Standards

Recommendations for temperature and relative humidity for the storage of archival documents
BS 5454:2000-Recommendations for the Storage and Exhibition of Archival Documents

Temperature:

Frequently Handled Materials:
Fixed point between 16 degrees celsius and 19 degrees celsius, and within these limits more or less 1 degrees celsius.

Infrequently Handled Materials:
Fixed point between 13 degrees celsius and 16 degrees celsius, and within theses limits more or less 1 degrees celsius.
In this case one has to allow time for acclimatisation before use.

Relative Humidity:

Fixed point between 45% and 60% with up to 5% variation within same limits. Light - 50 LUX
Recommendations in the Management of Public Sector Records (MPRS) programme published by the International Council on Archives (ICA) and the International Records Management Trust (IRMT)
Paper records
TEMPERATURE: 18 degrees celsius to 20 degrees celsius
RELATIVE HUMIDITY: 35 – 45%

Note: the temperature and relative humidity levels are recommended standards. In real life situations achieving these results with precision is not always possible. Archives passing through severe under funding and housed in unsuitable locations might have great difficulties in adhering to these standards. Variations from one country to another have also to be taken into consideration. However, one has to make every effort to get as close as possible to the recommendations, and avoid fluctuations in the environmental conditions. The rise of humidity levels and temperature fluctuations leads to mildew and microorganism in documents. The system currently in use at the National Archives of Malta consists of dehumidification units in all storage areas.