Arguing that some books and documents must be conserved because they have scholarly value as well as for the information they contain, this report presents reasons for preserving such artifacts and recommends means of developing effective and efficient preservation strategies. Two strategies are suggested. The first advises identifying and ranking all artifacts of the greatest value and proceeding through a master list with preservation treatment as resources become available. The second advocates identifying materials on the basis of the urgency of need for preservation treatment--i.e., materials in fragile and embrittled conditions that are frequently exposed to the stresses of normal scholarly use. Strategy considerations are discussed, including the cost of preservation treatment and gauging the appropriateness of a treatment by measuring its ability to capture all information of significance. Alternatives to expensive or "full" treatments--which can cost from several hundred to more than $1,000 per book--are also suggested. These alternatives emphasize preventive measures to reduce rates of deterioration and wear: (1) controlling the environment; (2) protective enclosures to mitigate the effects of poor environment or housing arrangement; and (3) sensible handling and use practices. Mass deacidification is mentioned as a major component of future strategies for artifact preservation. (SD)