Founded in 1954 by Dr. ASW Rosenbach and his brother Philip, the new Rosenbach Library in Philadelphia offers a variety of exhibits related to books and literature as well as the fine and decorative arts. Separate surviving copies of Benjamin Franklin's Poor Richard's Almanac and James Joyce's Ulysses from the collection collected by the brothers. The collection has expanded over time, and visitors now also have the opportunity to examine a selection from Stoker's 125-page working notes of his 1897 novel, The Dracula.
Stoker's notes, including overviews, character lists, and records of his research and readings on vampires and other demons, were the inspiration behind the museum's "Dracula and Friends" exhibit, which runs from late September to In early November, as part of the museum's annual Vampire Festival.
Cathy Haas, curatorial assistant at the cast, said that in order to avoid the risk of loss and to preserve Stoker's notes and all of Rosenbach's rare books, manuscripts, and objects well, the museum needs to maintain a certain humidity, temperature , the light level. "Because our target is sensitive, we keep things as stable as possible," she explains, and museums typically limit the length of exhibits to four months to prevent too much exposure to light.
Expertly monitoring the indoor environment, the museum's curators ONSET data loggers, U12-012, are installed in every exhibit hall, every storage area, and, occasionally, in showcases that are included on loan to the museum. The data logger is also placed in the transport box the object is rented to ensure that the temperature and humidity remain stable during transport. Because these devices are small and portable, the ONSET data logger UA-002-08 can be located in sight without affecting the visitor experience. -
Haas noted, "With thousands of books and manuscripts on paper," relative humidity levels are an outstanding concern for scientific names. Too much humidity and the paper can absorb moisture, mold can develop, and can cause book bindings to warp.
To circumvent these potential problems, ONSET data logger H21-002 is used to measure and record relative humidity every ten minutes. The goal is to maintain a relative humidity of about 50%, and if conditions deviate too much, staff take action to correct the environment. Curators also track humidity levels over time to identify long-term fluctuations in humidity, which can also damage artifacts.
Temperature can also significantly affect museum objects. Temperature changes can cause pieces to expand and contract, and temperature can cause damage; temperature can also speed up the chemical processes of deterioration and decay. Haas points out that “what is the object of the heart is not always the person of the heart,” so they need to balance the temperature of the visitor’s comfortable museum collection and decoration requirements.
Due to the history of both buildings housing the Rosenbach Museum and Library, maintaining the required environmental conditions can be challenging. Fortunately, by monitoring these conditions with the ONSET data logger UA-002-64, museum staff were able to make the necessary changes to correct or mitigate the range of conditions. Also, fill out equipment standard forms when using temperature and humidity data, all museum requirements prior to entrustment. Some data loggers UA-002-64, H21-002, S-LIA-M003, UA-002-08, U12-012, U30-NRC, U30-WIFI, U30-GSM, U30-ETH, RX3000 are also equipped with Light intensity sensors so Rosenbach curators can ensure sensitive items are not exposed to more light than recommended.
With accurate humidity, temperature, light intensity monitoring data loggers and ONSET Rosenbach Museum and Library staff carried out, all the rarities, including notes on the work of vampires.
