Good explanations can be found a number of places (I believe
that NFPA has a publication). But I just turned around in my
chair and grabbed _Conservation Environment Guidelines for
Libraries and Archives_, by William P. Lull and Paul A. Banks,
Ottawa: Canadian Council of Archives, 1995. Look at pp. 49-52.
If you wish, if you will send me a FAX number I will send you
copies.
Henry Grunder, Conservation/Preservation Coordinator
Library of Virginia

>According to B. Scherting:
>
> I work for a Museum of Natural History that is housed in a building
> constructed at the turn of the century.  In order to comply with
> contemporary fire safelty regulations, we are being asked to install a
> fire sprinkling system into our exhibition halls.  I am under the
> impression that there are basically two types of systems; wet and dry.
> Wet being that the water is held under pressure at the sprinkler head and
> dry being that the water is held back at a valve check point.
>
> I would appreciate any feedback as to the advantage or disadvantage of
> either system as well as any precautionary measures to consider for
> protecting our collections in light of this addition into the exhibition
> environment.
>
> Thank you,
>
> Bruce Scherting
>