Preservation
Preservation is the term used to describe all activities that help to slow down deterioration and protect the collection from physical damage.
This includes providing the appropriate standards of environmental control, exhibition conditions, handling, storage, and security.
It can range from providing suitable boxes for storage to managing a disaster response plan.
Exhibitions
One of the main goals of the Library is to make its collections available for the enjoyment and education of the public.
This must be balanced at all times with the need to ensure the preservation of the objects.
Items may be considered too fragile and vulnerable for exhibition, while others may require conservation treatment before they can be shown.
In order to protect the collections, most items are only exhibited for a set amount of time in controlled conditions.
Light levels in the galleries are kept low and precise temperature and humidity levels are maintained.
It is essential that the materials used to construct or furnish exhibition frames and cases cause no damage to the items they display, so only chemically stable and conservation grade materials are used.
The Library is frequently asked to lend material to exhibitions in other institutions around the world.
Chester Beatty himself believed in the importance of loans as a means of improving the public's appreciation of the art and culture of other nations.
The Library always ensures that the material it lends is safe to travel and will be displayed in the same strict environmental conditions of its own galleries.
Storage
When Chester Beatty moved to Ireland he brought with him a staggering 35 tons of artworks. He continued to add to his library until he was ninety years of age, at which time the Library numbered nearly 60,000 objects, as it still does today.
At any one time only 1-5 per cent of the Library's collection is on display; the rest is kept in safe storage.
It is vital that a stable storage environment is maintained to slow down chemical deterioration and preserve the collections.
The storage temperature is kept at 16ºC, much lower than in the exhibition galleries; the relative humidity is kept at 50-55 per cent and there is no natural daylight.
All areas are kept clean with regular housekeeping and monitored to ensure against unwelcome visitors such as insects or rodents.
The Library uses a variety of archival boxes and folders to protect material, many of which are made in-house.