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Rare books light and UV verification

by MASTER

Confirm exhibit lighting and case UV filtering meet collection-care limits before opening or after any lighting or filter change. Use objective meters and a short checklist to decide if adjustments are required.

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What's inside

Rare books light and UV verification

Confirm exhibit lighting and case UV filtering meet collection-care limits before opening or after any lighting or filter change. Use objective meters and a short checklist to decide if adjustments are required.

⏱ 30 min ★ Medium
Target

Lux and UV transmission at the book surface have not been measured since the last fixture or filter change.

Obstacle

Restricted access inside cases and varying lamp angles make consistent meter positioning and repeatable readings difficult. Some filters are unlabelled, so you may need to test multiple points to find the worst-case transmission.

Expectation

Recorded lux and UVA/UVB readings at the object plane are compared to collection thresholds and flagged if any value exceeds limits.

Tools
  • • Lux meter (photometer) — 1
  • • UV radiometer (UVA/UVB) — 1
  • • Telescoping meter pole or tripod — 1
Steps
  1. 01
    Prepare meters and inspection plan
    Verify meter calibration dates and battery levels, set lux meter to lux mode, power up UV radiometer and note its zero, identify representative measurement points on the book surface and record current fixture settings.
    ⏱ 5 min
  2. 02
    Measure visible illuminance at object plane
    Place the lux sensor at the object plane at center, upper edge, and lower edge positions and record lux values and fixture dimming for each point.
    ⏱ 10 min
  3. 03
    Measure UVA/UVB and check filter transmission
    With the UV sensor at the same locations, record UVA and UVB readings; where possible measure outside and inside glazing to calculate percent transmission and identify any hotspots.
    ⏱ 8 min
  4. 04
    Log results and identify corrective actions
    Enter all readings into the exhibit log, compare each value to collection thresholds (e.g., <50 lux for sensitive items and specified UV limits), mark exceedances, and note required adjustments or follow-up inspections.
    ⏱ 7 min