Design of an Archive Box for Tropical Climates Zones

Due to the lack of adequate storage conditions and practices, archive collections in tropical climate zones are often exposed to the external climate conditions. In such situations, the growth of moulds that is induced by the high relative humidity and insects that may have access to the collection are major causes of deterioration of the documents.

The National Archive of the Netherlands and Wageningen UR (A&F) have initiated a collaboration with the aim to develop an archive packaging concept that offers a high degree of protection independent of the surrounding climate conditions. The new concept involves a closed packaging system with an integrated mechanism for decreasing the internal relative humidity to a level where moulds are not able to grow and an integrated release system for repellents to inactivate enclosed insects. This collaboration will develop further in 2005.

Contact: Martijntje Vollebregt