The key element in the preservation of library materials is the environment. Environment includes temperature and humidity, lighting and cleanliness.

Temperature in the main building should remain around 70 degrees Fahrenheit, while humidity should stay around 50%. Temperature and humidity readings are taken every two weeks to ensure that a proper environment is maintained.

Other steps:

The Preservation department is charged with ensuring the longevity of Fondren Library's collections, including it's digital assets. Among the in-house services we provide are book repair. Damaged books are brought to the department for assessment. Decisions are based on how damaged the material is, how often the materials circulates, and if there are other copies in the collection. Treatments include spine repair, page repair and/or tip-ins, boxes, pamphlet binders, binding, and book covers.

The Library Service Center (LSC) is an environmentally controlled building where rare and lesser used materials are stored. The temperature is set to around 50 degrees Fahrenheit, while the relative humidity is set to 30%. This provides the best environment in which to store library materials, and is one of several collection management options for library staff.