Developing a Plan for Collections Security: The Library of Congress Experience

Library of Congress managers and security officials collaborated on developing a comprehensive collections security plan in 1997. The plan serves as a blueprint for ensuring that the Libraryʹs collections (heritage assets) are safe and available for current and future generations. The plan identified four areas that must be satisfactorily addressedphysical security, preservation, and bibliographic and inventory control. The framework prioritizes protection across five tiers of risk and five collections cycles. Because the plan was developed collaboratively rather than being imposed from the outside, staff have considerable buy-in, a shared vocabulary, and an effective way to make the best use of limited resources.