Moisture Threatens Rare Books at Costa Rica
Library
About 25,000 rare books and newspapers, some
dating from the 17th century, could be
damaged by moisture in the wake of the rains
earlier this weekend that flooded the
basement of the Libreria Nacional (Costa
Rican National Library).
No items suffered water damage, the
Libreria Nacional said.
Experts, however, say that the high moisture
levels in the building could harm the rare
volumes in the medium term.
The cause of the flooding has not been
determined, but officials said the water may
have come from a clogged pipe or a nearby
public works project.
Some 6,300 Costa Rican Art Museum works
stored in the building escaped damage.
This is the first time that the
Libreria Nacional has been affected by
flooding, Culture Minister Maria Elena
Carballo said, adding that experts were
working to determine what caused the water
to enter the building and to prevent it from
happening again.
The Libreria Nacional, which opened in
1890, has a collection of nearly 700,000
books, newspapers, magazines and audiovisual
materials. |
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