Preservation

Preservation refers to the preventative procedures required to prolong the lifespan of your archive's collections, by protecting them from damage, loss and destruction. It is different to conservation, which refers to the procedures required to repair and treat already damaged material.

Deterioration in the long term is inevitable - nothing lasts forever, but with careful preservation we can help ensure documents survive to benefit future generations. This guidance is designed to give you some advice on how to preserve your archives and use the budget and resources you have available as effectively as possible.

It is important to remember that deterioration is a long-term process and you will not notice it on a week-by-week or even a year-by-year basis, but nevertheless it is happening.