Preservation Services at Dartmouth College: Preservation Tip of the Day #5

Friday, April 29, 2011

Preservation Tip of the Day #5

Each day this week to celebrate Preservation Week 2011, we'll be posting a handy tip to preserving your own collections. Stay tuned, and check back tomorrow!

Mold: Beware!

Mold can cause irreparable damage to all types of family heirlooms, precious books, and documents and it is an indication that your storage environment is unsound. Conditions that are too humid and warm can trigger a mold “bloom”. To keep items safe they need to be kept in a location that is dry and cool with air circulation: out of damp basements or garages, where the potential for water damage is elevated.

If you do find mold on your documents and you do not want to part with the item, seal it into a heavy plastic bag, place the bag in a freezer away from foodstuffs, and immediately contact a conservator. After handling any moldy object wash your hands. For more information:
http://www.nedcc.org/resources/leaflets/3Emergency_Management/08SalvageMoldyBooks.php

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Contributors

Deborah Howe Is the Collections Conservator at Dartmouth College Library. She's been involved in the book community for over 20 years. She is a member of the Guild of Book Workers and teaches classes in the Book Arts program.

Ryland Ianelli Is a cartoonist and Project Specialist in the Dartmouth Preservation Services department. He graduated from Reed College with a BA in Art History in 2008 and, more recently, from the Center for Cartoon Studies with an MFA in Cartooning in 2010. In addition to his work in Preservation and the Digital Production Unit, he is currently drawing and writing for various independently published comics and anthologies.

Barb Sagraves has been head of Preservation Services since its creation in 1995. She is a graduate of the University of Michigan SLIS program, has an MA in Medieval History from Michigan State University, and a BA in History from the University of Oklahoma. In her role as department head, Barb has overall responsibility for the preservation program and policies at Dartmouth College Library and is in charge of the Book Arts Program.

Jenny Mullins has been the Digital Preservation Librarian for Dartmouth College Library since May of 2014. Prior to coming to Dartmouth, she preserved video and audio collections, helped build a digital repository and worked in book and paper conservation labs. Jenny is a member of ALA and co-chair of the Preservation Metadata Interest Group for 2015-17.