VOLUME 11

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THERE ARE NEVER ENOUGH

resources to address all of thepreservation needs in any library

or archival collection. A key approach topreserving collections, therefore, is preven-tion of damage whenever possible.Enlisting all who handle collections incareful stewardship is an important part ofpreventing unnecessary damage. This arti-cle explains the University of Maryland(UM) Libraries Preservation Group’sapproach to the marketing of preservation.As the introduction to Drewes and Page’sPromoting Preservation Awareness inLibraries advises, “Preservation educationfor library users is more than just postersand no-food-or-drink policies. It involvesthe commitment and involvement of alllibrary staff.”1 Thus, a program of trainingand outreach in preservation awareness forstaff and researchers is a critical part of apreservation effort. The UM LibrariesPreservation Group’s approach may helpinform others in their efforts to create a

preservation awareness program.The fact that we took the marketing

plan approach was a combination of coin-cidence and timing. In the summer of2002, the members of the University ofMaryland Preservation Group celebratedthe success of “Guess Who’s Coming toDinner?”, their colorful new exhibit, book-marks and table tents pitching the message,

Archival Products

NEWSPlanning to Market Preservation: ConvertingStaff and Researchers to Preservation Practices by Yvonne Carignan

Enlisting allwho handle collections incareful steward-ship is animportant partof preventingunnecessarydamage.Emily Bell, Senior Conservation Technician; Darryl Byrd,

Conservation Graduate Assistant; and Christina Hostetter,Brittle Materials Graduate Assistant with the no-food-and-drink exhibit, “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner?”

“No food and drink in the library.” “What shall we do next?” I asked this cre-

ative group of library technicians, graduateassistants and librarians. While I had inmind designing more bookmarks with dif-ferent preservation messages, the group wentin another direction entirely. DanielleDuMerer, then a graduate assistant in ourBrittle Materials, Reformatting andDeacidification Team, had a background inmarketing which she called upon to lead thegroup in taking a broader view: we were toformulate a strategic marketing plan.2 Westudied the marketing literature, analyzedour entire audience and explored all ouroptions for reaching each audience.

This project coincided with a newlyimplemented reorganization of our groupinto a team-based structure with anemphasis on shared leadership and deci-sion-making. We decided that involvingthe entire Preservation Group in the mar-keting plan would be an appropriate wayto develop our team skills and apply toolslearned in training. For example, theAssociation of Research Libraries’ LibraryManagement Skills Institutes were teachingus useful ways to bring everyone’s ideas tothe project. Our preservation marketingplan, therefore, was achieved as a true teamproject without traditional hierarchicalleadership. Besides meeting our goals formarketing preservation, the way we wentabout planning helped achieve buy-inamong staff members who were new to ourgroup and previously unfamiliar withpreservation objectives. Everyone inPreservation participated in such tasks asenvironmental assessments. Subgroupsresearched and wrote sections of the plan,then the whole Preservation Group cameback together to edit.

With many competing prioritiesdemanding our attention, it took us a yearand a half to complete our marketing plan.I believe, however, that the plan and the

concept behind it is a useful approach togetting out the preservation message inlibraries and archives. The followingdescribes how we conducted research forthe plan, its structure and content and ourstart at implementing the plan to marketpreservation to University of MarylandLibraries’ constituents.

The Preservation Marketing Planning ProcessWe began by studying the “PreservationProduction Group Marketing PlanningWorkbook” that Danielle DuMerer puttogether for us. This workbook included adefinition of marketing, a short bibliography,steps in a marketing planning process, theformat of a plan and low cost methods forgathering information about marketing seg-ments. The workbook concluded with possi-ble components of the strategies and possibleoutcomes. We started with a definition ofmarketing: “those activities which involve thecreation and distribution of products toidentified market segments.”3 We then fol-lowed steps outlined by Kotler andAndreasen for the strategic marketing plan-ning process.4 Those steps included deter-mining our goals, assessing the environment,identifying resources, formulating a strategyto achieve specific goals, establishing a pro-gram with a time table and assignment ofresponsibilities and establishing benchmarksand performance measures. We also benefit-ed from some forms found in the MarketingPlanning Guide. For example, the“Informational Needs Worksheet,”“Consumer Analysis Worksheet” and“Promotion Decisions Worksheet” helped usidentify what we would need to take action,to characterize our target audiences anddefine our strategies.5

In reviewing these steps, I find that we didfollow through with each of them to somedegree. The first goal, which was describedmore fully by Kotler and Andreasen as

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We decided that involvingthe entirePreservationGroup in themarketing planwould be anappropriateway to developour team skillsand apply toolslearned intraining.

