When discarding a moldy book, be aware that some people find many useful things through dumpster diving, or going through other peoples’ or business’ trash. Just as your library staff and patrons should not be unduly exposed to mold in the collection, neither should people who retrieve things out of the trash.
For this reason, when discarding a moldy book:
1. Put the book into a sturdy plastic bag
2. Seal the bag shut with tape
3. Tape a label to the bag indicating that a moldy book is inside.
This way, someone else who may find this book in your garbage will at least know what they have, instead of unwittingly keeping a book that could damage their health or the health of others close to them. Note that all rags used with moldy books should be discarded in the same way.
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.