Hello all,
Over ten years ago, some of my museum’s instrument collection, mostly brass instruments, were placed in offsite storage (this predates myself and current leadership). The instruments with cases were kept inside them, placed inside plastic bags, and tied shut. Instruments without cases were placed in plastic bags and tied shut. These were then stored on shelves fully covered with plastic but not sealed. At one point, this building became infested with bats. The building no longer has a bat problem, and the guano has been removed. We are now addressing these instruments and determining if they are safe to keep or if we need to cut our losses and deaccession everything. What is your professional opinion on musical instruments and exposure to guano? Are there any conservation treatments we can perform to make them safe for us and the rest of the collection? Or do they pose a risk to the non-contaminated instruments? What about the public if they are ever exhibited? Any thoughts, suggestions, or recommendations are appreciated. Please feel free to respond off list as well. Thank you, Sarah Cohen -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "MuseumPests" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to pestlist+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/pestlist/CAFobeRoDfK6DagBBHvbvMXOJZAe0DPnrC3CvYfWerG6bNMs%3DWw%40mail.gmail.com.
