Overview
ISO/TR 19815:2018 - Information and documentation - Management of the environmental conditions for archive and library collections - is a technical report that synthesizes recent research, guidance and practical approaches for environmental management of paper‑based and mixed media collections. It provides a decision‑making framework for preservation planning and ongoing management of permanent storage conditions in archives, libraries and similar institutions. The report emphasises preventive conservation, passive control strategies, energy economy and the impacts of climate change on long‑term collection care.
Key topics and technical content
ISO/TR 19815:2018 covers a broad set of environmental management topics relevant to collection preservation, including:
- Temperature and relative humidity (RH) - principles for assessment, setting specifications and understanding impacts on materials.
- Climate and seasonal considerations - tailoring environmental strategies to local climatic zones.
- Psychrometrics - basic concepts for understanding moisture, dew point and air‑moisture interactions.
- Light, pollution and airborne contaminants - sources, effects and mitigation strategies for material degradation.
- Insects and other pests - environmental and preventive controls to reduce biological risk.
- Passive control and building solutions - construction, renovation and low‑energy approaches for microclimate stabilization.
- Energy economy and sustainability - guidance on minimising energy use while maintaining preservation goals.
- Tools and assessment methods - overview of calculators and indices (e.g., Isoperm, Preservation Index/TWPI) and energy/conditioning calculators for conservation decisions.
- Informative annexes - detailed discussions on energy economy, impacts of temperature and RH, pollutant sources, and interactions between factors affecting collections.
Note: ISO/TR 19815 is an informational report rather than a prescriptive standard - it compiles evidence and approaches to support informed decision making.
Practical applications
Institutions and professionals can use ISO/TR 19815 to:
- Develop or revise preservation plans and permanent storage specifications.
- Design HVAC and passive environmental control strategies that balance preservation and energy efficiency.
- Assess risks from humidity, temperature swings, light, pollutants and pests.
- Select monitoring, assessment tools and indices for long‑term environmental management.
- Guide renovations, new building designs and retrofits with low‑energy conservation goals.
Who should use this standard
- Archivists, librarians and collection managers
- Conservation professionals and preventive conservation teams
- Facilities managers, building designers and HVAC engineers working on cultural institutions
- Policy makers and heritage organisations setting institutional preservation strategies
Related standards
- ISO 11799 (storage and retrieval of information - changes informed by research referenced in this report)
- ISO 16814 and ISO 50001 (terminology and energy management concepts referenced)
Keywords: ISO/TR 19815:2018, environmental management, preservation planning, archives, libraries, relative humidity, temperature, preventive conservation, passive control, energy economy.