Surveys, particularly the type used by Cornell University, frequently provide the main rationale behind a proposal to a funding agency. Thus the data collected and processed must be accurate and capable of addressing and answering a wide range of questions. Preservation production proposals to funding agencies are analogous to commercial contract bidding. On the one hand, if the preservation strategy recommended is inappropriate and the unit costs are unreasonably high, the "bidding" library will not be funded. On the other hand, if the plan of work is too ambitious and the unit costs are too low, the project may be funded but the library is unable to complete the project without compromising other operations.

Consequently, grant proposals, which derive from surveys and costing efforts, usually provide more accurate descriptions of collections, their value, patterns of use, and condition than is commonly available through routine planning. A grant proposal's plan of work provides a blueprint for action and determines costs, degree of effort, production schedule, and predicted outcome. It also establishes reporting protocols that require an ongoing evaluation of the project and the performance of staff.

Most library preservation departments now take advantage of the power and flexibility of computers to track, via file and spreadsheet systems, their progress in fulfilling the commitments of a grant. Because of strict budget control requirements, every aspect of the library's cost share must be similarly tracked to provide a constant and auditable record.

As grant funds become more freely available for a comprehensive approach to preservation problems, preservation administrators will respond by designing sophisticated models for describing a greater variety of problems within specific collections along with a broader range of strategies for their resolution. This "whole collection" approach, incorporating all kinds of research materials (books, manuscripts, photographs, graphics arts, and so forth) and all appropriate preservation strategies, will encourage administrators to apply the rigorous principles of grant project management to standard preservation operations.