John Feather has been Professor of Library and Information Studies at Loughborough University in the UK since 1988, having previously worked at the Bodleian Library, Oxford. He has a wide range of expertise in the field, including preservation management. Among his previous books are Preservation and the Management of Library Collections (Second Edition, 1996) and, with Graham Matthews and Paul Eden, Preservation Management. Policies and practices in British libraries (1996). He is a former Chair of the Rare Books Group of the Library Association, and has served on many international and national professional committees.

• Contents: Introduction: principles and policies, John Feather; The malleability of fire: preserving digital information, Colin Webb; Selection for digital preservation: dilemmas and issues, Majlis Bremer-Laamanen and Jani Stenvall; Issues in the long-term management of digital material, Adrienne Muir; Preserving paper: recent advances, René Teygeler; Sound recordings: problems of preservation, Dietrich Schüller; Preservation management: sources of information, Graham Matthews; The future, Marie-Thérèse Varlamoff; Index.

'The book is well written... I would recommend it as an introductory text for students or new qualified information professionals' Learning and Teaching Support Network (ICS) website 'The book is thought provoking and gives an excellent overview of the current situation in a clear and well constructed manner. Difficult and complex issues are explored and explained, and the book can be thoroughly recommended and commended as an excellent reference work.' Business Archives: Principles & Practice, May 2005 ’This book is easy to read and intriguing, something that does not often happen with professional books! On the Whole, I see this book as a valuable addition to the collection on various aspects of preservation for libraries, archives , museums and other relevant institutions as well as to universities and professional eduacation institutions offering study programmes or courses within this area.’ Information Research, April 2005 'It includes what is perhaps the best general introduction to digital preservation that I've read - " The malleability of fire; preserving digital information" by colin Webb. It also has a really good chapter on recent advances in paper preservation with a 6 page bibliography.' Librarypreservation.blogspot.com/2008/03/