Description: Maintaining an appropriate environment is a fundamental aspect of preservation. Temperature, relative humidity, pests, and air quality can all have a significant impact on the lifespan of collections.Temperature and HumidityControlling temperature and relative humidity is crucial for archival collections. Inappropriate levels of either contribute significantly to the
Description: Vicarious research is one of the great joys of the reference desk at the Smithsonian Institution Archives. From our front-row (well, only-row) seat outside the reading room, we catch tantalizing glimpses of our patrons’ manifold research topics.The reference team fields around 6,000 queries per year. Ask us what people have been researching recently, and you’ll get into some