What are Preservation Stewards?
Preservation Stewards make a commitment to GPO, the FDLP, and the National Collection of U.S. Government Public Information to retain tangible (print) depository resources in perpetuity so that the public can rely on those collections as sources of Federal Government information for generations to come. Preservation Stewards are the shared print program for National Collection.
The focus of a Preservation Steward collection is determined by partner library staff, with consideration for the Federal Government publications their users require in tangible format, along with broader National Collection goals.
While Preservation Steward Partnerships primarily support the tangible National Collection, these Partners are welcome to sign additional Partnership agreements with GPO to non-destructively digitally-image these same collections, so they can also contribute to the digital National Collection.
Active Preservation Stewards
| Name of Partner | NCSA | Preservation Commitment |
|---|---|---|
| Alaska State Court Law Library | West | Various publications |
| Alaska State Library | West | U.S. Statutes at Large |
| Allen County Public Library | Midwest | Trial of the Major War Criminals before the International Military Tribunal, Nuremberg, 14 November 1945-1 October 1946 |
| Arthur Lakes Library, Colorado School of Mines | West | Various publications |
| California State Library | West | Various publications |
| Case Library, Colgate University | Northeast | Public Papers of the Presidents |
| Central Library, Queens Public Library | Northeast | Public Papers of the Presidents, Handbook of North American Indians |
| Cleveland Public Library | Midwest | Various publications |
| Connecticut State Library | Northeast | Various publications |
| Cultural Education Center, New York State Library | Northeast | Various publications |
| Davis Library, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill | South | Congressional hearings |
| Dean B. Ellis Library, Arkansas State University, Jonesboro | South | NASA Technical Reports |
| E.S. Bird Library, Syracuse University | Northeast | Various publications |
| Edith Garland Dupré Library, University of Louisiana at Lafayette | South | U.S. Commission on Civil Rights publications |
| Edmon Low Library, Oklahoma State University | South | Various publications |
| Eli M. Oboler Library, Idaho State University | West | Handbook of North American Indians, Congressional Record and its predecessors |
| Felix G. Woodward Library, Austin Peay State University | South | publications related to the 101st Airborne Division |
| Gallagher Law Library, University of Washington | West | U.S. Statutes at Large |
| Garbrecht Law Library, University of Maine School of Law | Northeast | U.S. Reports |
| Geisel Library, University of California, San Diego | West | Various publications |
| George A. Smathers Libraries, University of Florida | South | Various publications |
| Government Information Services, State Library of Ohio | Midwest | Various publications |
| Government Publications Library, University of Minnesota | Midwest | U.S. Congressional Serial Set |
| Hamilton Library, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa | West | U.S. Reports |
| Indiana State Library | Midwest | Various publications |
| Interior Department Library | Northeast | Department of the Interior annual reports |
| J.Y. Joyner Library, East Carolina University | South | Cold War and internal security related publications |
| James E. Walker Library, Middle Tennessee State University | South | Publications related to the historical, social, and cultural aspects in fermentation, distilling, and brewing |
| Jerome Hall Law Library, Indiana University Maurer School of Law | Midwest | Various publications |
| John C. Hodges Library, University of Tennessee, Knoxville | South | Emergency Conservation Work Agency, Civilian Conservation Corps, and Federal Security Agency publications |
| Kresge Law Library, University of Notre Dame | Midwest | Various publications |
| Law Library for San Bernardino County | West | Public Papers of the Presidents, Proclamations and Executive Orders: Herbert Hoover, and Proceedings of the United States Senate in the Impeachment Trial of William Jefferson Clinton |
| Law Library of Congress | Northeast | Federal Register and daily Congressional Record |
| Lether Frazar Memorial Library, McNeese State University | South | Various publications |
| Library of Congress | Northeast | Congressional hearings |
| Lillian Goldman Law Library, Yale University | Northeast | Various publications |
| Louisianna State University, Baton Rouge Libraries | South | Various publications |
| M. Louis Salmon Library, University of Alabama, Huntsville | South | NASA SP series publications |
| Mansfield Library, University of Montana | West | Congressional hearings and prints |
| Merrill Cazier Library, Utah State University | West | Various publications |
| Ned R. McWherter Library, University of Memphis | South | Peace Corps publications |
| New Mexico State Library | West | Various publications |
