The Use of Risk Management to Support Preventive Conservation

ABSTRACT

Risk management approaches have been increasingly used at the British Library to inform and support collection care decisions. This paper addresses the ways in which these methods have been used to address specific preservation issues at the Library, using appropriate case studies: rehousing the microfilm collection, adapting pest management protocols, replacing box-making equipment and assessing the environmental conditions of the philatelic collection. As well as allowing complex, multi-faceted preservation problems to be addressed, this approach also allows options to be presented in a succinct and readily understandable manner to non-specialist colleagues and other stakeholders and helps to ensure buy-in.

KEYWORDS:

• Preservation
• collection care
• risk management
• risk assessment

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank their colleagues at the British Library, particularly those in the Conservation, Estates and Operations departments, for their assistance in compiling the risk assessments presented here, and their collaboration in applying the results.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.