Preventive conservation in context: environmental risk, Institutional strategy, and documentary heritage at the National Library of China

Abstract

This institutional profile examines preventive conservation practice at the National Library of China (NLC) through six analytical dimensions: institutional context, risk identification, control and prevention strategies, phased action planning, reflective analysis, and the role of digital media in preservation awareness. Situated in Beijing’s monsoon-influenced humid continental climate, the NLC faces pronounced seasonal fluctuations in temperature and relative humidity, persistent urban air pollution, and the operational pressures of serving as one of the world’s largest libraries. The study identifies six primary risk categories — environmental instability, light exposure, air pollution, improper handling, biological pests, and natural disasters — and evaluates each according to severity and reversibility of damage. Drawing on international standards, including ASHRAE guidelines and both the 2003 and 2024 editions of ISO 11799, the profile proposes an integrated preventive conservation framework spanning institutional policy, building infrastructure, and direct collection care, sequenced through a four-phase implementation plan. The reflection argues that prevention is ethically and economically superior to restoration, as deterioration of irreplaceable materials such as the Dunhuang manuscripts is largely irreversible. A concluding case study of the video game Where Winds Meet analyzes the possibilities and limitations of digital entertainment media as a vehicle for public preservation awareness, connecting represented heritage materials to the NLC’s actual holdings.