Drenched Pages: A Primer on Wet Books

Abstract

Molds readily grow on wet books, documents, and other library materials where they ruin them chemically, mechanically, and aesthetically. Poor maintenance of libraries, failures of Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) systems, roof leaks, and storm damage leading to flooding can all result in accelerated fungal growth. Moreover, when fungal spores are present at high concentrations in the air, they can be linked to severe respiratory conditions and possibly to other adverse health effects in humans. Climate change and the accompanying storms and floods are making the dual potential of fungi to biodegrade library holdings and harm human health more common. This essay is intended for microbiologists without much background in mycology who are called in to help librarians who are dealing with mold outbreaks in libraries. Our goal is to demystify aspects of fungal taxonomy, morphology, and nomenclature while also recommending guidelines for minimizing mold contamination in library collections.