One of the most critical aspects of preserving historical materials is the environment. Collections storage areas should be cool and dry. Depending on what you are storing, 60-65° F and 35-40% relative humidity are optimal ranges. Unfortunately, it is taking much longer than planned to achieve the desired temperature and relative humidity in our new space. Once the system can meet our set points, we will be ready to move. The added complication is that our current home, Bender Library, is undergoing renovations this summer. We ended up relocating several collections to WRLC’s Shared Collections Facility temporarily to facilitate the Bender Library project. Though our move date is uncertain, we would like to reopen in time for the start of the fall semester. We will post another update once we finalize the timeline and can provide details.

Plastic tent set up in Bender Library to protect collections while waiting for new space to become available.