From: Traichel, Rudi [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: Thursday, May 29, 2014 11:58 AM
To: 'Maps, Air Photo, GIS Forum - Map Librarianship'
Cc: Traichel, Rudi
Subject: Wooden cabinets vs steel cabinets





Good morning everyone:



We are still in the process of getting our low use and superseded maps ready
for that High Density (HD) storage facility here at UBC. I have a new
question for the group.



Half the cabinets targeted for our HD facility are those aesthetically
pleasing wooden types. We have had many of these since the 50s, some
earlier.



There are some questions about continuing to us the wooden cabinets in an HD
facility for the flat sheets. The wooden cabinets are made of an organic
material (albeit, so are the maps). Wood reacts to humidity levels (which
should be less a problem in an cutting edge HD and environmentally sound
facility) and absorb airborne contaminants, I believe. Wood and the stains
used on them stain (and I have evidence of this from old sheets in the
cabinets) or can off-gas (probably not an issue with cabinets of this age in
a stable environment).



To  mitigate future threats to the maps, we will folder as much as many maps
as we can, and If we keep the cabinets we will line the bottoms and tops of
the drawers with archival, lignum free papers).



Are there any concerns or worries out there about the soundness of
continuing to use these wooden works of art for a collection of maps, many
may be last copies in this portion of Canada, that we wish to conserve for
posterity?



Other than buying steel cabinets to replace them, are there any options?



Any ideas or suggestions or advice would be most welcome.



Cheers,



Rudi















Rudolf Traichel

Maps, Microforms, and Serials Cataloguing Librarian

UBC CTS - Cataloguing - Floor 3 - Woodward Library

-- 2198 Health Sciences Mall, Vancouver BC V6T 1Z3 CANADA



CTS Tel:(604) 822-3083 : Fax: (604) 822-3201