Containers and mold

We have to deal with the problem which is very familiar for
most of you. There are regulations that humidity level in storages
should be less than 60% to prevent mold growth. At the Library of
the Russian Academy of Sciences the humidity level is always less
than 50%, and in Winter it can be as low as 15%. But we observed
several cases when mold was growing even in that relatively dry
environment. Mold was growing also in some books placed in
archival acid-free cardboard boxes. We believe that the reason
for this fact is that storing books in boxes prevents air circulation
and therefore creates conditions beneficial for mold growth.
We have approximately 22,000 books in archive cardboard boxes
and we would like to know whether there is certain type of danger
associated with this form of storage. If someone observed similar
situation in any library or archive, we would greatly appreciate
to learn your opinion on this subject.

Larissa G. Levashova
Head of the Department of Conservation and Researches
The Library of the Russian Academy of Sciences

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                  Conservation DistList Instance 10:15
                  Distributed: Friday, August 2, 1996
                       Message Id: cdl-10-15-008
                                  ***