Our history

About Preservation services

OCLC Preservation Service Centers have their roots in a 1985 initiative launched by five mid-Atlantic research libraries (Columbia University Libraries, Cornell University Library, Princeton University Library, New York State Library, and the New York Public Library). This group, known as the Mid-Atlantic Preservation Service (MAPS), was created to develop and test operating procedures for producing superior preservation microfilm in a high-volume environment.

In 1990, OCLC assumed management of MAPS, and in 1994, MAPS became the Preservation Resources division of OCLC. In 2003, Preservation Resources became the OCLC Preservation Service Centers. The original center in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, is now complemented by other preservation service centers in the United States, Canada, and Europe.

The division's mission and services have evolved along with technological advances over the past two decades. OCLC Preservation Service Centers now provide microfilming and microfilm preservation services, scanning of microfilm and print materials, metadata creation, OCR services, consulting and a range of other custom services for developing and preserving digital and microfilm collections.

• Preservation Services
• At a glance
• Microfilm services
• Digitization services
• Success stories
• Ordering
• Education about preservation