Book excerpt: Preservation constitutes the chief business of archives, yet they are as seriously threatened with destruction as other library collections. From environmental factors such as termites or air pollution to political situations such as war to natural catastrophes such as fire or earthquake, the causes are many.Reporting on the extent of the loss among 6,250 archives in 105 countries worldwide, Joan van Albada reviews the contributing factors and counteractive measures used -- alarm systems, microfilming, changes in the storage, air conditioning, and more.Complementing this overview are articles on specific situations and their solutions, including the reconstruction of the archives in 15th-century Constantinople ... the peculiarities of the Senegal archival system ... and the recent situation in Bosnia-Herzegovina. French and English abstracts summarize the content of each article.