A condition survey of the print collection of the Music Library at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

The aim of a condition survey is not only to determine the extent of deterioration of a collection, but also to evaluate the nature of the deterioration. This is done by evaluating the library building, the physical environment, and the library collection. The survey undertaken at the Music Library at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a collection condition survey. Information about the building and the physical environment are included to aid in the understanding of the condition of the collection and are based on observation or limited research. The results of the condition survey show that 16.5% the paper in the collection is brittle, breaking after three double folds or less. The collection is also extremely acidic; 76.8% of the collection is printed on acidic paper. The best defensive against the loss of intellectual content in this material is through proper environmental control