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SBE21 Sustainable Built Heritage

Paper 338

Comfort based investigation on historic libraries for user satisfaction and preservation of paper-based collections

Authors: C Turhan (1), C Topan (2), Z Durmus Arsan (3), T Goksal Ozbalta (4) and G Gokçen Akkurt (5)

  1. Department of Energy Systems Engineering, Atılım University, 06830 Incek, Ankara, Turkey
  2. Energy Engineering Programme, Izmir Institute of Technology, Gulbahce Campus, 35430 Urla, Izmir, Turkey
  3. Department of Architecture, Izmir Institute of Technology, Gulbahce Campus, 35430 Urla, Izmir, Turkey
  4. Department of Civil Engineering, Ege University, 35040 İzmir, Turkey
  5. Department of Energy Systems Engineering, Izmir Institute of Technology, Gulbahce Campus, 35430 Urla ,Izmir, Turkey

Abstract:

Historic libraries preserve cultural heritage values while housing rare manuscripts and paper-based collections. The collections in the libraries are deteriorated chemically, biologically and mechanically due to inappropriate indoor environment conditions such as temperature and relative humidity fluctuations and microbiological conditions. Apart from preserving vulnerable paper-based collections, accommodating of a considerable thermal comfort level for visitors is essential in historic libraries. The aim of this study is to analyse indoor environment of a historic library in terms of thermal comfort and preventive conservation of paper-based collections. Izmir National Library, built in 1933, is selected as a case study. Indoor air temperature,relative humidity and air velocity in the library were monitored with a one-year measurement campaign. Meanwhile, thermal comfort of the visitors was assessed with PMV/PPD indices and thermal sensation surveys. The results show that high chemical degradation risk is detected in the library while biological and mechanical degradations are in the low risk zone. On the other hand, 87% and 93%of the visitors feel thermally satisfied in heating and cooling seasons, respectively.

Keywords: Paper based collections; Preventive conservation;Thermal comfort; Historic libraries

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This paper is for personal use during the conference and may not be divulged to others.

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