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determining organization-wide objectives,was met by the UM Libraries’ MissionStatement which included preserving collec-tions. Our preservation marketing planwould help us better serve that mission. Butwe also established a mission for the preser-vation marketing plan itself: to increaseawareness, modify behaviors and raise thelevel of support for preservation.Furthermore, using an affinity diagram, acontinuing quality improvement (CQI) tool,we brainstormed the objectives we hoped toaccomplish with the plan. These objectivesincluded a successful no-food-and-drinkcampaign, reduction in the number of items

with deliberate or careless handlingdamage, well-shelved books, safer useof photocopiers, increased disasterresponse awareness, clean books andstacks as well as staff awareness ofpreservation as part of their jobs,among other goals.

In a second step, we assessed the“threats and opportunities that can beaddressed by marketing in the interestof achieving greater… success.”6 Aspart of this analysis, we noted thequantity of avoidable damage that iscaused by careless handling ordestructive treatment. A survey ofdamage resulted in our conclusionthat 27% of the damage coming intoPreservation could be prevented bypreservation education and awareness.We also reported the costs of dealingwith the damage in the problemstatement of our plan. We had mostof the information reported in ourproblem statement before we beganthe marketing planning process, butour survey for quantitative evidence ofcareless handling was conductedspecifically for the plan.

Analysis of the Libraries’ “publics”was also among our first steps in theplanning process. We took our cue

from a chart in Strategic Marketing forNonprofit Organizations to create a list of allwho might handle collections and couldbenefit from preservation education.7 Ourlist included students, administration, non-library staff of the University, professors,library staff, friends of the library, alumni,the public and off-site users via interlibraryloan. We then devised a set of criteria forprioritizing which groups were the mostimportant to reach first. We concluded thatwe would focus first on academic faculty,students, library staff and administration.

We also read relevant sections fromKotler and Andreasen to understand how

P L A N N I N G T O M A R K E T P R E S E R V A T I O N – c o n t i n u e d

A survey ofdamage resultedin our conclu-sion that 27%of the damagecoming intoPreservationcould be pre-vented bypreservationeducation andawareness.

This is the bookmark (front and back views) that we use at circula-tion desks to reemphasize the no-food-and-drink message. Eachlibrary also posts multiple no-food-and-drink posters at entrancesand in stairwells. Table tents with the same theme are placed ontables throughout the libraries. Preservation staff provided thewording and Rebecca Wilson, UM Libraries’ graphic artist, createdthe images and design.

one persuades individuals and groups tochange their behavior. Those authors rec-ommended researching target groups tolearn why they behave as they do and howthey may be induced to change. Theycharged that effective messages must be tai-lored for the perceptions of target audi-ences and must offer each audience a wayto solve any problems associated with theirmaking the change. For example, designingan eye-catching poster advocating non-damaging photocopying and placing itbeside a drop-edge photocopier both deliv-ered the charge to photocopy carefully andprovided a way to act on it. Page supportsthat approach in Promoting PreservationAwareness in Libraries with her advice topitch preservation education in terms of“why?”, not as “do’s and don’ts.” Providingalternatives — contrasting what you wantpeople to do with their damaging practices— is most effective in getting the preserva-tion message across.8

Our next step, then, was to analyze ourfour priority groups — students, faculty,library staff and administration — who weplanned to target. We asked questionsabout their numbers, location, characteris-tics and motivations. When time andresources permit, marketing research suchas sampling, surveying, conducting focusgroups or other techniques will enrich ouranalysis. At this time, using the informa-tion we had at hand, we began strategizinghow to select themes and approaches toreach these groups.

Strategies ranged from bookmarks,screen savers and displays with care andhandling messages for students and faculty,to preservation training for staff and formalstatistical reports on preservation needs forlibrary administration. While we had spe-cific audiences in mind for our strategies,we appreciated the fact that strategies mighthelp educate and inform several differentaudiences about various preservation issues.

We prioritized our list of strategies using animpact/effort-based grid. In this tool, weplaced each strategy in one of four boxeswhich are labeled high impact, low effort;high impact, high effort; low impact, loweffort; and low impact, high effort.

The figure above shows some examplesof strategies and how they might be rankedusing the impact/effort-based grid. Bydeciding where each strategy fit on the grid,our group began to set priorities. The effortinvolved in implementing a given strategyoften depended on resources we already hadat hand. For example, we identified displaysas relatively low effort because we alreadyhad some ready to mount.

