The article, “
Racing to Protect Books from Climate Change” by Emmett Lindner in the January 9, 2023 issue of The New York Times discusses the growing threats to library collections posed by extreme weather events and shifts in temperature and humidity brought on by climate change. It also notes the negative environmental impact of the digitization of books and documents, a process which has been suggested as the solution for the problem of how to allow access to content while keeping physical objects safe in climate controlled environments The impetus for this article was likely the National Endowment for the Humanities’ recent announcement of “a grant to aid institutions seeking to organize climate plans and reduce their environmental impact” . (Having looked at the NEH’s website listing of grants for institutions, that grant must be either the Division of Preservation and Access' “Sustaining Cultural Heritage Collections” grant or its “Cultural and Community Resilience” grant.)
While this article is not an upbeat report on a finished conservation project and does deal with difficult issues, it is kind of a relief to read an article that does not report on a conservation disaster. #ConservationintheNews