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Environmental Analysis Service

Environmental conditions are of fundamental importance in the preservation of museum, library and archive collections . . .

. . . but managing the environment for optimum preservation requires time, expertise, and patience. Data must be carefully and accurately collected and then analyzed by specialists in collection care, conservation, chemical deterioration, and mechanical systems.

IPI’s cost-effective Environmental Analysis Service is a unique resource for libraries, archives, and museums without the time and staff expertise to do it themselves.

IPI staff will work with your institution through a process that assesses the quality and adequacy of collection storage environments, considers the nature of collections and mechanical systems, and recommends specific actions for improvement. Your institution will develop goals and build consensus between administrators and collection care and facilities staff to implement the findings of the analysis. Detailed, illustrated reports of storage conditions promote the sharing of information.

Our final assessment will identify any dangerous conditions that promote rapid material decay or waste HVAC dollars. We will provide practical solutions and long-term suggestions for improvements to your storage environment.

Consider this option when you plan an evaluation of storage conditions, a renovation or relocation of collection storage, or to raise institutional awareness of the effect of environment on preservation.

How It Works

• IPI will design and implement a one-year environmental monitoring program, based on your institutional goals, that involves gathering and analyzing data, interim reporting, a final assessment of your storage environments, and action-oriented recommendations.
• IPI provides the monitoring equipment – one Preservation Environment Monitor® (PEM2®) for each monitoring point. This PEM is on loan for the duration of the project but may be purchased at a reduced rate when the contract ends.
• IPI also furnishes a flash memory drive that is used to upload the data from the PEM2. You upload your data quarterly to the flash drive and then attach the files to an email message you send to IPI.
• After the first three uploads IPI will send back a report with graphs, a data summary, and automated analysis. After a full year of monitoring you will receive a Strategic Environmental Assessment Report. This detailed assessment will help you understand how your mechanical system and building design create the storage environment in your institution. IPI will provide an overview of the preservation quality in the monitored storage locations and identify any dangerous conditions that could cause mold to grow, promote rapid material decay, or waste HVAC dollars.
• Your institution’s designated contact person will interact with IPI, provide background information, coordinate monitor placement, upload data, email data files, and receive reports.
  

IPI’s Strategic Environmental Analysis was developed after years of research and with input from a wide range of museum, library, and archive professionals. The cost for this service is $1,000 for the initial setup plus $1,000 for each monitored storage location—with a minimum of two.