Environmental Controls and Monitoring in Archives - An Academic Paper
The
control and monitoring of environmental conditions in archival buildings and
storage areas are arguably the most reliable tools archivists possess in
ensuring the long-term preservation of their holdings. Environmental conditions
are integral to the survival of archival materials as the wrong conditions can
significantly hasten the deterioration of these materials. Such deterioration
can affect any type of medium from paper-based and cellulose-based records to
magnetic discs, digital audio tape, CD-ROMs and DVD-ROMS. To ensure the correct
environment controls are being adhered to, archivists must constantly monitor relative
humidity, temperature, light and pollution existent in a building. Hence, the
successful control and consistent monitoring of these elements are viewed as preventative
measures which can greatly reduce the need for active intervention by
conservators. Therefore, this paper will critically examine a recent article in
the Archival Outlook, “Keep Cool with
Wireless Environmental Monitoring,” and assess its relevance to environmental
control as it relates to preservation strategies.
Controlling
environmental conditions is integral to the overall preservation strategy of an
archive. It is one of the more straightforward ways of addressing preservation
concerns. However, it is not without its challenges. Firstly, the temperature
and relative humidity in which archival items are stored depends on their
format. For instance, paper-based documents can be stored at a temperature of
16-18°C and a relative humidity of 45-60%[1].
On the other hand, the long-term preservation of cellulose-based film requires
storage at a temperature of -6 °C and a relative humidity of 25%[2].
Such temperature differences may involve multiple storage spaces which cater to
the specificities of various formats. Additionally, lower temperatures are
achieved through the installation of air conditioning. Still, constant use of
air-conditioning units means higher energy costs. Also, proper building
maintenance is essential in maintaining accurate environmental conditions[3]. Perimeter walls, roof, drainage pipes,
gutters, gulleys, and roof ventilators must be checked recurrently and repairs
made straightaway. Most of all, there must be constant monitoring of storage
temperature, relative humidity, light and possible pollution to ensure that
national standards are being met and the stability of the archival records are
not being compromised. Such monitoring and maintenance requires specially
trained personnel. These quality personnel must also maintain dialogue with
archival staff to sustain an atmosphere of co-operation so as to make informed
decisions when the need may arise. Lastly, the ability of an archive to provide
suitable storage for its items is dependent on its budget. Expenditure may be
incurred on staff training, building infrastructure, monitoring systems and
tools, and the operating costs once the setup is complete. On the whole,
environmental monitoring can be a costly exercise and may challenge the human
and financial resources of an archive.
The
article, “Keep Cool with Wireless Environmental Monitoring,” looks at
Washington State Archives (WSA) and its efforts at ensuring adequate storage
conditions for both the paper and electronic records at its facility on the
campus of Eastern Washington University in Cheney, Washington. Both its paper-based holdings, which date
back to 1853, and digital collections, which number over 35 million online
records, are massive and are housed in a specially designed facility[4]. The
facility already had systems in place to monitor and manage indoor air settings
and power fluctuations. However, WSA decided to install a separate wireless
monitoring system which would allow staff to retrieve information on
temperature, humidity energy fluctuations and the movement of air. In turn,
they would be able to compare the results with those from the original system.
Any detection, by data nodes connected to the wireless system, is sent to a
desktop computer where the results are recorded as real time graphs. Sometimes
alarm notifications were sent if the need for staff action arose. The article
subsequently looks at the benefits derived by WSA with such a system in place. These
included greater control over its storage conditions as well as reduced
expenditure from more efficient energy use.
I believe the article addresses a number
of issues relating to environmental control while raising some new concerns.
The wireless monitoring system installed by WSA demonstrates how archivists
have been trying to utilize technology to improve the efficiency of their operations.
WSA’s installation of a secondary monitoring system shows the importance they place
environmental control as a preservation strategy. Additionally, the article
also shows that although installing such a system maybe more expensive, it
eventually proves a more cost effective measure – not only in stabilizing
archival records and reducing conservator involvement but also in terms of
enabling more efficient energy use and thus lower operating costs. However, the
reality is that WSA has much more financial resources at its disposal to
facilitate such an operation whereas a vast many archival institutions may not.
Furthermore, the article briefly mentions that digital materials, just as all
other archival formats, require environmental control for its preservation. I
aver that the preservation of digital material will prove to be an increasingly
expensive process for archivists. Digital material presents a myriad of
challenges from constant migration and software and hardware obsolescence to environmental
monitoring, Unlike other records which may deteriorate over a period of time,
digital material can be lost instantaneously if hardware is affected because
of inadequate environmental control. In
such instances, the margin for error will become increasingly smaller and
technology will be increasingly called upon to address these issues.
In
conclusion, the control and monitoring of temperature and relative humidity
within an archive is the most important means of preservation. “Keep Cool with
Wireless Environmental Monitoring” has shown how some of the larger archives
have been utilizing technological advancements to improve environmental control
and their preservation strategy overall. More importantly, it shows a way in
which archives are going to become digital repositories being monitored by
digital systems. In the same vein as the futuristic view of libraries becoming
wholly digital, archivists growing embrace for technology may point to the
future development of archives becoming wholly digital in every aspect of their
operations.
[1] Helen
Forde, Preserving Archives (London:
Facet Publishing, 2007), 84.
[2] Forde,
Preserving Archives, 84.
[3] Forde,
Preserving Archives, 89
[4] Evan
Lubofsky and Terrence Badger. “Keep Cool with Wireless Environmental
Monitoring.” Archival Outlook (February/
January 2012): 10.
Bibliography
Forde, Helen. Preserving Archives. London: Facet Publishing, 2007.
Lubofsky, Evan and Terrence Badger. “Keep Cool with Wireless Environmental Monitoring.” Archival Outlook. February/ January (2012): 1-28. Accessed February 11, 2012. http://files.archivists.org/periodicals/Archival-Outlook/Back-Issues/2012-1-AO.pdf
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