Obvious choices for priorities fall intothe high impact, low effort categorybecause those strategies provide maximumimpact for the time and resources requiredto implement them. Our resulting priori-ties included preservation orientation pack-ets for students and faculty; rain bags witha preservation message on them; bookmarks with reminders to use them insteadof destructive place markers; screen saverswith preservation messages for display onlibrary computers; displays, posters andarticles; and training and presentations forpreservation outreach to library staff.

Finally, we were ready to write our

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Strategiesranged frombookmarks,screen saversand displayswith care andhandling mes-sages for studentsand faculty, topreservationtraining forstaff and formalstatisticalreports onpreservationneeds for libraryadministration.

HIGH IMPACT

Designing andteaching preser-vation awarenessclasses for staff

Creating andmounting screensavers on librarycomputers

LOW IMPACT

Organizing a program on apreservationtopic (could havea low impactdepending onattendance)

Putting up no-food-or-drinksigns (may beignored)

HIGHEFFORT

LOWEFFORT

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Besides follow-ing throughwith our plan’sprioritized listof strategies, wewant to add acurriculum fortraining staffand librariansto preserve collections aspart of theirjobs.

preservation marketing plan. It had an execu-tive summary, an introduction that explainedour approach, a description of the problemand an analysis of our target audiences. Next,we detailed our strategies with each targetaudience, our assignments for implementa-tion and resource requirements. We endedwith a conclusion that included measures todetermine the plan’s effectiveness.

After drafts of the plan were shared withseveral groups for vetting, edits were madeand a final version was ready to take to thelibrary’s administrative council. That groupprovided general approval, further refine-ment of the plan’s priorities, funding and acharge for us to focus on further develop-ment of our section on preservation train-ing for library staff. So far, we have beenable to purchase preservation bookmarks,schedule preservation exhibits for thespring and fall semester, begin a series ofpreservation articles in our in-house librarypublication and initiate a successful newpersonal preservation activity for the campus’ annual “Maryland Day” event.

Next StepsBesides following through with our plan’sprioritized list of strategies, we want to adda curriculum for training staff and librari-ans to preserve collections as part of theirjobs. Such a training program will includeinstruction on care and handling, stackscleaning, shelving practices, weeding priori-ties, disaster salvage and gift selectionissues. We have provided training on allthese topics in the past, but we need todevelop a more systematic approach andget it into everyone’s schedule. In addition,we would like to conduct some researchdirectly with the constituents we hope tochange with our outreach. Focus groupswith students and conversations withlibrary liaisons in the academic depart-ments are two possible approaches to gath-ering information to test and correct the

assumptions built into our plan. Finally,although we have begun implementationof the plan, now that we know what theadministration will support, we need tocome back to the plan as a group to estab-lish our timeline and to delegate responsi-bility for the different tasks.

Currently, the UM Libraries anticipatesseveral more tight budget years. It isincreasingly important to make the most ofthe cost effective approach of preventingdamage to collections instead of simplyreacting to it. Our marketing plan will helpthe Preservation Group organize our out-reach efforts in a way that maximizes ourimpact using existing resources. We willcontinue to treat damaged material, butperhaps we will find careless damagebecoming a decreasing part of our work-flow. Meanwhile, we hope to benefit fromthe support of a growing group of staff,students, faculty and administrators whohave received our message and are helpingto preserve the UM Libraries’ collections.

NOTES

1. Jeanne M. Drewes and Julie A. Page, PromotingPreservation Awareness in Libraries: A Sourcebook forAcademic, Public, School, and Special Collections (Westport,Conn.: Greenwood Press, 1997), xii.

2. Ms. DuMerer currently freelances as a librarian andarchivist in Chicago, Ill.

3. Robert Stevens et al., Marketing Planning Guide, 2nd ed.(NY: Haworth Press, 1997), 5.

4. Philip Kotler and Alan R. Andreasen, Strategic Marketing for Nonprofit Organizations, 3rd ed. (Englewood Cliffs, NJ:Prentice-Hall, 1987), 159-60.

5. Stevens, Marketing Planning Guide, 60-1, 113-4, 241-2.

6. Kotler, Strategic Marketing, 159.

7. Ibid., 168.

8. Julie A. Page, “Reaching Your Customers: The First Steps,”in Promoting Preservation Awareness in Libraries, edited by Jeanne M. Drewes and Julie A. Page (Westport, Conn:Greenwood Press, 1997), 5-6.

