Providing Sustainable Climate Control for the Archives Research Center at the University of Illinois

FAIN: PF-50357-13

Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois (Champaign, IL 61801-3620)
Jennifer E. Hain Teper (Project Director: December 2012 to April 2018)
Jeffrey M. Schrader (Co Project Director: December 2015 to April 2018)

An implementation project to install new climate control and fire suppression systems for the university's Archives Research Center, which holds a diverse collection of primary source materials for the study of American music, academic student life, the history of commercial advertising, and numerous other subjects.

The University of Illinois Library and Archives seeks a Sustaining Cultural Heritage Collections implementation grant to replace the existing climate control system for Archives Research Center (ARC), which will improve system operation, effectiveness, and energy efficiency as well as provide a preservationally sound storage environment for valuable archival holdings, which range from paper documents to historic instruments. Installation of a fire suppression system will also be included in the project. This implementation grant is a critical step towards furthering both the Library's commitment to sustainability as well as the preservation of one of the most valuable and unique collections held by the University of Illinois Libraries, which is currently stored in a less-than-ideal environment with no available fire suppression.