Ventilation of compact shelving

The John Rylands University Library of Manchester is considering the
installation of compact storage (mobile shelving) for rare books,
archives and manuscripts. We are concerned to ensure adequate
ventilation, but we would prefer to achieve environmental control
through building design--high thermal inertia and hygroscopic
buffering--rather than full air-conditioning, in line with the
recommendations of BS5454:2000. Would anyone recommend natural
air-conditioning of stacks with compact storage, or has anyone
experienced problems of stagnation and localized high humidity?

John R. Hodgson
Head of Archives
John Rylands University Library of Manchester
150 Deansgate,
Manchester M3 3EH
+44 161 834 5343
Fax: +44 161 834 5574


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                  Conservation DistList Instance 15:4
                  Distributed: Tuesday, June 19, 2001
                        Message Id: cdl-15-4-013
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