Office of the Law Librarian

To provide proper administration, custodial care and effective service of the Law Library's rare book and special collections

1 GS-12 Rare Book and Special Collections Librarian

The Library of Congress preservation program preserves and restores deteriorating and damaged portions
of the collections so that these collections will continue to be available for future use by Congress, the
public, and scholars. Preservation techniques employed include physical restoration and preventive treatment of
original formats, protective binding, and transfer of the information contained on deteriorating materials to
other media such as microform, and transfer of nitrate film to safety film. A task of critical importance
undertaken by the Library's Preservation Office is scientific research and development on improved preservation
procedures and technologies. The Library of Congress Preservation Office provides limited asistance and guidance
to other institutional holders of deteriorating or damaged materials through consultation and an active publishing
program which distributes throughout the country preservation information developed at the Library.

The Preservation Office's one new objective for fiscal 1986 is to begin four conservation projects (on
a contract basis outside the Library) that would complete the conservation of the National Intelligencer, the
principal national newspaper 1800-1870; pre-1820 early American sheet music; 1820-1860 early American sheet
music; and selected rare 18th century newspaper collections over a three-year period commencing in 1986.

A total of $7,527,460 is required to support the Preservation Office in fiscal 1986. Additional funding in fiscal 1986 amounts to $451,100 for increases in non-personal support services. Of this amount, $211,100 is for current level increases and $240,000 for growing workload increases.

Printing and binding

+ $ 71,600