Mitteilungen des Österreichischen Staatsarchivs 39. (1986)
Archive Buildings and the Conservation of Archival Material. An Expert Meeting, held in Vienna, Austria October 30 - November 1, 1985 - STEWART, William J.: Summary of Discussions
256 William J. Stewart and develop an array of archival tools and equipment. The findings of the Vienna seminar will be conveyed to them for study. Thomas: I wish to ask Dr Buchmann if he is not going to install air conditioning what is he going to do about air movement in the stack areas? Buchmann: We have a system whereby the air within each block of stacks is circulated, filtered, then heated and dried as necessary. Because of a high degree of insulation only minimal energy is required to maintain acceptable temperature and humidity levels. Nor: Dr Buchmann mentioned that the Bundesarchiv installed a sprinkler system to protect its manuscript holdings but may I inquire what type of system protects the film and other audiovisual materials? Buchmann: Of course we cannot use water in audiovisual areas where the temperature is - 9 C. In point of fact we do not have any special protection for the audiovisual repositories. We do use smoke detectors in these areas. Had we opted for a special defense we would have installed a gas system. Gas, I believe, is the only viable solution for micro and motion film and magnetic tapes. When designing the Bundesarchiv, planners emphasized preventing fires rather than fighting fires. You will recall from my earlier description that the Bundesarchiv is comprised of interconnecting blocks that fit together like a puzzle. Between the blocks are core columns that contain wiring, piping, and tubing necessary to maintain the block. Such concentration and containment, we feel, is a definite fire preventive. As I said a moment ago, we decided to rely on prevention in the audiovisual areas. I am somewhat fearful of gas, halon specifically. There have been cases of accidental discharge and having handicapped staff we were uneasy about it. Halon is not toxic but it does remove the oxygen from the air. Peball: May I clarify a point on the use of Halon. Halon is produced in several combinations of its active components, carbon, chlorine, fluorine, and bromine. One form, I believe, is toxic but the types being made available for fire protection do not present a hazard to life. Halon 1301, which is being installed in the österreichisches Staatsarchiv, has an extremely low toxicity and is considered one of the safest of the halogenated fire extinguishing agents. Halon is most useful in high value areas, such as computer rooms, document and audiovisual stacks, and rare book vaults. Intervention by Mr Eken: Perhaps I can introduce a different perspective by recounting Norway’s experience in archival construction. Norway and several of her neighbors have gone underground. The Norwegian Archives building was a long time in preparation and during that prolonged period of gestation our design plans were revised and revised again. A new committee was set
