Particulates

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The Special Collections department (rare books, photographs,
artifacts, artworks, etc.) and a very large collection of older
books are temporarily (its been two or three years) stored offsite
in an industrial park warehouse building.  Daily there are black
deposits of gritty fine particulate "dust" that lightly coat all
surfaces.  There is air conditioning/filtration and it is claimed
they properly change filters.  No one knows why there is so much
dust.

We are slated to move into a brand new library facility within a
year or less and I am concerned they will not vacuum/wipe the
books/materials before they go into the new facility.  I imagine the
black stuff traveling, via vents, all over the new building.  This
could cause problems for people as well as materials.

What I've seen is the Getty study on particulates (deals with
artwork mostly) that talks about inside/outside pollution, but not
mass influx of contaminated air or materials.  Also I haven't seen
any articles that are very convincing of the need to vacuum/clean
collections and the nasty consequences of inaction.  They mostly
speak to the converted.  The library to my knowledge has no
preservation plan and no HEPA vacs.

Any information leads/references, suggestions, experiences, ways to
broach the subject to management? What about testing the stuff?  Any
ideas for labs?  Is testing worth it?

Loren C. Pigniolo


                                  ***
                  Conservation DistList Instance 16:12
                 Distributed: Tuesday, August 20, 2002
                       Message Id: cdl-16-12-021
                                  ***