| Just as
the name implies, the preventive conservation of books and archival materials
includes procedures that prevent many harmful processes. Namely, in the
conditions of elevated temperature and humidity, molds or other biological
agents can cause damage. The presence of dust and other impurities favors
such harmful processes. Preventive conservation includes procedures such as
cleaning and dusting of the materials with special archival vacuum cleaners
or brushes, disinfection (fumigation) of sheets or covers, conservation of
bindings and wrapping of damaged covers with protective covers (neutral paper
or cardboard). After the preventive protection has been carried out, it is
necessary to return the books into a room with the appropriate level of relative
humidity and temperature; hence the rooms have to be equipped with
thermo-hygrometers and, if necessary, air dehumidifiers. The windows in these
rooms should be equipped with protective UV films or shutters that prevent
the harmful effects of sunlight. The implementation of preventive conservation opens the space for curative protection, that is, for the complete conservation and restoration operations on the most damaged units. |