Environmental Monitoring Program
The Libraries has participated in the Rochester Institute of Technology Image Permanence Institute's (IPI) Environmental Monitoring field trials and training since 2002. We use IPI's datalogers and software to do environmental monitoring in selected library collections.
Background:
Beginning in the early 1990's, IPI became interested in environmental
approaches to preservation management. The first major development was a
temperature and relative humidity recording device called the Preservation
Environment Monitor (PEM). Next, IPI developed a Windows-based computer
program known as Climate Notebook Environmental Analysis Software. Nearly
200 institutions from all over the US, including the UW Libraries,
participated in a Field Trial of the PEM and Climate Notebook from
2000-2004. Development and testing of these tools and services was made
possible by grants from the National Endowment for the Humanities Division
of Preservation and Access, the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, and the
Institute of Museum and Library Services.
Based on the success of the Field Trial, IPI received funding from the National Endowment for the Humanities for a follow-up project entitled "Training and Implementation for Effective Use of Environment in Collections Preservation." The goal of this project is to offer basic and advanced training on the use of the environmental assessment tools previously tested. Thirty-five institutions from the original 200 Field Trial I institutions were selected to participate in the Field Trial II. Staff from the Libraries and UW Campus Engineering and Operations participated in the Field Trial II Advanced Training in April 2005 at the Newberry Library in Chicago.