some higher purpose. The same can be said for preservation librarians. One instance of the library's role as sacred is to provide a sense of immortality: with the ever-changing world outside, the library will remain stable and dependable. Preservation is a great help in this regard. Through digitization and reformatting, preservation librarians are able to retain material while at the same time adapting to new methods. In this way, libraries can adapt to the changes in user needs without changing the quality of the material itself. Through preservation efforts, patrons can rest assured that although materials are constantly deteriorating over time, the library itself will remain a stable, reliable environment for their information needs. Another sacred ability of the library is to provide information and a connection to the past. By working to slow down the processes of deterioration and decay of library materials, preservation practices help keep this link to the past alive. See also Archaeological site Architectural conservation Archival science Art conservation and restoration Digital artifactual value Disaster recovery plan Hand-colouring of photographs Historic preservation History of Public Library Advocacy Library and information science Library binding Library management Museology Public Library Advocacy Quipu Tribal Historic Preservation Officer Video game preservation Wood-pulp paper Footnotes External links Collections care Archival science Conservation and restoration of cultural heritage