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OXFORD, Miss. (AP) — The University of Mississippi is working to get rid of mold from the Archives and Special Collections section of its library.
The Oxford Eagle reports (http://bit.ly/1LmM1Nr) the mold, found during June, is not dangerous to people or harmful to any of the collected items, and the cleaning project should be complete in a matter of weeks.
Stan Whitehorn, head of access services and operations manager, said library employees noticed the mold after realizing the heating and air conditioning system had stopped functioning at full capacity. The humidity in the room rose rapidly as a result, creating the ideal environment for mold to grow.
When the section was closed in June, precautions were taken to begin cleaning documents that were as old as the 17th century. The room was closed to the public and vacuum systems were brought in to gently pull mold spores off the items.
Whitehorn said staff and student workers take turns cleaning the books. The archive contains rare books and papers written on and by famous Mississippians. It also has other items not made of paper.
"We are lucky that we had more limited damage," said Dean of Libraries Julia Rholes. "It definitely could have been worse."
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Information from: Oxford Eagle, http://www.oxfordeagle.com
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