Mold

I want to bring up this subject, one which I am sure has been
discussed already to excessive lengths, but here I am.

Having recently moved to Key West I have begun developing a local
(South Florida) client base.  Many of my clients are bringing me
books with active mold on the paper, cloth and leather.  They are
all eager to make an effort at stopping mold growth but the usual
answers don't always work.  Many of the homes here are older and
designed for the tropics. This means that they are always open and
there is no air-conditioning in summer or heat during the winter.

Beyond telling them to keep their books and shelving clean,
circulating the air, monitoring their collections and moving to
Winnipeg I haven't been able to offer much help.  For many of us,
who have spent time in the libraries of major cities and temperate
climates, it is a bit of a stretch to imagine the lack of climatic
controls that do exist in much of the world.  Economics dictate that
the answer cannot always be to throw money at a solution.

I would like input from anyone out there, especially those of you in
the tropics, who have any ideas about or experience in minimizing
the risk of mold growth.  Answers that range from science, to folk
remedies (heck, even magic at this point) would be appreciated.

Bob Muens
1108 Pearl St.
Key West, Fl.  33040
305-294-6331

                                  ***
                  Conservation DistList Instance 10:71
                 Distributed: Monday, February 10, 1997
                       Message Id: cdl-10-71-017
                                  ***