Planning for a Sustainable Climate Control System and Collection Storage in an Old San Juan Historic Building

FAIN: PF-266779-19

La Casa del Libro, Inc. (San Juan, PR 00901-1518)
Karen Cana-Cruz (Project Director: February 2019 to May 2022)

A planning project to design a new collections storage area and HVAC system for the special collections held by La Casa del Libro, a museum housed in two adjoining historic buildings in Old San Juan, Puerto Rico.  The collections consist of more than 6,000 rare books, from manuscripts to incunabula (early printed books from 1450 to 1501) to modern printed works; contemporary art books and graphic works made by Puerto Rican artists; and a reference library on the history of printing. 

La Casa del Libro Book Museum & Special Library seeks a NEH Sustaining Cultural Heritage Collections planning grant to work towards the redesign of its HVAC systems and collection storage facilities which were compromised by the 2017 hurricanes to provide a secure space for the collection in its historic building using sustainable practices that will allow the museum to operate at its full capacity, improve collection care, increase energy efficiency and reduce exposure to failures that threaten or could damage the collection.