RE: Fumigation

[Annie Armour <aarmour@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

We have also cleaned much mold in our library. We've used everything, too,
even o-phenyl phenol.  We have mold growing right now in an area we
thoroughly cleaned and fumigated and fitted with climate control (and the
humidity/temp readings are normal, even right beside the moldy books).  If
you don't have mold anywhere else in your library, I'd think hard before
accessioning those books.  Otherwise, as Laurel said, one method appears to
be about as effective as another.

Annie Armour
Jessie Ball duPont Library
University of the South
Sewanee, TN 37383


>We have had an ongoing problem with mold in our Library. After extensive
>testing of the moldy books after two methods of cleaning (vacuuming with
>a brush vs. vacuuming with brush _and_ cleaning with ethanol & lysol
>sprayed where necessary), no differences were found no matter what
>method was used. We now use a small portable vacuum, fitted with a HEPA
>filter to remove mold from books. This prevents the mold spores from
>being spewed back out into the work area. The vacuum is available in
>various conservation catalogs, cost is around $125-$150. Let me know if
>you need more information.
>Good luck!
>
>Laurel S. Wolfson
>Associate Librarian for Systems and Automation
>Klau Library
>Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion
>3101 Clifton Ave.
>Cincinnati, OH  45220-2488
>phone: (513) 221-1875 ext. 274
>fax: (513) 221-0519
>e-mail: lwolfson@xxxxxxxxxx