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The conservation of the most valuable bibliographic heritage of the University of Valencia has undergone an important advance, after its transfer and installation in chambers designed and built specifically.
The Historical Library, with the Libraries and Documentation Service, as responsible for the custody and preservation of this valuable legacy, have made a considerable effort to achieve the best environmental conditions contributing to increase the life expectancy of our precious heritage and ensuring its transmission for the enjoyment and study of future generations.
In 2017, climatic chambers were built in the building of La Nau. Here is where the most valuable bibliographic heritage of the University of Valencia is conserved: manuscripts, incunables and books printed between the 16th and 18th centuries.
The permanence index (SEBERA 1994) or bibliographic materials life expectancy, is obteined by the application of a formula based on the temperature and humidity levels. It gives us a reference of the degradation substances reactions speed, especially oxidation and acid hydrolysis. If we reduce the temperature, humidity, or both parameters, we will reduce the speed of materials degradation chemical reactions, obtaining a lower degratation level and therefore a longer life expectancy.
If we make a comparison of the current environmental conditions with the 2016 collection location we can observe a favorable evolution in all parameters.
In addition to the life expectancy increase due to the decrease in chemical reactions, the physical degradation of the materials has also been reduced thanks to the great stability of the climate in the chambers. The instability in the temperature and humidity levels is directly related to the physical degradation of the bibliographic materials, caused by the dilation and contraction movements that, in the case of codices with great diversity of materials in their constitution, makes them extremely vulnerable.
A space free from outside influence on the cameras has been created. This space easies an adequate and stable climate with minimal energy consumption, which allows full control of atmospheric and biological pollution.
More información in Roderic repository or in this scientific article.
