Paper documents are prone to mold, one of the most serious sources of damage to library, archival, and museum collections. Of the microbes that may accumulate in documents and books, mold is one of the most damaging because it deteriorates paper, may spread to other documents, and poses a potential health threat to the people who care for them. Because of the great variety of species, mold’s patterns of growth and activity in a particular situation can be unpredictable. If a mold outbreak does occur, do not panic. There are strategies to regain control including the utilization of ultraviolet light.
As a company, ClorDiSys Solutions offers ultraviolet light (UV-C) products which can disinfect and prevent mold. Working with the Historical Society of Pennsylvania, we developed the BookLit, a tabletop UV-C chamber to help preserve their collection. The BookLit provides a liquid-free, chemical-free method to kill mold and mold spores in just one minute. This fast cycle time is ideal as prolonged increases in the exposure of library materials to any light source are not recommended. With an interior of 50” W x 26” D x 6” H in usable space, multiple books, papers, and historical documents can be disinfected simultaneously. The Historical Society of Pennsylvania has been successfully been using the BookLit for the past two years on some of their oldest and most valuable items.
