Measuring the Effectiveness of Preservation and Security Programs at the Library of Congress

Institutions must find accurate and cost-effective ways to assess the effectiveness of their preservation and security programs and to balance access with protection. They need to determine how well controls are working and what needs to be done to correct deficiencies-and then to demonstrate to funders that the money being spent is achieving the stated goals. In large institutions, conducting a full inventory and then periodically measuring changes is often not practicable. Rather, institutions can use statistically valid selection and measuring techniques to estimate the status of the total population. This paper describes different sampling methods and identifies sampling projects undertaken at the Library of Congress. It discusses designing and developing a statistically valid baseline and then using carefully controlled measurements to determine the status of controls in place. Armed with accurate measurements, the institution can make informed decisions about implementing remedies proportional to the risk.