Published August 26, 2009  Submitted by: Aleah

If a work is personally meaningful, even if it carries no monetary value, you should consider preserving it. The medium, or materials used to make an artwork, will determine the necessary care of the piece.

An excellent book source is Caring for Your Art by Jill Snyder. The American Institue for Conservation (AIC) has a section, Caring for Your Treasures, that has downloadable guides. And the Library of Congress also provides useful advice on preserving works on paper (drawings, prints, posters) and on caring for books, photographs and videos. The Library of Congress has online publications that answer questions related to the care, handling and storage of valuable collections.