The use of environmental monitoring equipment provides crucial
information about the storage conditions of library, archive, and museum
collections. Providing an appropriate storage environment is the most
cost-effective strategy for protecting your assets. The best way to detect
potential problems with temperature, humidity, and light levels in collection
storage and display areas is through an environmental monitoring program and
the use of environmental monitoring equipment, which can provide the needed
data. LYRASIS Preservation Services offers a loan service for monitoring
equipment for institutions that recognize the need to monitor environmental
conditions yet do not own the equipment.
The equipment available through our loan service is described
briefly below; each piece of equipment comes with instructions. For information
on proper environment specifications, see the Preservation Services
informational leaflet, Environmental Specifications for the Storage of
Library & Archival Materials.
This service is available to LYRASIS members only. Institutions
may borrow a temperature or humidity logger for 6 months at a time, or a light
meter for 1 month at a time. Talk to LYRASIS staff if you need a shorter or
longer loan period.
