|
Books
How does light affect books on display?
Light is essential in a display environment; but when it is accompanied
by UV radiation, it can cause extreme and irreversible damage to
many of the materials found in books.
Paper can become brittle and yellow, especially if it contains
lignin.
Dyes in bookcloths and leather can fade. This can be seen in books
in storage as well. You often see books with faded spines. The spines
are exposed to the light, while the covers are protected by being
between other books.
If the books are displayed open, then inks, watercolours and photographs
in the books can fade or become discoloured.
Lighting hints
As light can be so damaging to books, it is important to consider
carefully the lighting of your display. The following hints can
minimise damage:
-
tungsten incandescent bulbs are the best form of lighting for
displaying books, because they give out very little UV radiation.
If you are using tungsten incandescent bulbs, make sure they
are not too close to the books, because the bulbs get very hot
and can damage the books. Avoid placing tungsten incandescent
bulbs inside display cases because they will raise the temperature
inside the cases to unacceptable levels, unless the display
cases have air-conditioning or mechanical ventilation;
-
fluorescent tubes give out UV radiation and should not be used
unless you are using low UV-emitting fluorescent tubes; and
-
it is important that books displayed open have their pages
turned regularly: to prevent strain on the binding and excessive
light damage to any one page.
|
