Preservation Week is the last week of April, and raises awareness about the various ways that libraries and archives work to preserve and protect their materials.

In Special Collections, one of the ways we preserve our collections is checking items for mold. Materials age and temperature and humidity changes can cause different types of mold to grow.

When we find mold in the archive, the items are wrapped in thick plastic and isolated in what we lovingly refer to as the "Fungal Jungle." Preservationist Fleur van der Woude then reviews the items and determines the best practices for treating the materials. Actions like this help to ensure that materials are preserved and the information contained within them is protected for future use.