Brittle paper, cheap bindings, mistreatment, and poor storage conditions are threatening to destroy thousands of scholarly documents throughout the United States unless preservation activities are successfully incorporated into all levels of library operations. In order for the preservation and access to information movement to succeed, there must be grassroots involvement, which can begin with school and public libraries. This digest identifies three key areas into which preservation activities fall: awareness, judgement, and advocacy. In the first of four sections methods that can be used to capture the content of brittle books are identified and examples of several national preservation initiatives and programs are presented. The second sections lists eight methods that libraries can use to begin their preservation activities. Highlighted in the third section are ways in which libraries can communicate their commitment to preservation to their financial supporters, vendors, and patrons. The final section presents an overview of the current national preservation agenda, including three of the Commission on Preservation and Access' objectives that are of interest to public and school libraries. (MAB)