[padg] RE: mold advice

["Biddle, Michaelle" <mbiddle@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

When we find items with mold we do bag them including at least one silica gel packet in the bag.   The bag is then sealed and dated.  When the mold looks powdery and dry we can then remediate using a HEPA variable speed vacuum in a HEPA hood.  At all times we wear protective tyvek coats, N95 masks, gloves and goggles.  After items with visible mold are removed from the stacks we install fans to increase air circulation.  If necessary additional cleaning is done.  The silica gel packets we use can be refreshed and reused indefinitely and are used for no other purpose than being bagged with moldy items.  The tyvek coats can be washed in hot water with bleach and reused.  The goggles can be wiped down with Isopropynol and reused.  The masks and gloves are disposed of.  

Wesleyan is in a river valley with high humidity in the summer.  The main library has many nooks and crannies and 11 floors of multi-tier steel book stacks that date from the 1920s.  Under these conditions spotty mold outbreaks are not uncommon and we have found these procedures effective.

Michaelle Biddle
Head of Preservation Services
Wesleyan University Library
252 Church Street
Middletown, CT 06459

Tel:  (860) 685-3875
Fax: (860) 685-2661



-----Original Message-----
From: Kathryn Talbot [mailto:ktalbot@xxxxxxx] 
Sent: Wednesday, April 29, 2009 1:12 PM
To: padg@xxxxxxx
Subject: [padg] mold advice

Our institution is waiting for mold remediation bids.  The room is located in a basement of an old facility. The temperature is fairly consistent at 73F.   Humidity control is difficult. Our rainy and humid season has started.  I expect  the humidity to rise compared to the winter months.  Currently, the mold is on the spines of items scattered around 5 rows of compact shelving.  No visible growth on items below the 3rd shelf from the top. We haven't seem huge growth in the last month.  

My question is should I bag the items that have visible mold to "save" those that don't have visible mold?  Will bagging them make it impossible for restoring- make the mold grow faster on the infected item? 

I have no time line on how long the bidding process with take.  Thanks for any assistance Kathryn Preservation Facilitator

Kathryn Talbot
Government Publications
314, Hale Library
Kansas State University
785-532-6965
ktalbot@xxxxxxxxxxx