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Chapter 5 : Storage
5.1 Introduction
When the heart of a cultural institution is its collection and the main part of its collection is in storage, then
institutions should put taking good care of its heart, its collection in storage as the highest priority. The storage
environment can have a dramatic effect on the long-term value of the records and the information they contain
(Read, 1994). Even at the design and planning stage of an archive building many initiatives can be taken to influence
the storage areas (see section on Building ). Thereafter the next step is to look at how a building functions on the
inside. The establishment and maintenance of strict environ-mental conditions to preserve records, the key role of
a purpose-built repository, is essential. The impact of environmental conditions on records format has been studied
by a number of archivists and conservators recently (Ling, 1998). Many criteria can be grouped under the banner
of environmental conditions; the most important are temperature, relative humidity, air quality and light. Storage
areas can be therm ally insulated and should be placed in the centre of the building (Schüller, 2000). Interestingly
a study of major Brazilian museums makes it clear that one of the principal factors responsible for the deterioration
of objects is the p ractice of placing them in storage for indefinite periods. Apart from requiring special
environmental conditions beyond the means of most Brazilian museums, storage may mean that objects are
consigned to oblivion although they co uld be exhibited without risk (Oliveira et al., 1983). A study of textile
conservation, contrasting storage and display issues in Southeast Asian countries with those of the USA, emphasises
the underlying imp act that climate p lays upon preservation strategies. The following aspects play a major ro le in
preservation: the absolute climatic conditions external to the m useum, the philosophical and social climate and the
interaction of post-production technology, i.e. cleaning and conservation (Ballard, 1992). The findings of INTACH,
the Indian Conservation Institute at Lucknow, show that most objects tend to deteriorate not due to lack of airconditioning
or lack of conservation but mainly due to neglect, lack of care and improper storage (Agrawal, 1993).
A perfect example that demonstrates, once again, the importance of staff training. Many of the problems manifest
in libraries require substantial investment, but they can be ameliorated significantly by a more systematic approach
to environmental control and housing, which can be achieved at modest cost (Dean, 2000).
Nevertheless, the first principle that ensures good preservation and storage, whatever the locale or climate, is
careful handling of materials (Ezennia et al., 1995).
For an early bibliography on storage see Plumbe, 1964b, or another early title by the same author Plumbe, 1958.
One of the most popular studies on the many aspects of storage is The Museum Environment by Garry Thomson.
Since its first edition in 1978 it has already been reprinted and updated several times (Thomson, 1994). For cheap
alternatives in the storage area see Walker, n.d. For further general reading on storage see Anonymous, 1993a;
Boustead, 1969; Brommelle, 1968a; Chong, 1990; Lauer, 1979; Obasi, 1980; Pearson, 1997.
Several topics of major concern when storing the written heritage will be discussed below. If the building is the first
line of defence to withstand the external climate conditions, the second line of defence is control of the internal
climate of the building. There is an animated discussion on the pros and contras of air-conditioning; an alternative
might be passive climate control. The outside air quality is becoming a growing problem. When windows are opened
air-pollution is often let in together with fresh air, especially in heavy urbanised areas. Both sunlight and dust can
have a devastating effect on the well-being of collections requiring tough measures to keep them as protected as
possible. Proper shelving and packaging are essential in preservation. The traditional method of securing
manuscripts in insect proof wooden boxes and wrapping documents in plain cotton appears to have worked
surprisingly well. Last but not least, good maintenance and housekeeping will do wonders for the building as well
as its holdings.
5.2 Internal Climate Control
Eighty years ago Chapman had already published two articles in which he demonstrated the devastating effect of
the tropical climate in Calcutta on the collections of the Imperial Library of India (Chapman, 1919 and 1920). Since
then our understanding of the process of degradation of paper has increased appreciably. Nevertheless, from a
practical standpoint, most libraries in tropical countries still face the same challenge. Undo ubtedly, the most costeffective
preservation measures can be developed from exploitation of the storage environment. The environment
is an ever-present factor, which inexorably influences the rate of deterioration of all collections (Shahani et al., 1995).
High temperature has two effects on paper. Firstly, it speeds up the rate of chemical activity and thus the rate at
which archival material decays; for every increase in temperature of 10 °C, the rate of chemical activity generally
doubles. Secondly the rate of biological activity also increases; damage caused by insects and moulds is much
greater at higher temperatures (see also section on Integrated Pest Management). The main danger of high relative
humidity is that it will lead to an increase in such biological activity; mould will only grow above 65–70% relative
humidity, while most insects flourish at higher humidity. Dyes will fade at a faster rate at higher relative humidity
(Thomas, 1987).
Sudden or repeated fluctuations of temperature and relative humidity, the two main factors responsible for the
climate of a place, may spell disaster for susceptible types of objects (Agrawal et al., 1974). Changes in temperature
will cause materials to change dimension, sometimes q uite markedly. This poses a problem for complex records
made from two or more substances, each of which has a different thermal coefficient of expansion, thus imposing
stresses on the structure of the record. Repeated cycling of temperature can cause perm anent damage. Changes in
relative humidity will cause materials to change dimension, as is the case with fluctuating temperature. This can
have marked effects on complex items. Books exposed to damp conditions will have swollen and wavy edges but