Hi markroderick,
Basically, there are six environmental concerns when it comes to storing books.
* Temperature and relative humidity
* Atmospheric and particulate pollution
* Light
* Mould
* Insects and pests
* Housekeeping
Hummer's book storage tips in a nutshell:
1) Dark, well ventilated, clean, steady environment.
2) Temperature cool (about 60 deg. F).
3) Air not too dry, not too moist (about 50% humidity).
4) Avoid temperature and humidity fluctuations.
5) No direct sunlight.
6) Incandescent lighting (low wattage to avoid generating heat).
7) Use fire retardant carpets / no curtains.
8) Make spot checks of the books periodically to make sure all is well.
9) Vacuum with a soft brush.
10) Enforce a "No Smoking Zone" inside the warehouse.
11) Keep everything off of the floor and away from the walls
(especially if it is an outside wall).
12) Never store a book on its fore-edge or spine.
To accomplish all of the above, you may need an air conditioner,
humidifier, dehumidifier, heater, fan and air cleaner.
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Caring for Your Books: Environmental Conditions:
"Books are composed of a variety of materials: paper, cloth, leather,
paste and glue. These, like all organic materials, are vulnerable to
conditions and changes in the environment in which they are kept. Key
factors are light, temperature, and humidity.
Books should not be exposed to excessive amounts of light. Daylight
and fluorescent light, which have high levels of ultraviolet
radiation, cause the most rapid deterioration and fading. Normal
incandescent house lights are less harmful, although all light causes
some damage. Keep lights turned off in rooms that are not in use.
Block daylight by using curtains, shades, or plastic filtering films.
Similarly, books should not be exposed to rapid changes or extremes in
temperature and humidity. Hot and dry conditions will desiccate and
embrittle leather and paper; damp conditions will encourage mold
growth. Therefore books should not be kept near sources of heat, such
as hot air registers, radiators, or fireplaces. Book shelves should
not be placed against outside walls, where pockets of cool damp air
can develop. Air conditioners and dehumidifiers can be used to remove
excess heat and moisture in hot and humid conditions, and humidifiers
to add moisture in dry conditions. A cool, dry, and stable environment
is ideal. Set the temperature at 70<F and 50 percent relative humidity
in book rooms that are in regular use."
http://aic.stanford.edu/library/online/brochures/books.html
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Northeast Document Conservation Center:
STORAGE METHODS AND HANDLING PRACTICES
"Good air circulation should be maintained in storage areas."
Books should be held upright on shelves."
Books should not extend beyond the edges of shelves into aisles
because they may be bumped or otherwise damaged."
Paper and cloth bindings should not be stored in direct contact with
leather bindings."
books should not be stacked in piles on shelves."
Boxing is crucial to the preservation of certain books."
http://www.nedcc.org/plam3/tleaf41.htm
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State Library of Victoria: Guidelines for Packing and Storing Books:
Packing:
"It is important that books are clean and dry before they are packed."
"Insects can do considerable damage to paper-based material in storage
and books should be carefully checked for evidence of infestation."
"Boxes for book storage should be strong, clean, dry and able to be
tightly closed."
"Books can be packed either lying flat or standing upright. They
should never be stored resting on the spine or the fore-edge (i.e: the
front edge opposite the spine) as this can seriously damage bindings."
"Books stored upright should be packed tightly enough to prevent them
leaning at an angle but not crammed together in a way that subjects
them to excessive pressure and makes unpacking difficult. Books stored
upright should not have items stacked on top of them. Where heavy
books with rounded spines are packed flat, one on top of the other,
they should be arranged with spines and fore-edges alternating. This
provides support and prevents the stack from becoming lop-sided.
Larger, heavier books should be packed at the bottom of the box with
smaller, lighter ones on top. Boxes should not be overpacked. A little
space for air to circulate is desirable."
"Boxes should not be too big."
"Boxes should be closed tightly and sealed with packing tape to make
them inaccessible to insects."
Storage:
"It is essential that storage conditions are dry."
"Boxes should not be placed directly on the floor. They should be
raised by a few inches on palettes or blocks to aid air circulation
and as a precaution in case of flooding. Nor should they be stacked
against exterior walls as moisture is likely to be absorbed and
transfered from outside."
"Stored material should not be subject to extremes in temperature."
http://www.slv.vic.gov.au/slv/conservation/bookstor.htm
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ASSESSING PRESERVATION NEEDS A SELF-SURVEY GUIDE
A. The Building
http://www.nedcc.org/selfsurvey/sec3a.htm
B. Storage and Condition of Specific Collections
http://www.nedcc.org/selfsurvey/sec4b.htm
Selection of Suitable-Quality Storage Enclosures for Books and Artifacts on Paper:
http://www.nedcc.org/plam3/tleaf44.htm
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Library of Congress: Care, Handling and Storage of Books:
http://www.loc.gov/preserv/care/books.html
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Additional Links:
REC.COLLECTING.BOOKS FAQ:
http://www.massmedia.com/~mikeb/rcb/
NPS Conserve-O-Gram index:
19.Archival and Manuscript Collections and Rare Books
http://www.cr.nps.gov/museum/publications/conserveogram/cons_toc.html
Conservation: Books and Paper:
http://www.mnhs.org/preserve/conservation/bookspaper.html
PHOTO
Book Storage at The Medical Research Library of Latvia:
http://www.mzb.lv/bookstorage-photo.htm
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I hope I've been able to help you make a safe environment for your
books. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to post a
clarification request before closing/rating my answer, I will be happy
to respond.
Thank you,
hummer
Google Search Terms Used:
"book warehouses" storage
"book warehouses"
book storage
I also used our own reference material. |
