Institutional and government administrators are not likely to be swayed by speeches on the ethics of preservation, but their support may be gained by objective, quantifiable demonstrations of need and the overall cost effectiveness of sound preservation management. The planning document should stress the links between improved bibliographic access provided by an increasing number of machine- readable records and the need to fulfill the promise of those records by physical accessibility. The document should also stress the role that grant-funded preservation plays in building bibliographic data bases.

Preservation professionals are beginning to realize that, given the continuing growth of research collections, it is not possible, or even advisable, to preserve everything. Preservation management information based on careful analysis of the collections and preservation operations, integrated with collection management information on collection value and utility, should drive the selection mechanisms for preservation and, by extension, long-range planning. For many preservation professionals, the struggle for recognition within their own libraries and the drive to secure outside funding have placed preservation at the forefront of essential questions about the future of the library.