This is the final report of an 8-month-long project undertaken in February 1985 to study existing preservation activities within Chicago's Center for Research Libraries (CRL) compare local practices with programs in similar organizations, and make recommendations for an effective preservation program to be instituted. The background and…

Describes government information available in machine-readable data files--primarily on computer tapes--in relation to other formats and examines requirements for their acquisition, preservation, and utilization in retrieval and reference services. Skill and knowledge adjustments on the part of librarians are also discussed, and a system in use at…