Case Studies
Tinytag data loggers play key role in environmental management for district museum
Monitoring the museum environment is crucial for proper collections care. The Novium Museum, Chichester’s district museum, uses Tinytag View 2 data loggers to gather temperature and relative humidity data to help preserve their collections.
Built over the remains of a Roman bathhouse, The Novium Museum in Chichester, West Sussex, is home to a collection of over 500,000 objects telling the rich history of Chichester District. Items in The Novium Museum’s collection include archaeological and geological objects, social history and photography. All of the artefacts held by the Museum must be kept in the correct conditions to ensure their best chances of survival for years to come.
One of the main areas of conservation work at the Museum is the continuous monitoring of the museum environment. Unsuitable or unstable environmental conditions can cause historic materials to deteriorate, so it is important that the Museum's environment is monitored and appropriately regulated. Ideal conditions for the preservation of museum artefacts is a steady temperature of around 20°C and stable humidity levels of between 35-45% RH.
To monitor temperature and humidity levels inside object display cases, The Novium Museum uses Tinytag View 2 TV-4501 temperature and relative humidity data loggers. The View 2 loggers have display screens for spot-checking (while also recording for the long-term) and come in discreet grey casing, making them ideal for use in a museum setting.
Taking recordings every three minutes, the loggers provide a comprehensive picture of the environment inside the cases. Data is downloaded once a month for review and analysis using the Tinytag Explorer software; if any unusual or concerning readings are discovered, action is taken to investigate the cause and remedy the issue. Evidence of fluctuating conditions inside a display case, for example, might indicate the need for new seals or the expiry of silica gel (used to regulate humidity).
The loggers are also occasionally used to monitor conditions in the exhibition rooms, as this can impact the environment inside display cases. This also helps the Museum to assess the performance of the building's temperature and humidity control system, enabling them to identify if environmental problems are arising from faults in this system. Continuous long-term monitoring has also allowed the museum to provide evidence when making grant and loan applications.
Portia Tremlett, Public Programme Engagement Officer for The Novium Museum, explains why monitoring with Tinytags is so important: "Without the use of Tinytags," says Portia, "we would be unable to monitor our collections when on display or choose the correct objects for display in different parts of the gallery."
Portia comments on the Museum's experience using Tinytags. "Tinytag data loggers are simple, easy to use, but very effective. They have enabled us to continue to care for our collections whilst on display and in storage, and allowed us to provide huge amounts of data to prospective museums who may lend objects for temporary exhibitions. Gemini Data Loggers as a company has always been extremely helpful and informative."
The Novium Museum received a grant in June 2020 to allow them to upgrade their monitoring programme with the Tinytag Connect system, a remote radio- and LAN-enabled monitoring system. The Museum plans to utilise Tinytag Radio data loggers, which send data automatically to a central computer for immediate, real-time viewing - one of the key advantages of remote monitoring. The convenient, user-friendly system will help to save the museum valuable time and allow them to respond to problems as they arise.
Related Case Studies
-
Tinytag data loggers monitor temperature and humidity levels for Berkshire Record Office
It is critical for archive environments to maintain adequate environmental levels in areas where historical records are held. An unsuitable environment, including inappropriate temperature and humidity levels, can adversely impact the condition of precious materials, causing issues such as mould growth and accelerating the rate of material deterioration.
-
Long-term monitoring for museum preservation | Tinytag monitoring solutions
Rushden Transport Museum in Northamptonshire is uniquely situated in the Victorian-era Rushden Station. Housing a large collection of items relating to the history of road and rail transport, as well as the social history of the local area, the old station building and the Museum’s storage – a nearby port-a-cabin – are enigmatic surroundings for such collections – but are not ideal environments for displaying and storing sensitive museum collections.
-
Plastics conservation at the Museum of Design in Plastics | Tinytag
Despite media reports telling us that plastics last forever, from a museum and conservation perspective, they are particularly sensitive materials that are vulnerable to slight fluctuations in environmental conditions.
Contact Us >
Get in contact with us by email:
Alternatively you can call us on:
+44 (0) 1243 813000
Tinytags in Museums >
Find out how to use Tinytag data loggers in museums, galleries and archives.
View articleData Loggers >
Monitor the display, storage and conservation of sensitive items in museums and archives with a Tinytag data logger.
View data loggers