The whole publication in PDF - Culture in Development

permits the air to enter, but eliminates much of the dust. In a Costa Rica museum it was noticed that the interior side
of the curtain appeared clean, while the exterior side was extremely dirty, indicating that the cloth was acting as a
natural filter (Bellardo, 1995). An interesting feature of the Japanese tatami mat, a thick floor covering mad e of a
rice straw core with a reed surface, was discovered by researchers from Tokyo University. They found that the
tatami helped to remove nitrogen dioxide from the atmosphere. Although the mechanism in the purification process
is still unknown, the researchers found that the nitrogen dioxide content of a tatami room is less than half the level
out of doors. A unique way of fighting the heavy air-pollution in Tokyo (Wills, 1987).
State-of-the-art repositories use chemical filtration to remove pollutants from the air. Even without an
expensive filtration system, there are a numb er of ways to limit the effects of pollutants. One important way is to
house records within folders and boxes that meet the standard for permanence. The alkaline reserve in these
materials will serve as a buffer between the contents and a potentially harsh environment. Boxes and folders meeting
the international standards will create a stable micro-environment for permanent records (see section on Preservation
and Conservation).
It is evident that the choice of the site of the archives building is essential in avoiding air-pollution (see also
section on Building - Location of A Building). Many urban areas in developing countries have to fight a huge airpollution
problem mainly caused by the exhaust fumes from all kinds of motorised vehicles and indirectly by the
lack of a public transportation system. The western countries are not helping either considering the controversies
on the Kyoto Treaty about the global fight against pollution. In addition, critics argue that the west is exporting their
own considerable pollution problem to developing countries.
The Getty Conservation Institute continues its research on pollutants in hot and humid environments under a
new project Performance of Pollutant Absorbents. For an impressive European study on the effec ts of air pollutants
on paper see Havermans et al., 1994. The RAMP study by Pascoe on the impact of environmental po llution is
outdated, but more re cently guidelines were published by the Museum Association in the UK (Blades et al., 2000;
Pascoe, 1988). T he website from the Danish specialist M orten Ryhl-Svendsen gives an updated bibliography on
pollutants. This site can also be consulted for the latest news on the 4th meeting of the Indoor Air Pollution working
group (IAP) in Copenhagen, November 8–9 2001. See also Pearson, 1988.
5.3 Sunlight
Light, whether natural or artificial, can weaken som e materials, causing them to fade or darken. Damage from light
is irreversible, and the effects of exposure accumulate over time. A record exposed to a dim light for a long time will
ultimately show the same effects as a record exposed to a bright light for a short time. Thus it is imperative to reduce
exposure as far as possib le (Read, 1994). In tropical countries the main light problem for libraries is solar radiation
entering the facility. Roofs, walls and windows all need to b e designed to direct or o bstruct the sun’s rays (Plumbe,
1987b). Indirect light can be used to provide light even in stack areas, if used with care. First, aisles should be
orientated so that light passes through the aisles, and not directly onto the records. Second, windows should be
deeply recessed, and roofs built with a large overhang so that sunlight only enters indirectly. It is also possible to
utilise skylights that transmit sunlight reflected off walls covered with paint containing ultraviolet-absorbing
pigments, such as white titanium dioxide (Bellardo, 1995); (see also section on Building).
Sunlight contains a high proportion of harmful blue, violet and ultra-violet rays. Frequently humid atmospheres
increase the danger o f this radiation by causing greater refraction of the rays. Under these circumstances it is
particularly necessary to protect records from sunlight (Duchein, 1988). It is not only the direct sunlight that
eventually reaches the surface of the earth that troubles the conservator. He has also to take into account the indirect
sunlight that can reflect from different sources (Plumbe, 1987b).
For prestigious reasons the French built their new Bibliothèque Nationale de France in four glass towers. One
effect of the transparency of the high-rise was the free access of the sunlight to the interior of the building. To
prevent heat gain movable wooden panels were installed on the inside of the windows, but unexpectedly this created
a microclimate that gave rise to such high temperatures that the windo wpanes cracked. T his shows that no t all
measures taken to avert the sunlight are effective.
The negative influence of the sun on a collection in a historic wooden building in Japan was clearly pro ven in
a study by Toshiko K enjo. It appeared that the co llection located at the innermost of the room on the east side, where
the sun light struck the least, was most effectively protected from the sun shining (Kenjo, 1987).
It is not very logical in hot climates to build at great height. It certainly allows for a relatively small roof area,
but it greatly increases the wall areas on which intense solar radiation falls. Roofing and walls that either in material
or colour reflect the heat from the surface will diminish solar heat. Eventually solar control can be accomplished
by many means: overhanging roofs, curtains on the walls, projecting fins, panels, pierced screens, louvers, shades
above windows. Screens should not be placed too near windows, as they will radiate the heat after sundown. In a
museum b uilding, natural lighting, with all its faults, cannot be ignored. It can be reflected, screened and diffused
so that it is without glare and produces less ultra-violet rays. Light entering through high windows reflected by the
ceiling is adequate for galleries (Agrawal et al, 1974).
There are also cultural differences involved. In the West people like bright lights, but in Southeast Asia people
feel more comfortable when the light is low, because of the association of heat and light in the tropics (Ballard,
1992). Perhaps archives, library and museum staff tend to underestimate the self-regulating mechanism of the local
population. In Venezuela there is a saying: only donkeys and tourists walk in the sun. For further reading see Doe,
1965.