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

Written By Dmitri Schmidt

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!

Dmitri Schmidt

Dmitri plays a pivotal role in coordinating Backlog’s outreach efforts. They curate our weekly #FridayFinds and #ArchivalTips social media posts, shedding light on items discovered in our genealogy work and providing tips and tricks to approaching problems in the archives.

Dmitri holds a Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology and German Studies from Saint Louis University. During their university years, they dedicated over 1000 hours to interning and volunteering at local St. Louis institutions, including the St. Louis Science Center and the St. Louis University Museum of Art. As the Collections Intern at the Science Center, Dmitri assisted in developing and installing the "Into the Vault" exhibit.

Before joining Backlog, Dmitri served as a Fulbright Grantee, teaching English as a second language in former East Germany. From guiding 11th graders in analyzing pop albums as poetry to discussing the significance of the civil rights movement with 8th graders, they covered a broad spectrum of subjects. While reveling in connecting with students and injecting fun into grammar lessons, Dmitri's deep passion for all things archival eventually drew them back home.

Today, Dmitri works as a Herbarium Assistant at the Missouri Botanical Garden, helping digitize the millions of preserved plant specimens. After being scanned and transcribed, these images aid scholars around the globe in furthering botanical research. Dmitri also serves as the archivist for the Kirkwood Historical Society. They are currently overseeing the “Journeys into Kirkwood’s History” project, which aims to digitize documents related to Kirkwood’s early Black settlements.

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