Fight against mould : the experience of the Bibliothèque de l'Arsenal

In 1967 and 1989, because of breakdowns that took place in the air-conditioning system, the bibliothèque de l'Arsenal had been obliged to cope against the contamination by microorganisms of its rare books department. Since 1961, this stock has been kept in modern air-conditioned storage areas, equipped with metallic shelvings of the compact type. As the punctual steps taken in 1967 haven't been efficient, in 1989 it was decided to treat the matter as a whole : desinfection and cleaning of the books, shelvings and storage areas, improvement of the conservation conditions (chemical filtration of the air-conditioned, watercofness of the windows), quarterly maintenance and desinfection of the flooks of the storage areas, regular air takings.
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