PSAP or the Preservation Self-Assessment Program is a free online software tool that helps individuals and institutions assess and prioritize the conditions of their collections. PSAP is meant to help those with little or no experience with collections preservation. The tool is stored at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and was created by the University of Illinois Libraries with the help of grants from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS).
PSAP can be used to assess single items, archives of items and entire collections. The tool also provides extensive guides on how to preserve different items. This FREE tool contains surveys and assessments that managers and personnel of small libraries can complete. The tool helps you to create a profile of your collection by analyzing information regarding your materials, the environment they exist in and any existing policies for preservation. Once the collection is entered, PSAP presents easy to understand assessment "scores" in a dashboard setup. The software can produce assessment reports which can then be used to plan preservation efforts and budgets.
The website also has an extensive bibliography (https://psap.library.illinois.edu/bibliography) on caring for collections and preserving things like books, drawings, photographs, prints, museum objects, ceramics, glass, etc.
To use the tool, visit: https://psap.library.illinois.edu/. You will need to sign up by entering your name, username/password and a little about yourself and your affiliation. You will then receive an approval and link to the tool.
To use the tool, visit: https://psap.library.illinois.edu/. You will need to sign up by entering your name, username/password and a little about yourself and your affiliation. You will then receive an approval and link to the tool.
