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
Summary of Discussions 267 Thomas: First of all, I thank Mr Stewart for his intervention and do agree wholeheartedly with it. On the matter of whether to install a sprinkler system or a halon unit or to rely on the fire brigade there are several points to be made. Halon is enormously expensive and very few institutions have a halon system which protects the entire building. My other comment concerns the attitude of the fire brigade. Several of my colleagues have tried to discuss with the local fire authorities what would happen in the event of a fire, and to make the point that they are dealing with valuable and fragile documents which require careful treatment. Such materials cannot withstand pressurized water blasts, they plead. If the fire brigade comes in they should come in gently. In every instance the attitude of the fire brigade is, “you can’t tell us how to do our job. If you have a fire, we come along, use our high pressure hoses and go away.“ The damage they can do to manuscripts and books is enormous. I think you must protect yourself not only from the fire but also from the fire brigade. Buchmann: As you all have learned from my paper we decided to have a sprinkler system in the new Bundesarchiv. This, in spite of the fact that in the Federal Republic of Germany it is still a widely-held belief among archivists that water is more dangerous than fire. I am absolutely convinced this is a wrong-headed notion. So I would like to make a proposal that the use of sprinklers in archives be examined, perhaps in cooperation with UNESCO. Research with a paper to follow could be commissioned. Such a study could summarize the arguments and propose recommendations. Perhaps UNESCO might assist in the publication and circulation of this document. Stewart: I certainly second Dr Buchmann’s initiative. There is a lot of defective thinking on this subject and it would seem the responsibility of such a constituted group as ours to develop a study. Duchein: I fully endorse Dr Buchmann’s proposal for a resolution. In France we are in the midst of a controversy about sprinklers. Until now, sprinklers have been prohibited in archive repositories. Beginning January 3, 1986, however, there will be decentralization of administrative organization in France. Provincial department archives will become autonomous, meaning they will no longer be governed by the regulations of the National Archives. Already, some departments have begun to use sprinklers, so we have commissioned a special study group to decide if sprinklers should be permitted. For that reason I endorse your proposal because the study you advocate would be of the greatest utility for all archivists, especially for us in France. Ms Kamba: The floor is again open to any aspect of Mr Thomas’ paper. Any interventions? Buchmann: I think we must say, “thank you“ to you, David, because most of the data you have assembled was scattered in all manner of places, including
