The preservation program at the University of Illinois Library dates back to 1934, when a Depression-era grant from the Federal Emergency Relief Administration funded the establishment of the Library Mending Division. In the ensuing decades, the program has grown in both scope and size in response to the needs of the Library and developments in the field. Today the Preservation Services Unit is one of the top in the nation.
Preservation Week 2025 is an excellent time to highlight our unit's 90th anniversary and exhibit a timeline of our work both within the unit and in collaboration with all the other units that rely on our services. The exhibit will be for the month of April, and begin with an opening reception in the Marshall Gallery to celebrate Preservation at the Library.