I just picked up some manuscripts at a great price. Although they were in good condition they had a musty smell to them. There is no visible mildew just the smell. Two questions:

1- Is there a process that I can rid them of the smell without ruining them.

2- Is it safe to put them in my library- or should they be isolated.

Thanks

The musty smell may be coming from fungus you can't see. Fungi need a dark, warm and damp environment to thrive. If you expose each page to sunlight for a few minutes, you may be albe to kill the source of the smell. Sunlight has its own downsides, though, as it bleaches ink and paper in the long run. So there are tradeoffs.

I'd keep these items isolated, as fungi can spread through the air.

I see that you live in FL, so you live in a warm humid environment. If you don't want to expose the pages to sunlight for a short time, perhaps you could try leaving them open in a room with air-conditioned - but dry - air, and see what that gets you.

Good luck.

Clay

On non-critical items, I have used Lysol® spray to get rid of the musty smell. I open the book and fan the pages, then give a light spray above it, letting the Lysol® settle on and between the pages. I don't saturate the book.

I've never had a problem with this, and have never damaged a book. But I have also never done it to a 17th century manuscript, either.

Sunlight is probably a better solution.

You can also microwave the book to kill any critters that may be present. This is a technique that is used by antique dealers. I have done it with some older books. You should probably experiment with some unimportant books of a similiar size.

What I would do is too freeze the items first. A day or two would be fine to kill most anything. Then take your items and put them in a plastic bag. Then place USED (must be used!) dryer softner sheets in the back. If you can, try not ot have them touch the books etc. The more sheets you use, the faster the odor dissipates. It should take 2-3 weeks depending. Hope this helps.