AIC's 53rd Annual Meeting

The 2024 LACDG session in Salt Lake City focused on acquisitions processes in libraries and archives, from the initial decision to acquire materials to receiving them and integrating them into our collections. One subject that garnered a lot of discussion was mold that comes to us on newly acquired books, papers, and beyond. The overwhelming interest in this topic inspired this year's discussion group theme. We will have three presentations from our colleagues who are actively working to tackle the problem of mold that we bring into our collections.
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A Proactive Approach to Managing Mold in Library Acquisitions
Clara Huisman (Book and Paper Conservator, University of Miami Libraries)
This presentation will outline the preventive measures the University of Miami Libraries' Preservation Department is implementing to mitigate mold in incoming collections. These include routine intake reviews, policies for accepting and remediating mold-affected materials, and participation in site visits prior to acquiring materials. The talk will examine the challenges of integrating preservation practices early in the intake process, while balancing the costs and safety requirements of biological risk management amidst the ongoing growth of the library’s collections.
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How much is enough? Re-examining the mold treatment protocol of works on paper from Harvard Library’s Special Collections 
Louise Baptiste (Senior Conservation Technician); Lisa Clark (Conservation Technician for Special Collections); Amanda Maloney (Special Collections Conservator); Kelli Piotrowski (Special Collections Conservator); and Eliza Spaulding (Helen H. Glaser Senior Paper Conservator), Weissman Preservation Center, Harvard Library 
In 2024, the Weissman Preservation Center, Harvard Library formed a working group to re-examine its mold treatment protocol of works on paper. Although well-defined, the protocol invited inquiry into long-standing questions, including: how much mold removal is enough to create the lowest possibility of regrowth? How can one treat paper with mold to maximize removal and minimize contamination during treatment? What equipment and procedures are necessary for ensuring staff safety? In this presentation and discussion, the authors share their current mold treatment protocol and the questions they’ve been investigating to think collectively through possible solutions.
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Effective Collaboration for Mold Remediation and Policy Development at the University of Michigan Library
Marieka Kaye (Director, Preservation Services, Physical Collections, University of Michigan Library)
Marieka will share the University of Michigan Library's experiences working with disaster recovery company BELFOR for mold remediation. She will highlight the process of sending library materials to be professionally remediated and tactics to keep valuable resources safe and preserved. Marieka will talk about the challenges and opportunities of working in a university where a centralized Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) department establishes rules regarding mold remediation. She will elaborate on the collaborative work between her library and the EHS crew to prepare a comprehensive standard operating procedures guide for working with mold. Marieka hopes to provide guidance for other institutions to balance vendor relationships with institutional policies, permitting a proactive and coordinated response for mold remediation and prevention.