Mass Deacidification
Since the early nineteenth century, paper has been made in industrial processes using acidic substances. Over time, chemical decomposition processes cause paper to brown, grow brittle and degrade. The library collections at the Ibero-American Institute (IAI) are widely affected by this problem.
The IAI has launched a deacidification project to extend paper lifecycles and preserve valuable information. It first received funding in 2006 totaling €50,000. On September 1, 2006, the institute was incorporated into the Agreement on Conservation Services to Preserve Books and Archived Materials, signed by the Federal Interior Ministry and the Preservation Academy GmbH Leipzig (PAL). The IAI hired PAL to carry out deacidification measures in Leipzig. All told, around 600,000 books need to undergo deacidification.