Securing Preservation Funds: National and Institutional Requirements

Preservation funding is imperiled for a number of reasons. First, private funding tends to follow trends, and, currently, there is keen interest in digitization as a means of making materials accessible to new and broader audiences. Second, a new emphasis by federal agencies on accountability and services to all constituents gives preference to funding requests that enhance access. And, finally, preservation funding suffers because we have not advanced a national plan for preserving important resources. In addition to collaborating on national initiativves, individual institutions must also view themselves as contributors to the national collection of scholarly resources and accept responsibility for preserving their share of materials that have lasting scholarly value.