Books Gone Bad
Mold in Library Collections
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If you do find areas in your library that are regularly more humid than others, it may be an indication of more serious building problems.

What to Look For:

  • Look for signs of leaks or condensation in the building or plumbing and work with your city manager, building owner or landlord to have these issues fixed.
  • If you do not see signs of leaks or water damage to the building that could be causing higher humidity levels, the area may simply have low air circulation.
  • Use a fan in this part of your library to increase air circulation. This makes it less likely for mold spores to settle on surfaces where the higher humidity could support mold growth.
  • Work with your city manager, building owner or landlord to determine other strategies for long-term solutions, as well.

If you think you have a compromised building, more drastic measures may need to be taken. See the sections on Prevention, Assessing Mold Risks, Signs of a Compromised Building and Collection Maintenance for a starting point to deal with more serious situations.

 

Books Gone Bad - Mold in Library Collections was a project sponsored by Maine College of Art, in partnership with the Joanne Waxman Library. Funding for this project came from the Stephen and Tabitha King Foundation. The Project Lead and Artist for this project was Diane J. Wren. All contents Copyright © 2011 by Diane J. Wren. All rights reserved. No part of this web site may be reproduced or distributed in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, or stored in a data base or retrieval system, without the prior written permission of Diane J. Wren.