| New Orelans College of Law, Loyola University New Orleans | South | Various publications |
| Norlin Library, University of Colorado, Boulder | West | U.S. Congressional Serial Set, Congressional Record, and Congressional hearings |
| Ottenheimer Library, University of Arkansas, Little Rock | South | Handbook of North American Indians |
| Paul M. Hebert Law Center, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge | South | Various publications |
| Ralph Brown Draughon Library, Auburn University | South | Air Information Circulars |
| Raymond H. Fogler Library, University of Maine, Orono | Northeast | Various publications |
| Robert L. Carothers Library, University of Rhode Island | Northeast | NOAA publications |
| Schuyler Bland Memorial Library, U.S. Merchant Marine Academy | Northeast | Merchant Marine related publications |
| Seeley G. Mudd Library, Lawrence University | Midwest | Various publications |
| Shannon Library, University of Virginia | South | State Department publications |
| South Carolina State Library | South | Various publications |
| State Law Library, Supreme Court of Mississippi | South | Various publications |
| State Library of Pennsylvania | Northeast | Various publications |
| Syracuse University College of Law Library | Northeast | Various publications |
| The Libraries, North Dakota State University | Midwest | Various publications |
| Thomas Cooper Library, University of South Carolina | South | Various publications |
| University of Idaho Library | West | U.S. Forest Service publications |
| University of Iowa Main Library | Midwest | Various publications |
| University of Kansas Libraries | Midwest | Congressional hearings |
| University of North Texas Libraries | South | Various publications |
| University of Utah, Marriott Library | West | Various publications |
| William A. Wise Law Library, University of Colorado Law School | West | Various publications |
| William T. Young Library, University of Kentucky | South | Various publications |
Preservation Steward Spotlight
The J.Y. Joyner Library at The East Carolina University is serving as a Preservation Steward for national security related publications.
Some of the interesting publications that they are preserving are:
- United States relations with China: with special reference to the period 1944-1949 / based on the files of the Department of State.
- Marihuana-hashish epidemic and its impact on United States security: hearings before the Subcommittee to Investigate the Administration of the Internal Security Act and Other Internal Security Laws of the Committee on the Judiciary, United States Senate, Ninety-third Congress, second session [-Ninety-fourth Congress, first session].
- Communist origin and manipulation of Vietnam Week (April 8-15, 1967) : report / by the Committee on Un-American Activities ... Ninetieth Congress, first session.
They were designated as a depository library in 1951, and have been a Preservation Steward since 2019.
Benefits of Being a Preservation Steward
Gain national recognition for the work of your institution- Guidance and individualized assistance to partners, as needed, as they assess and manage their collections.
- Promotional materials featuring the Preservation Steward Partnership logo.
- Postage to fill gaps in the Preservation Steward collection.
- Being a part of a national community committed to preservation.
Expectations of a Preservation Steward
- Inventory and catalog the significant collections, and submit those inventories to GPO with item-level condition statements.
- Perform preventive maintenance and conservation treatment on these collections, so that the National Collection is ensured to stand the test of time.
- Maintain collections in good or fair condition as a baseline standard. GPO, however, will review collections that include items in less than good condition and make exceptions on a case-by-case basis in consideration of the age and scarcity of that item across depository collections.
- Have collections that range in size, from just a few volumes to many thousands of publications held in high-density, offsite storage facilities at the partner institution.
How to Become a Preservation Steward
Please contact us via askGPO to learn more about how your institution can participate. When submitting a question, select the category, “Partnerships.”
The process is easy. Once you submit your inquiry, a member of GPO’s staff will reach out to coordinate on the specifics of the partnership and then work with your organization to formalize the agreement with a Memorandum of Agreement.
Resources and Documentation
- Preservation Stewards by SuDoc
- Preservation Steward FAQs
- Preservation Steward Partnership Memorandum of Agreement Template
- Example Preservation Steward Historic Inventory Template
- Guidance for Stamping Preservation Steward Materials
- Locate Preservation Stewards Across the Country
- Preservation Steward PDT Commitments
- Preservation Steward webinars and recordings
- A Guide to Assessing Document Condition for Preservation Steward Partners