Preventative Bibliography

This bibliography was initially prepared in May 2002 by Bruno Pouliot, with the collaboration and assistance of Linda Lennon, Winterthur Class of 1997, who then served as Assistant Conservator on different projects at Winterthur Museum and for WUDPAC. Responsibility for the bibliography was passed to Dr. Joelle Wickens in 2009. It is constantly updated and your suggestions for new sources are welcome. Resources can be filtered by the following topics: Collections Care, General Reference, Emergency Preparedness and Response, Environmental Management, Housing, Storage, and Display, Integrated Pest Management (IPM), Light, Mold, Packing and Transport, Pollutants, Relative Humidity and Temperature, Surveys and Assessments, and Sustainability.

Relative humidity in museums, galleries, and archives: Specification and control. In Bugs, Mold and Rot II. A Workshop on Control of Humidity for Health, Artifacts, and Buildings. Proceedings, eds. W. B. Rose, and A. TenWolde.

Michalski, S.
1993 – Washington, D.C.: The National Institute of Building Sciences. 51-62.

Stefan Michalski from the Canadian Conservation Institute continues to be one of the leading voices and researchers in the development of appropriate environmental standards. This article is probably one of his best on this particular topic. He has written extensively on the subject. (provided by Bruno P. Pouliot)

Michalski, S. 1993. Relative humidity in museums, galleries, and archives: Specification and control. In Bugs, Mold and Rot II. A Workshop on Control of Humidity for Health, Artifacts, and Buildings. Proceedings, eds. W. B. Rose, and A. TenWolde. Washington, D.C.: The National Institute of Building Sciences. 51-62.

Filter(s): Relative Humidity and Temperature, Environmental Management

Relative humidity and temperature guidelines: What’s happening?

Michalski, S.
1994 – CCI Newsletter 14: 6-8.

Michalski, S. 1994. Relative humidity and temperature guidelines: What’s happening CCI Newsletter 14: 6-8.

Filter(s): Relative Humidity and Temperature, Environmental Management

Quantified risk reduction in the humidity dilemma.

Michalski, S.
1996 – APT Bulletin 27 (3): 25-29.

Michalski, S. 1996. Quantified risk reduction in the humidity dilemma. APT Bulletin 27 (3): 25-29.

Filter(s): Relative Humidity and Temperature, Environmental Management

Guidelines for humidity and temperature in Canadian archives.

Michalski, S.
2000 – Ottawa: Canadian Conservation Institute. Technical Bulletin #23.

This is an excellent text, outlining the ideal parameters in RH and Temperature, along with an explanation of the reasons why this is so. Several chart and tables are provided, which quantify rate of deterioration versus values of RH, temperature, or fluctuating conditions. Although this text specifically focuses on archival materials, the information provided can be useful when dealing with all types of collections. (provided by Bruno P. Pouliot)

Michalski, S. 2000. Guidelines for humidity and temperature in Canadian archives. Ottawa: Canadian Conservation Institute. Technical Bulletin #23.

Filter(s): Relative Humidity and Temperature, Environmental Management

Double the life for each five-degree drop, more than double the life for each halving of relative humidity. In Preprints to the ICOM 13th Triennial Meeting, Rio de Janeiro, 22-27 September 2002, ed. R. Vontobel.

Michalski, S.
2002 – London: James & James. 66-72.

This is a very technical article that reviews the use of complex equations to determine the effects of temperature and relative humidity on the decay of unstable organic materials. The data confirms the rule that a drop of 5oC will double their chemical lifetime, while reducing the relative humidity by half will more or less double the life expectancy of the same materials. (provided by Bruno P. Pouliot)

Michalski, S. 2002. Double the life for each five-degree drop, more than double the life for each halving of relative humidity. In Preprints to the ICOM 13th Triennial Meeting, Rio de Janeiro, 22-27 September 2002, ed. R. Vontobel. London: James & James. 66-72.

Filter(s): Relative Humidity and Temperature, Environmental Management

Incorrect Relative Humidity.

Michalski, S.
2013 – CCI Notes

This source, published by the Canadian Conservation Institute, is helpful for defining relative humidity and how it can be damaging to objects as well as its connection to temperature and dew point. It provides several pictures, tables, and charts that are helpful in illustrating each of the sections. It is intended to be a source for any level reader and is successful in this goal. This was a helpful source for knowing how to clearly describe relative humidity and its effect on objects for the recommendations section of the author?s preventive research report. (written by Claire Curran)

http://www.cci-icc.gc.ca/caringfor-prendresoindes/articles/10agents/chap10-eng.aspx (accessed 02/15/14).

Michalski, S. 2013. Incorrect Relative Humidity. http://www.cci-icc.gc.ca/caringfor-prendresoindes/articles/10agents/chap10-eng.aspx (accessed 02/15/14).

Filter(s): Relative Humidity and Temperature, Environmental Management