I thought books and works on paper liked to be kept dry.  ???

On Thu, 20 Jun 1996, Mark Ast wrote:

> I should greatly appreciate help from any list members familiar with the
> problems raised by the following:
>
> Our new museum is going to be leasing newly-built storage space while the
> building we are acquiring for our new museum is under renovation. The
> storage space is on the ground floor. The flooring is concrete. We plan to
> store our art library (approx. 20,000 vols), paintings and works on paper
> there. For this purpose, we plan to set-up shelving units to store all of
> the items which will be in crates, boxes, etc.
>
> A colleague just informed me that the concrete floors will tend to absorb
> large amounts of moisture, and that nothing sensitive should be
> placed/stored directly on the floor. This remark raised a concern that the
> moisture might even affect the items stored up on the shelving units.
>
> My question to the members of the list is: Will concrete floors (the
> supposed moisture they absorb) pose a threat to books, works on paper or
> even paintings if those items are stored up on the shelves? Are there any
> special steps that would need to be taken? Do we need to cover the floors?--
> Again, I want to mention that the space is all on the ground floor, i.e.
> above grade, but the concrete is (I assume) laid over the ground. Is the
> moisture absorbed from the ground below, or the air above, the concrete
> floor? Or have I been altogether misinformed about concrete floors absorbing
> moisture?
>
> Mark
>
> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>
> Mark Ast, Ph.D.
> Curator
> Museum & Library of Barbizon
>         & Pre-Impressionist Art
> The Schlesinger Foundation
> email:  Mark Ast <[log in to unmask]>
>
> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>