Environmental Monitoring and Control at National Archives and Libraries in Eastern and Southern Africa

When national archivists and national librarians select and acquire materials, they should ensure that the materials are accessible over time. All their efforts may come to naught if the documentary materials were lost as result of being exposed to extreme environmental conditions. Environmental control and monitoring are keys to preventive preservation strategies in the management of collections in libraries and archives. Libraries and archives may fail to provide access to their holdings over time if they do not take preventive measures to protect their holdings into the future. The current study investigated environmental management at national archival institutions and national libraries in eastern and southern Africa. The results revealed that little attention was being paid to environmental control and monitoring as a collection management strategy.