Folger Sustainable Preservation Environment Project

FAIN: PF-50048-10

Folger Shakespeare Library admin by Trustees of Amherst College (Washington, DC 20003-1004)
Stephen C. Enniss (Project Director: December 2009 to December 2011)

A planning project to develop sustainable environmental controls for one of the world's leading repositories of materials on Shakespeare and early modern European history and culture.

The Folger Shakespeare Library requests a planning grant to fund Phase 1 of the Folger Sustainable Preservation Environment Project (FSPEP), the development of an overall plan for creating and maintaining a sustainable preservation environment for the Folger's unparalleled collection of Shakespeare and early modern European resources. Preserving the collection is a critical priority of the Folger. Data collected to-date supports the conclusion that current environmental conditions at the Folger are not optimal for long-term collection preservation, with nearly all building areas showing the collections are at risk of natural aging, metal corrosion, mechanical damage, and/or mold growth. This project will be a collaborative effort of Folger facilities staff, curators, and conservators, guided by the expertise of preservation technology and energy consultants with the Image Permanence Institute (IPI) and Herzog/Wheeler & Associates.