Yvonne Carignan is head of Preservation at the University ofMaryland Libraries in College Park, MD. She can be reachedby email at carignan@umd.edu or by phone at 301-405-9343.

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University of Iowa Library Preservationand LBS/Archival Products Help inRecovery of a Book Collection from a Fire

NEIL AND KHANH HAMILTON, AWaukee, IA family and long-time supporters of Democratic

candidate John Kerry, hosted a 12-personbarbecue July 27 that was broadcast atthe Boston convention.

On Wednesday, August 4 their homecaught fire about 10:30 p.m. while theywere on vacation. House sitters discov-ered the fire and no one was hurt.

Neil, who is a law professor at DrakeUniversity, owns a valuable book collec-tion. The Saturday after the fire, FritzJames of LBS and Gary Frost, LibrariesConservator, University of Iowa (UI),toured the scene of the fire to assess thebook damage. There was no water dam-age to the book collection but there wassoot and heat damage. Gary Frost tooktwo boxes of damaged books with himfor treatment at the UI Library Conser-vation Lab. Fritz James took one van loadto LBS where a cleaning station was setup. Two other van loads of books werenot damaged, but removed and stored atArchival Products prior to building dem-olition of the house. Within the first fewdays the fire odor diminished and furtherairing corrected the remaining odor.

The first group of 28 books wascleaned at the UI lab. The UI Preser-vation Department offered to send twostudents to LBS to finish the books, how-ever, there was an administrative issuewith sending the students to Des Moinesfor the clean-up. Instead Gary Frost andJoyce Miller traveled to LBS on Monday,August 16 and were joined by LBSemployees Brenda Baccus and ChristieStaley for a session at LBS to salvage thebooks. Approximately 2000 books werecleaned in an eight-hour session. All the

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Approximately2000 bookswere cleaned in an eight-hour session. All the bookswere vacuumedand each was cleanedusing variousmethods.

books were vacuumed and each wascleaned using various methods. Drycleaning sponges and grated erasers wereused to pick up soot. Smoke stains onlaminated book jackets were removedusing alcohol wipes with dissolvedThymol crystal. Rare books received special handling including protectivejackets and shipping wrap. The fire odorswere ventilated and the books securelypacked in clean cartons.

Since the books were affected by heatas well as soot, the top edges were notexpected to clean completely. Acetatecovers over book jackets provided excel-lent protection, though these films willneed replacing. All the publishers’ acetatecovers were saved for the owner to decideon disposal.

LBS and the UI staff were very glad tobe able to assist in the recovery of thisbook collection.

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Since the bookswere affected byheat as well assoot, the topedges were notexpected toclean completely.Acetate coversover book jack-ets providedexcellent protec-tion, thoughthese films willneed replacing.

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LBS/Archival Products1801 Thompson Ave.P.O. Box 1413Des Moines, Iowa 50305-14131-800-526-5640515-262-3191Fax 888-220-2397custserv@archival.com

archival.com

ASHORT UPDATE ON MY ARTICLE

“Silverfish, Their Activities andHow To Stop Them!” which

was published in Archival Products News, v. 10, #1:

In January, I had a call from the currentowner, Dan Russell, of the company that manufactures DEKKO Paks. He purchased the firm after a long hiatus during which the original company ceasedto exist. The company had been foundedin the 1920s in Las Vegas, where it is stillheadquartered.

He confirmed my assumption that theactive ingredient in DEKKO Paks, theborax powder, is contained in the whitesubstance sandwiched between the twocorrugated paper covers. It works by origi-nally attracting silverfish who come andingest it, then it dries out their system andthey die. It can happen that silverfish dieinside the packets which clogs access for

other silverfish — at this point the packsneed to be replaced.

As to the time the packs remain effec-tive, higher humidity diminishes effective-ness somewhat, and is difficult to predict,but borax itself has an unlimited shelf life.The recommendation on the packs men-tions replacement after six months, butthey will remain effective for a longer period. It is best to check for presence orabsence of silverfish by regularly monitor-ing the affected area.

In addition to the Vermont CountryStore, DEKKO Paks should be available atLong’s Drug Stores, Ace Hardware, MilesKimball, Walter Drake Tractor Supply andother stores around the country.

Margit J. Smith, Assistant Professor, is Head of Catalogingand Preservation Programs at Copley Library, University of San Diego, San Diego, CA. She can be reached atmjps@sandiego.edu, phone: 619-260-2365, fax: 619-260-7633.

DEKKO Paks Update by Margit Smith

The recommen-dation on thepacks mentionsreplacementafter sixmonths, butthey willremain effectivefor a longerperiod.