Preservation activities and needs in U.S. biomedical libraries: a status report.

Area of Science:

• Library and Information Science
• Health Sciences Librarianship
• Preservation Science

Background:

• Libraries with significant biomedical literature holdings were surveyed to assess their preservation programs.
• The study focused on 134 basic health sciences libraries (primarily hospital libraries) and 97 resource libraries within the Regional Medical Library Program network.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the current status of preservation programs in health sciences and biomedical libraries.
• To identify needs for staff training and educational materials in preservation.
• To evaluate capabilities for participating in a national cooperative preservation program.

Main Methods:

• A national sample of health sciences and other libraries with substantial biomedical collections was surveyed.
• Data collected included information on preservation activities, staffing, funding, and perceived training needs.

Main Results:

• Hospital libraries and academic health sciences center libraries reported varying levels of preservation activity, staffing, and funding.
• Key areas identified for staff training and educational materials included preservation techniques and disaster preparedness.
• Efforts to identify important biomedical collections for a national preservation program yielded limited success.

Conclusions:

• Health sciences libraries require enhanced support, including staff training and funding, to bolster preservation efforts.
• Cooperative national preservation programs face challenges in identifying and integrating diverse biomedical collections.
• Further development is needed to establish robust preservation strategies and national collaborations for biomedical literature.