Library Museum Hotel Office

Humidifying the air can prevent damage to collectibles caused by the drying and cracking of fibers due to excessively low relative humidity from air conditioning. Many priceless manuscripts, books, artworks, floppy disks, magnetic tapes, and other items housed in museums—without being stored in spaces with proper temperature and humidity control—can easily suffer severe damage. However, environments suitable for these items often have lower temperatures, which can be uncomfortable for visitors. Generally, the lower limit for relative humidity for paper-based collections in museums is 40%; for items such as floppy disks and magnetic tapes, which need to be protected from drying out and becoming brittle, the lower limit is 36%. Organic collections, on the other hand, require even lower-temperature environments. Moreover, museum collections typically alternate between display areas and storage rooms; it’s important to note that even in environments with controlled temperature and humidity, heat conduction from outside walls or radiation from switching lights can still cause fluctuations in surface temperature, leading to moisture evaporation and structural damage to the collections. Furthermore, when a collection is moved from a cooler storage room into a warmer display area, its surface temperature gradually rises, causing internal moisture to migrate toward the surface and condense there—a phenomenon known as "moisture transfer." This process can accelerate the deterioration of the collection. The following temperature and humidity levels are recommended for museum environments:

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