[PADG:2319] Survey on Acquisition, Treatment, Access, and Storage of Moldy Materials

[Olivia Primanis <primanis@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

The Ransom Center, University of Texas at Austin, is reviewing its 
institutional policy for mold and bacteria infested (mainly library 
and archival) collection materials with regard to acquisition, 
treatment, building environment and storage, and access.
I will summarize responses (without naming institutions or 
respondents) and post them on the Conservation DistList and PADG.

Acquisition:
- Will you acquire or accept collection materials that you know have 
obvious mold and bacterial infestations?

Treatment:
-Do you use any methods, such as a fungicide or irradiation, to kill 
mold or bacteria on cultural artifacts, or in your building?
-Do you use any methods to remove mold odors from collection materials?
-Do you identify the mold genus or species before treating infested 
collection materials?
-Do you clean materials by aspiration or other means?
-Do you have dedicated workspace, equipment, and protective gear for 
staff who treat mold-infested materials? Describe.
-Do you regularly monitor air quality in the workspace with the 
equipment running to ensure that the mold is contained?
-Do you verify (by analytical testing) that the surfaces of materials 
that have been cleaned are free of fungal structures and metabolic 
parts, such as conidia and beta glucans?
-After cleaning, are the moldy items provided with special housings? 
Are surrogates made? Describe housings and comment on the condition 
of material for which housings are made.
-Do you treat all moldy items as they are identified or do you clean 
them only when they are requested?

Access- Staff and Patron Use:
-Do you have dedicated workspace, equipment, and protective gear for 
staff who process and examine collection materials? Describe.
-Do you identify mold infested collection materials with a label?
-Do you restrict patron use of mold and bacteria infested collection materials?
-Do you have an institutional release waiver that patrons sign before 
using materials that are infested?
-Do you have dedicated space, equipment, and protective gear for 
patrons who use collection materials that are mold infested? Describe.

Environment and Storage:
-How and where do you store infested materials?
-Do you have an ongoing program to monitor mold levels in your 
collection storage areas?

Study and Research
-Are you involved in any research about the conservation treatment of 
mold or bacteria infested collection materials?

Olivia Primanis
Conservation Department
Harry Ransom Humanities Research Center
University of Texas at Austin
P.O. Box 7219
Austin, Texas 78713-7219
Tel. 512-471-9117
E-mail <primanis@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>

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