Mission, Vision & Values

Mission:

The UCLA Library Preservation Department collaborates to provide expert care to all library materials regardless of format so they remain fully accessible now and into the future. We help UCLA fulfill its responsibility to maintain the authenticity and safety of library collections.

We work to balance the evolving American Institute of Conservation Code of Ethics in our work, while we prioritize equity, diversity, and inclusion actions, and commit to a culture of sustainability.  

Vision: 

We champion a deep and abiding respect for and curiosity about our shared cultural heritage, and we hope to inspire that same curiosity in all those who use the collections.

Values: 

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion: We work together with other departments at UCLA Library, and within our professional associations to further the task of dismantling structural racism in the field of cultural heritage preservation and conservation

Community Engagement:  We focus on community archives, decolonization, and demystifying the technical work we engage in.

Sustainability: We work within UCLA Sustainability goals, and continually search for ways to make our work easier on the earth, and to limit our contribution to global warming.

Collaboration: We believe all who donate to the library, work in the library, and use the library have a part in the preservation and interpretation of the collections. We work to move our collaboration towards important library goals, including grants, collection outreach, and relationships with community stakeholders. We partner with other UCLA, Los Angeles, national, and international  cultural heritage preservation and conservation departments to share ideas, skills, and support.  

Expertise and Lifelong Learning: We uphold the goals of increased expertise for all preservation and conservation colleagues, and understand our knowledge and research needs will change as the field evolves and as we move through different stages of our careers.

Teaching, Service, and Mentoring: We share our expertise within UCLA, the city of Los Angeles, nationally and internationally. Our department strives to be a welcoming place of excellence for interns, postgraduates, visiting colleagues, and pre-program colleagues. 

Building Analytical and Technical Capacity: We understand that methods of analysis and equipment for better understanding and caring for library materials are always improving.  We share equipment within UCLA as needed, and work towards a regional approach to sharing analytical and technical capacities.