Dictionary definition(s) for: preservation

• n., The whole of the principles, policies, rules and strategies aimed at prolonging the existence of an object by maintaining it in a condition suitable for use, either in its original format or in a more persistent format, while leaving intact the object’s intellectual form.
  See Also:

  • persistent object preservation
  • records preservation
• n., Preservation has been defined as the protection of human features in the landscape, as opposed to conservation which is concerned with the protection of the natural landscape. This distinction is not always made.
  [ Sciences - A Dictionary of Geography ]
  A Dictionary of Geography. Susan Mayhew. Oxford University Press, 2004. Oxford Reference Online. Oxford University Press. University of British Columbia. 4 August 2006 http://www.oxfordreference.com/views/ENTRY.html?subview=Main&entry=t15.e2476
• n., Processes and operations involved in ensuring the technical and intellectual survival of authentic records through time.
  [ Archives - 15489-1 , Page: 3 ]
  International Organization for Standardization. Information and Documentation: Records Management . 15489-1. Part 1. Geneva: ISO, 2001.
• n., Refers to actions taken to prevent further changes or deterioration in objects, sites, or structures.
  [ Arts - Art and Architecture Thesaurus (AAT) ]
  J. Paul Getty Trust. Art and Architecture Thesaurus (AAT). Los Angeles, CA: J. Paul Getty Trust, 2005. http://www.getty.edu/research/conducting_reseach/vocabularies/aat/
• n., The overall package of administrative and/or practical measures, such as boxing, good housekeeping, careful handling and environmental control, which ensure the survival of documents without specialist intervention. Conservation and restoration procedures are part of a preservation policy.
  [ Arts - A Guide to Standards, Recommended Practices and Reference Literature Related to the Preservation of Documents of All Kinds - Glossary , Page: 54 ]
  Boston, George, and Milton Keynes, eds. Safeguarding the Documentary Heritage: A Guide to Standards, Recommended Practices and Reference Literature Related to the Preservation of Documents of All Kinds. Paris: UNESCO, 1998. Also available online at http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0011/001126/112676eo.pdf.
• n., The process of protecting documents from deterioration or damage; the non-invasive treatment of fragile documents.
  [ Archives - A Glossary of Archival and Records Terminology (The Society of American Archivists) ]
  Pearce-Moses, Richard. A Glossary of Archival and Records Terminology. Chicago: Society of American Archivists, 2005. http://www.archivists.org/glossary/index.asp
• n., The storing and protecting of archives against damage and deterioration.
  [ Archives - School of Library, Archival and Information Studies (SLAIS) Glossary ]
  School of Library, Archival and Information Studies. "Select List of Archival Terminology." School of Library, Archival and Information Studies. http://www.slais.ubc.ca/RESOURCES/students/Archival_Terminology.pdf.
• n., The totality of processes and operations involved in the stabilization and protection of documents against damage and deterioration and in the treatment of damaged or deteriorated documents preservation may also include the transfer of information to another medium such as microfilm.
  [ Archives - Dictionary of Archival Terminology ]
  Dictionary of Archival Terminology. 2nd rev. ed. Edited by Peter Walne. New York: K.G. Saur, 1988.
• n., To keep from harm, injury, decay, or destruction.
  [ General Dictionaries - A Glossary of Archival and Records Terminology (The Society of American Archivists) ]
  Pearce-Moses, Richard. A Glossary of Archival and Records Terminology. Chicago: Society of American Archivists, 2005. http://www.archivists.org/glossary/index.asp