The National Library of Medicine maintains an on-site (print master) microfilm vault and a combined motion picture film & magnetic tape storage vault - both at 60F(+/- 2F) and 30% (+/- 5%)RH.
We store motion picture film masters at Iron Mountain in a cold vault maintained at 38F (+/- 2F) and 25% RH. The vault has an anteroom where films are conditioned prior to shipment to the Library.
We store camera master microfilm and mag tapes that have had patron use copies made offsite in an Iron Mountain cool vault maintained at 55F (+/- 2F)and 30% RH (+/- 5%RH), but we are considering lowering the temperature in the cool vault to 40F. If we lower the temperature, we will add an anteroom for conditioning stored materials prior to shipment to NLM.
As you are probably already aware, the following guides are helpful. Dr. Adelstein's 2004 Quick Reference cites current ISO recommendations.
1. Adelstein, Peter Z., IPI Media Storage Quick Reference (Rochester, NY: Image Permanence Institute, 2004).
2. Reilly, James M., Storage Guide for Color Photographic Materials (Rochester, NY: Image Permanence Institute, 1998).
3. Michalski, Stephan, Guidelines for Humidity and Temperature for Canadian Archives (Ottawa, Ontario, Canada: Canadian Conservation Institute, 2000) (CCI Technical Bulletin No. 23).
- Walter Cybulski
-----Original Message-----
From: Baker, Whitney S [mailto:wbaker@xxxxxx]
Sent: Friday, July 23, 2004 4:48 PM
To: padg@xxxxxxx
Subject: [PADG:116] storage facility environmental conditions
I have been asked to gather input from other research libraries that have off-site storage facilities for library materials. What are the environmental guidelines currently in place in your facilities (where no humans normally work)? The recommendations our facilities librarian has received from a colleague are to maintain the temperature at a constant 50 degrees and the RH at 30%. He wonders if these are standard figures.
Thanks for your response,
Whitney Baker
Conservator, University of Kansas Libraries
1425 Jayhawk Blvd., Room 135
Lawrence, KS 66045-7544
(785) 864-3429; (785) 864-5311 (fax)
wbaker@xxxxxx <mailto:wbaker@xxxxxx> www2.lib.ku.edu/preservation