Book Care in Tropical Weather
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1dizzydame
My mom was a school librarian in the days of hardcover books. I remember one summer, she varnished all the covers of the books. She spread them so they could stand and dry on all the library tables.
The other day, I was out walking and got caught in a sudden downpour of rain. Even though I had my book in a canvas bag, my softcovered copy of Howard Norman's The Bird Artist is irretrievably warped.
I noticed my Autumn 1989 copy of Story has funny speckles on the edges of all the pages.
Three unrelated incidents except that all the books I mentioned live in the tropics. I feel helpless against the ravages of the humidity, heat, rain, bugs, mold...
If I ever win the lottery (better get into the habit of buying tickets), I'm going to build a house with a library room equipped with humidity and temperature control. In the meantime, I'll probably save some money for a kick-ass dehumidifier.
Any other suggestions on book care in the tropics?
The other day, I was out walking and got caught in a sudden downpour of rain. Even though I had my book in a canvas bag, my softcovered copy of Howard Norman's The Bird Artist is irretrievably warped.
I noticed my Autumn 1989 copy of Story has funny speckles on the edges of all the pages.
Three unrelated incidents except that all the books I mentioned live in the tropics. I feel helpless against the ravages of the humidity, heat, rain, bugs, mold...
If I ever win the lottery (better get into the habit of buying tickets), I'm going to build a house with a library room equipped with humidity and temperature control. In the meantime, I'll probably save some money for a kick-ass dehumidifier.
Any other suggestions on book care in the tropics?
2julsitos2
perhaps placing all those packets of silica (those do-not-eat packs) in your bookshelf will help the absorption of humidity
3krvilla
Alas, I believe that our weather is our biggest challenge regarding the storage and maintenance of our books.
#1/dizzydame,
A humidifier is a good thing to have. I am aware of audiophiles who equip some rooms with it to help in the preservation of their equipment and music collection. The humidifier, in your case, would most likely be somewhat bigger to account for all the paper which makes up our books, perhaps?
#2/julsitos2,
We have a habit of collecting those packets from empty vitamin bottles, too. :)
As for keeping insects away, what we use is pandan, the leaves tied to a knot, as it is supposed to keep small insects and roaches at bay. It needs occasional replacement, however, esp. when the leaves are too dry and lose its 'potency'.
#1/dizzydame,
A humidifier is a good thing to have. I am aware of audiophiles who equip some rooms with it to help in the preservation of their equipment and music collection. The humidifier, in your case, would most likely be somewhat bigger to account for all the paper which makes up our books, perhaps?
#2/julsitos2,
We have a habit of collecting those packets from empty vitamin bottles, too. :)
As for keeping insects away, what we use is pandan, the leaves tied to a knot, as it is supposed to keep small insects and roaches at bay. It needs occasional replacement, however, esp. when the leaves are too dry and lose its 'potency'.
4dizzydame
@krvilla,
Thanks for the tips, especially the pandan leaves. I'll pick some up at the market. I wonder if they are effective as plants so that if I kept plants in the library?
And the silica gel packets are hoarded and re-used in my home, too--in leather bags, shoes, in powdered food items like coffee, milk, psyllium husk.
I read somewhere that the speckles on the edges of the books are from dust mites.
Thanks for the tips, especially the pandan leaves. I'll pick some up at the market. I wonder if they are effective as plants so that if I kept plants in the library?
And the silica gel packets are hoarded and re-used in my home, too--in leather bags, shoes, in powdered food items like coffee, milk, psyllium husk.
I read somewhere that the speckles on the edges of the books are from dust mites.
5krvilla
#4/dizzydame,
Pandan plants can probably be indoors but not stay in as long as other more hardy varieties like the common 'japanese bamboo' or fortune plant. You can probebly have a plant in your garden (not in direct sunlight, though) and harvest some leaves to knot to replace dried ones in your book shelves. My mother uses the same in kitchen drawers and cabinets, too. :)
Pandan plants can probably be indoors but not stay in as long as other more hardy varieties like the common 'japanese bamboo' or fortune plant. You can probebly have a plant in your garden (not in direct sunlight, though) and harvest some leaves to knot to replace dried ones in your book shelves. My mother uses the same in kitchen drawers and cabinets, too. :)
