valuable?
• No -- do in house if no for question one
• No -- send to commercial bindery if yes for question one
• Yes -- send to professional conservator for repair or create a box in-house
• Does the objects past and projected use merit the level of attention and time required to repair it properly?
• Yes -- repair it in-house or send it to a professional conservator
• No -- create a protective enclosure, such as a phase box or a clamshell case.

How to battle mold and dust

• maintain a stable environment
• change filters regularly
• clean books and shelves with a dry cloth
• vacuum any books having suspected mold growth (and any next to it) with a HEPA filtered vacuum
• use a dry sponge in a well-ventilated area to wipe away any remaining spores
• closely monitor any previously affected materials, paying especial attention during times of high humidity

Disaster response

• most involve water
• each library should have a Disaster Response Kit
• each library should have a Disaster Plan
• training sessions for staff
• all staff should know who to call and what procedures to follow in case of an emergency

Am I missing anything vital here? Please chime in!