BOOK PRESERVATION SERVICES

The County of Lancaster, Pennsylvania (the County) is seeking proposals from qualified professional archival conservation, historic book restoration, preservation, and digitization firms to provide deed book restoration, and preservation. The County intends to award a project-based agreement to the proposer determined to be professionally and technically complete and best able to fulfill the requirements of this Request for Proposals.

The County of Lancaster maintains historic deed book volumes that are foundational public records documenting Lancaster County’s early property, legal, civic, and community history.  The County is seeking professional restoration, preservation, and digitization of approximately fifteen (15) Letter of Attorney book volumes dated 1811–1897.  The volumes are historically significant and are understood to have torn and worn covers. These original volumes must be returned to the courthouse fully preserved by professional archival and conservation methods, with no compromise to their initial integrity.  This requirement is not merely technical. It is also ethical. These volumes do not belong to any single generation but to all persons researching the foundational history of Lancaster County and the events, property transactions, and decisions that shaped the County during that era.  The Successful Proposer shall recognize that these records are public, historical, evidentiary, and cultural materials. All work shall be performed in a manner that preserves the original historical, physical, evidentiary, and material integrity of each volume.  The County of Lancaster intends to award the base contract  for a period of one (1) year with an option to extend the contract for two (2) one-year options.