PRESERVATION
PROGRAMME
- Maintaining storage environment
- Temperatures and Relative
Humidity (RH)
MNY
MAINTAINING THE PHYSICAL
ENVIRONMENT
Key rules:
Storage areas must be secured
Archival materials must be removed only if
approved procedures are followed
No smoking, eating, drinking in any area
where records are stored and used.
Staff must follow all procedures
MNY
MAINTAINING THE PHYSICAL
ENVIRONMENT
Environmental requirements:
Ensure air circulates well
Make sure air conditioner is well maintain and kept
at consistent level
Covers windows with curtain or blind
Do not open windows/ doors unnecessarily
Check roofs/all pipes regularly
Check drainage and clean them regularly
Effective fire-fighting equipment
MNY
MAINTAINING THE PHYSICAL
ENVIRONMENT
Storage of records and archives:
Use archival quality enclosures
Use appropriate sized storage material
Separate highly acidic material away from other
archival materials
Storage area must have aisles wide enough for
people to pass through
Shelves must be non deteriorating
Shelves should not be placed against outside walls
MNY
MAINTAINING THE PHYSICAL
ENVIRONMENT
Storage of records and archives:
Shelves should be kept away from water pipes
Storage room must be used to store archives only
Archival and storage materials must be kept 15-25
cm from the floor
Proper equipment should be provided
Location registers and floor plans must be provided
appropriately at all times.
MNY
TEMPERATURE AND RELATIVE HUMIDITY
Temperature: The level of heat or cold in substance, body or
environment
Relative Humidity: The ratio of the amount of water vapor in the
air to the amount that would be present at the same
temperature at the atmosphere.
Higher temperature will deteriorate archival materials faster
High RH accelerates chemical deterioration and mould growth.
MNY
Temperature and Relative Humidity
In rooms where the temperature and relative humidity greatly fluctuate
between day and night or from season to season, paper is put under
considerable strain.
Why?
Paper will absorb moisture at night when the temperature drops and
humidity rises and it will release moisture rises again.
A climate with high humidity and high temperature is very dangerous as
mould will appear in such conditions.
When the relative humidity is too low, paper becomes crisp.
MNY
IDEALTEMPERATURE AND RH
Temperature = 18-20°c (not above 20)
RH = 35-40% (not above 50)
Microfilm, microfiche, photograph, require lower
temperature and RH daily.
Monitor temperature and RH daily
Put reading into log book based on day/ month/
year, time of day, temperature, RH and outside
weather condition.
MNY
CONTROLLING TEMPERATURE AND RH
Good ventilation
Store materials away from walls
Do not store materials in basement
Do not pack documents too tight into boxes, on
shelves, or in cabinet
Air conditioners to be monitored properly
Store fragile materials away from other records
MNY
Temperature and Relative Humidity
Possible solutions
Install well-designed air conditioning system
Heat and cool the air
Humidify and dehumidify the air
Clean pollution from the air
Air conditioner should run 24 hours a day seven
days a week
Humidifier / dehumidifier system. If can’t afford for
an air conditioning system.
MNY
