INTERLENDING AND CONSERVATION: FRIENDS OR FOES? Available to Purchase

Conservation is of no benefit unless the items conserved are used in the future, but it should not prevent use. Local library use, whether consultation, lending or photocopying, can damage books as much as if not more than interlibrary use; and some types of material are rarely or never wanted on interlibrary loan. A conservation programme should include the retention of items for future availability, which is desirable for adequate interlibrary availability. The preservation of the contents of books by microfilming or digitization aids both conservation and interlending. The selection of items for conservation of the original or the making of surrogates presents difficult problems. When items are photocopied or lent, there are various ways of reducing wear and tear. Conservation of non‐book materials raises fewer problems, because the format is rarely important or valuable. When books are filmed or digitized, conservation has to be applied to the films or digitized text.