The E-Sylum:  Volume 11, Number 10, March 9, 2008, Article 5

QUERY: PROTECTING THE ANA RARE BOOK ROOM FROM FIRE

Ken Hallenbeck, Acting Executive Director of the American
Numismatic Association writes: "In scrolling through the
latest E-Sylum I realized what a tremendous resource exists,
and perhaps some of the subscribers might help me with a
problem.  I'm about to retire again and leave the ANA's
executive director's job I've enjoyed for the past six
months, but I've got a project to complete.

"A short while back I studied our rare book room, and lo
and behold observed two sprinkler heads in the ceiling.
I was shocked.  What to do? What if one or both of those
things let go? - one or two million dollars worth of rare
books could be ruined.

"In thinking about the ramifications of removing them versus
a fire, I made the decision that it was more likely one of
those could break loose and ruin books than it was that a
fire could occur.  So I had them removed.  Now, I want to
protect the rare books with something that would stop a fire
and not ruin the books, and yet not be fabulously expensive.
ANA has severe budget problems that are well known.

"I'm hoping there might be something somewhat portable
and reasonable in price.  We had a halon system for our
computer room at one point in the past, but I understand
halon is no longer permitted.

"The rare book room has extremely limited access and
visitors are not permitted in, so fire is less of a threat
than a bad sprinkler head. But I don't want to go too far
without protection of some kind.  Thoughtful suggestions
will be seriously considered."

[On a related note, responding to a comment in Anne E.
Bentley's discussion of deacidification sprays for preserving
documents, Leon A. Saryan, Ph.D. (Toxicology Director for
Aurora Health Care) writes: "Neither toluene nor methanol
are, to the best of my knowledge, known to be carcinogenic,
but both are flammable.  Toluene can be toxic if large
amounts are inhaled, or if it is used in a poorly ventilated
area."  -Editor]

 ON THE USE OF DEACIDIFICATION SPRAYS
 esylum_v11n09a12.html

  Wayne Homren, Editor

	coinbooks.org Web

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