Tip #9: No matter how malevolent mold may seem, it’s not actually out to get you.

Mold: the star of many an archivist’s nightmares. As terrifying as The Creature From the Black Lagoon (1954), as all consuming as the alien lifeform from The Blob (1958), and as pervasive as the giant ant from Them! (1954). If there’s a threat to a collection that deserves a 50’s B-Movie poster, it’s mold. Like any good horror villain, mold is strange and unknowable right until your friendly neighborhood archivist- I mean scientist- explains it for you.

As you probably know, mold is a type of fungus. It’s similar to, but not identical to, mildew. And unless you have a severe outbreak, it can be mistaken for dust or dirt or even foxing (see Tip #7 for more on foxing).

Like Godzilla, mold is often sleeping just below the surface. It’s only when an environmental change occurs (think more along the lines of humidity than nuclear fallout) that the spores germinate. And then, even after you’ve halted it in it’s tracks, unless you remove it completely, it’ll just reactivate the next time the right conditions appear.

So what are the right conditions? Mold loves humidity and a nice mild temperature. While it depends on the specific species, the risk of an attack- I mean outbreak- significantly increases when the relative humidity reaches above 70%. Conveniently enough, mold also likes temperatures preferred by humans. Too hot or too cold and it won’t grow. Most of all though, mold needs food, which all too frequently takes the shape of our collections.

So what can you do about it? Right now, just stay tuned until our next episode! In the meantime, check out our webinars on YouTube to learn more about caring for your collection!