Manuskrip & buku; terasa seperti menyerahkan 'mereka' ke kebuk gas Hitler

Untuk selama-lamanya, selepas Jumaat 2 April 2010, saya tak berani lagi santai-santai memeluk dan mencium buku-buku di rak belakang seperti dulu.

Sebelum ini saya tidak pernah tahu. ‘Mereka’ semua  wajib menerima antibodi – demi preservasi.

Setahun, sekali. Secara fumigasi.

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Etelene oksida - boleh menyebabkan barah.

Over the past several decades, ethylene oxide gained such wide acceptance in the library and archival preservation world, that in spite of the risks its usage presents, it has not been easy to replace with another fumigant….Chronic exposure to ethylene oxide can increase the risk of leukemia, brain tumors and other cancers; it can cause chromosome damage and may also affect the reproductive system….It is now generally accepted that several natural, as well as synthetic polymeric materials tend to retain significant amounts of residual ethylene oxide subsequent to a fumigation treatment. The residual ethylene oxide is then gradually released into the environment over an extended period of time….In the case of fumigated library materials, this risk can be extended to unsuspecting and unprepared curators and other personnel who routinely service the fumigated materials. (daripada “Desorption of Residual Ethylene Oxide from Fumigated Library Materials“, Library of Congress).