Metadata can also be of help in providing technical and structural information about the document so we can ensure its usability over time. Preservation metadata, such as the PREMIS standard, can help to avoid obsolescence by migration or emulation (replicating old programmes or platforms to view certain documents or run programmes). 4. Digitise your documents Digitisation, in addition to providing better access to your documents, is a good preservation strategy as it allows to create long-lasting digital copies of damaged materials. Once your documents are digitised, you won’t need to manipulate them and its content will remain available without time and space limitations. If you want to learn what you need for your digitisation project you can read our guide on this topic or watch this short video. 5. Physical preservation: conservation The preservation activities dedicated to physical records are often labelled as conservation. As in the digital environment, these activities can take a preventive approach –mainly controlling the storing conditions of the items– or a reactive one –such as restoring old books. Conservation constitutes a field of study itself in library science, so here we will give you eight tips to minimize the risks for your physical documents. Here are the tips: 1. Adopt a preventive approach: monitor the conditions of your documents. 2. Prepare your risk plan: identify all threats, their probability of occurrence and the vulnerability and value of your documents. 3. Control the storage environment: temperature, humidity, light exposure, etc. 4. Control the access to sensitive information: be sure you close windows and doors. When possible and necessary, install video monitoring systems or alarms. 5. Be aware of the materials used for storage: staples and plastic sleeves can be the worst enemy of your paper documents. 6. Inspect and clean periodically. 7. Train your staff about conservation measures. 5