Preservation (library and archival science)
![National Bureau of Standards preserving the U.S. Declaration of Independence in 1951](/Images/godic/202501/01/1951PreservationOfDeclarationOfIndependenceByNBS0010.jpg")
![Worn books at the library of Merton College, Oxford.](/Images/godic/202501/01/Old_book_bindings0010.jpg")
![Preservation and recording of magnetic tapes at Fonoteca Nacional (National Sound Archive of Mexico).](/Images/godic/202501/01/Fonoteca_Nacional_020010.JPG")
Preservation refers to the set of activities that aims to prolong the life of a record and relevant metadata, or enhance its value, or improve access to it through non-interventive means. This includes actions taken to influence records creators prior to selection and acquisition.