Mould in Library

Attending to an infestation Staff suffering from allergies or respiratory problems should not attend to mould infestations. Mould can be checked to see whether it is active or inactive. Generally, active mould is damp, slimy, and smears if touched. Inactive mould is dry and powdery and can be brushed off with a soft brush. If mould is discovered in large portions of a collection, isolate the area immediately and do not attempt to clean up without first consulting Library Conservation and Collection Care Service. Certain moulds can pose serious health risks, causing headaches, nausea, eye and skin irritation, and respiratory problems. Library Conservation and Collection Care Service may have to be employed or at least consulted on the treatment of infested items and on the return of the affected area to a suitable condition for housing material. If only a few items are affected, place them in a dry paper-based box until treatment. If possible, include a desiccant, such as conditioned silica gel packets. This enclosure will prevent spores from circulating and will not encourage the growth potentially created by the tightly sealed microclimate of a plastic bag. Alternatively, move the affected material (after it has been placed in a sealed container – DO NOT LEAVE THE MATERIAL IN THE SEALED CONTAINER) to a clean area with relative humidity below 45%, separate from the rest of the collection, and allow the material to dry. If immediate drying is not possible, or if many objects are wet, contact Library Conservation and Collection Care Service in order to use their freezer; later they can be thawed, dried, and cleaned in small batches. Material may also be freeze-dried and then cleaned. When dry, the items should be cleaned and stored under suitable environmental conditions. The storage environment is critical since even after cleaning, fungal residue will be present.