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Re: mouse droppings



Anne,

Thanks very much for alerting everyone to this important issue.  When I
was in library school--some twenty years ago--I remember that a new
disease was added--"librarian's lung" after a number of people had
serious respiratory problems after handling 19th century sheet music.  The
music was printed on poor quality acidic paper and was literally crumbling
in their hands and the dust particles caused problems when inhaled.

As an intern at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, I also remember the
steps we went through to disinfect the many materials we received from
tropical countries though the concern then was primarily with insect
infestations.

Sincerely,

jrj


Judith Rice-Jones, MA, MLIS          jricejones@uccs.edu
Social Sciences Librarian            719 262-3175
University of Colorado               Fax 719 528-5227
P.O. Box 7150                        "Unless we change the direction we are
Colorado Springs, CO                 going, we may end up where we are
80933-7150                           headed."      Chinese proverb








On Fri, 26 May 2000, Anne Foster wrote:

> I just had a similar conversation a week or so ago with a colleague at the
> Pikes Peak Library District.  At the time, I suggested she contact the
> Center for Disease Control at http://www.cdc.gov/, they have an A-Z list of
> horrible diseases and ways to prevent them.  They also have an email hotline
> for questions.  She did contact them and the upshot is that the hantavirus
> lasts only for a short time, a few days at most.  As her records had been
> stored, unopened, in the library for more than a year the collection was no
> longer dangerous (just icky). If the collection is more recent, you might
> contact the CDC to see if freezing kills the virus.  Perhaps we should get a
> definitive response from the CDC--about all possibilities and ways to
> protect ourselves--posted to the list.  I think it might be a useful
> addition the list archives.
>
> What other dangers are out there lurking?  Maybe a conference session with
> an OSHA representative would be useful.
>
> Anne L. Foster
> Archival Fellow
> Center of Southwest Studies
> Fort Lewis College
> 1000 Rim Dr.
> Durango CO 81301
> foster_a@fortlewis.edu
> www.fortlewis.edu/acad-aff/swcenter/
> phone: 970.247.7456
> fax: 970.247.7422
>
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A posting from the Archives & Archivists LISTSERV List!

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      In body of message:  SUB ARCHIVES firstname lastname
                    *or*:  UNSUB ARCHIVES
To post a message, send e-mail to archives@listserv.muohio.edu

Or to do *anything* (and enjoy doing it!), use the web interface at
     http://listserv.muohio.edu/archives/archives.html

Problems?  Send e-mail to Robert F Schmidt <rschmidt@lib.muohio.edu>