Contributions to the 5th AICCM Book, Paper and Photographic Materials Symposium. Editors: Prue McKay and Alana Treasure. Canberra, ACT: AICCM (Inc.), 2008.
Abstract
Monitoring sensors in storage spaces are generally located out in the open and thus are checking conditions in the general air space of the storage area. In cases where a collection is packaged or boxed however, collection items are entirely within a secondary climate system which whilst related to the ambient conditions, is also modified by a number of factors: the buffering effects of the packaging or boxing materials, the construction of the storage enclosure and the thermostatic and humidistatic properties of the collection material itself. It is felt that since these are the actual conditions collection items are stored in, then it is these which conservators should be most concerned with. Research has been carried out at the National Archives of Australia to examine the variations between ambient storage conditions and those within storage containers. This has revealed that there is a significant difference between the two sets of conditions; inside a storage container is always less variable than outside.
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