engleski

Evaluation of Materials Used for the Preservation and Storage of Library Collections

The lifespan and condition of cultural heritage collections are affected by various factors. The environmental conditions in which they are stored and exhibited, human activities such as proper care and handling, as well as the preparedness and response to frequent emergencies and disasters, play an important role in preserving valuable objects. The purpose of preventive conservation is to protect the objects by avoiding, blocking or minimizing the harmful effects of various factors. One of the methods of preserving the objects is their encasement. The protection provided by the appropriate preservation enclosure can reduce the negative impact of external factors and act as a shield during catastrophic events such as earthquakes, floods or wars. This paper aims to evaluate the properties of paper-based materials used in the preventive conservation of collections to gain insight into the protective role of such materials. For the purpose of this research, the nine most common storage and preservation materials in the collections of the National and University Library were examined and evaluated by determining their moisture content, smoothness (Bekk method), water absorptiveness (Cobb test), water vapour permeability, water wettability (contact angle), tensile strength, bursting strength (Mullen test), puncture strength and folding endurance. The research proved the importance of evaluating materials. It also showed the benefits of choosing the ones with the most suitable properties for the preservation of cultural heritage objects, especially during unexpected events.

cultural heritage collections ; preservation ; paper-based materials

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