LibViz: a visualisation toolkit to support the preservation of the Old Library

Abstract The Old Library of Trinity College Dublin is an internationally renowned research library and a major tourist attraction in Dublin. The building houses the treasures of the Library collection which includes important early medieval Irish manuscripts such as the Book of Kells and the Book of Durrow. The Preservation and Conservation Department of the Library has raised concerns about the impact the environment within the Old Library is having on the long term preservation of the collections. The location of the building in the city centre, the structure of the building, and the impact of large number of visitors to the Long Room is causing damage to the collection. The department is assessing the indoor environment and developing a strategic plan to remedy the situation. This paper introduces ongoing work on a system that visualises the environmental data including dust level and dispersion, and temperature and relative humidity in specific rooms of the Old Library. We are developing a user interface where the environmental conditions can be viewed over time. An additional goal of the tool is to monitor the impact of changes implemented as a result of the preservation plan.