Preserving a collection of material objects that represents the knowledge of many individuals and creates meaning for diverse communities is a fundamental part of the work of a national library. Libraries are stewards of stories and the data and physical materials that inform story making. The stories of eighteenth-century women botanists, African American civil war physicians, pioneering NIH geneticists, AIDS activist public artists, rural nurses of the 1930s and many, many more are safeguarded in the collection of the National Library of Medicine (NLM).
By Katherine Monroe ~
What does it take to keep a physical library collection in working order? In honor of Preservation Week, let’s find out by taking a look at some of the ways in which we protect the world’s largest medical library and ensure its meaningful collection stays accessible today and for generations to come.
Environmental Monitoring
Preservation involves more than just keeping our collection spaces tidy. A major factor in preserving our printed books and journals, manuscripts, film and magnetic media materials, and print collection involves monitoring the environment of our building, which opened in 1962.
Temperature and Relative Humidity
We use calibrated data loggers to measure and monitor the temperature and relative humidity of the underground collection spaces. Temperature and relative humidity have an inverse relationship: when the heaters turn on in colder months, they dry the air and the relative humidity gets lower. In the warmer months, the A/C introduces moisture to the air as the inside temperature gets cooler, and the relative humidity increases. The A/C introduces moisture to the air. Both humid and dry conditions present their own types of problems for the various collection materials we have onsite. Dry conditions can lead to embrittlement in paper and film, while humid conditions can lead to pest infestations, mold, or chemical reactions within the material itself. By measuring and monitoring the temperature and relative humidity of our collection environment, we are able to track that data over time to understand trends and anticipate any challenges before they happen and then work with our NLM building engineer and the NIH Office of Research Facilities to address those challenges.
Lighting
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Exposure to light and UV radiation damages materials. Fading, embrittlement, and deterioration caused by light damage are irreversible, but limiting light exposure can help prevent this damage. Our collection is stored underground, so we don’t have to worry about windows! But that wasn’t always the case. Before the National Library of Medicine moved to its current building in 1962, our collection was subject to light exposure, especially in the reading room, back when we were the Army Medical Museum and Library and had a custom-built building on the National Mall (where the Hirshhorn Museum now stands).
Integrated Pest Management
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The NIH Integrated Pest Management team (IPM) supports us in monitoring pest levels. Pests, especially cockroaches, mice, and silverfish, LOVE library materials—they find them both tasty and a good place to make their nests. And since we are trying to preserve our library collection and not start a new zoo, we work with IPM to prevent pesky critters from getting into the building. This also involves keeping our office areas clean and not bringing any food or drinks into the collection spaces. We also isolate incoming collection materials to make sure they are clean before integrating them into our processing and storage areas.
Security
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As we’ve seen in our work with other NIH offices, preservation depends on many people, not just librarians. The National Library of Medicine relies on its security guards, who are here every day and night, 24/7, walking around the building during their inspection rounds. They are critical for monitoring and reporting any problems encountered in the collection spaces, especially when staff are offsite, and serve as sentries at the exits to make sure our collection materials remain in the building.
Reformatting
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While we would love to use the original copies of everything in our collection, there are times when the best way to preserve something is to reformat it, which might include making copies or digitizing it. Sometimes, this is because the original equipment used to play back an item (like a VHS tape or a Betacam SP) is no longer available or obsolete. And sometimes, it is because an item is too fragile or too precious to handle.
The National Library of Medicine has a long history of preserving its collection through reformatting. This includes making photographic copies, like this librarian using a mobile camera in the stacks back in 1969. We also have an extensive microfilm collection. While microfilm might seem tedious to access, it is actually an important and well-respected form of preservation. Polyester microfilm is rated to last for at least 500 years, if not longer, and all you need to access it is a light source and magnifying glass! We used to make our own microfilm copies on site; here, we can see past librarians from handling microform at the library.
Today we are working to expand our digital collection that lets you explore many of our treasures online. Digitization both protects and increases access to materials like the Marshall Nirenberg Genetic Code Chart, one of the research documents critical to “cracking the genetic code” in the 1960s. In fact, this chart has undergone both physical and digital preservation; learn more about how NLM rehoused the chart itself!
Collection Emergency Response Team
Most of our time is spent monitoring, maintaining, and preserving collection materials under everyday conditions. But it is always good to be prepared to respond to collection emergencies in case something happens. That is why the National Library of Medicine also has a Collection Emergency Response Team (CERTeam), made up of staff trained and ready to respond to any collection emergencies that might occur. Should an emergency occur, NIH first responders would first ensure the space is safe, then the CERTeam would triage and salvage collection materials, stabilizing them so that they could be cleaned, processed, and returned to the shelves and made accessible to our users. The CERTeam maintains emergency carts stocked with supplies strategically placed throughout the stacks.
Preservation is for everyone!
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These are just a few of the ways in which the National Library of Medicine preserves its vast collection for future research. Our patrons depend on preservation librarians to monitor conditions in the stacks and be vigilant and prepared. We are grateful for our security guards, reformatting staff, and the many members of the NLM and NIH community who work hard to help us protect this valuable collection. And, with photos preserved in our digital collection, we also had the opportunity to see how these practices have been a part of the National Library of Medicine. What a treat it is to be a member of that long tradition of preservation!
Katherine Monroe is a librarian in the Collection Management Program at the National Library of Medicine. Beginning as a Pathways Graduate in 2020, Katherine is the Collection Emergency Response Team (CERTeam) Lead and works on projects related to storage and space optimization.
Medicine is not merely a science; it’s a profound expression of humanity’s empathy and determination to conquer afflictions. In the words of William Osler, a pioneer in modern medicine, “The good physician treats the disease; the great physician treats the patient who has the disease.” This encapsulates the essence of medicine as both a scientific discipline and an art of caring for individuals in their times of need.
As a reader i would like to thank NLM for their act of preserving those medicine books.
Thanks for writing this blog.