For this month resource of the month, we wanted to highlight a two-part video series created by the SIAF (Service Interministeriel des Archives de France) about the identification and prevention of mould in archives on the one hand and emergency measures to take in the event of mould contamination.
This resource is available in English and a French version of the videos are accessible on the FranceArchives website
We have written a brief summary of this resource giving you an idea of its content as well as the reason why it was chosen.
Resource Summary
Why we have selected it?
These videos serve as a taster for new ICA online training that will be released later this year, on Collections Care for Archives in Traditional Formats, created by Jonathan Rhys Lewis and Margaret Crockett.
What would you find in this resource?
2 parts of a 3-part short video series guide on how to deal with mould in archives. The series was created by the SIAF (Service Interministeriel des Archives de France/Interministerial Archives Service of France) and translated into English by the ICA in 2020. The succinct video use of well-chosen images, to cover identification, prevention and treatment of mould, which is described as one of the worst threats to the cultural heritage that is preserved in archives and libraries.
Video 1 – Mould – Identification and Prevention (3.33 minutes). The video introduces the concept of mould as a spore, and explains how the spores spread, and manifest themselves in mould outbreaks, sometimes after being dormant for years, and feed on archival media which is a rich food source for the mould. It draws attention to the physical signs to look out for in a mould outbreak, especially brittleness and pigmentation stains, and highlights the need for preventative measures. These measures include looking after the storage area well and keeping it clean, checking archives before taking them in, dusting them before shelving them, and keeping relative humidity constant. The video includes recommendations for what materials to make boxes, bindings and furniture from to minimise the mould damage. The importance of monitoring conditions is also stressed, including monitoring the building, its outside walls, and shelves on the outside walls, and also the pipes and ducts. The pros and cons of using fans for ventilation to avoid distribution of spores are also discussed
Video 2 – Emergency Measures for Managing Mould Contamination (3.37 minutes). This video covers techniques for dealing with mould outbreaks as quickly as possible to prevent them from spreading. It highlights the need for identifying the sources of contamination, advising how to isolate mouldy items/parts of a collection from the rest of the collection(s). The focus is on which procedures, equipment and chemical treatments to use, and how to use them. This includes addressing relative humidity requirements through the use of dehumidifiers and fans, the need for drying and cleaning affected items, as well as cleaning affected surfaces and decontaminating the air in the room. In addition to protecting the mouldy items, a running concern is the question of worker safety, including specific recommendations for protective clothing.
Discover the resource by clicking here