Paint for interior of safe

We recently acquired a new fire-proof record safe for secure storage of
our especially valuable objects, records and (I hope) books.  Since we
installed it one month ago it has given off a distinct odor of fresh
paint. The vendor told me that this is normal since every safe is
painted just before leaving the factory, and that the smell would
dissipate in a few days; the service manual likewise claims that "the
fumes present no threat to users or to information stored within."  The
manufacturer (Schwab) does not give anywhere in its literature
specifications about the type of finish used.  I have kept the doors
open for almost a month now, but the smell, while not as strong as
before, is still noticeable.   What effects could this fresh paint have
on the leather and vellum bindings of books and documents that might be
placed in this safe?

Peter Nelson
University Archivist/Special Collections Librarian
Thomas Jefferson University
Scott Memorial Library
1020 Walnut Street
Philadelphia, PA 19107-5587
215-955-7769
Fax: 215-955-7642

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                  Conservation DistList Instance 8:38
                 Distributed: Sunday, November 20, 1994
                        Message Id: cdl-8-38-012
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