On Friday, October 18, the Kansas Museums Association awarded a 2013 Institutional Grant Award to the Rice County Historical Society. The award was one of two presented at this year’s Annual Meeting of the Kansas Museums Association in Lawrence. The $500 award will be applied to the purchase of two dehumidifiers for the Historical Society’s storage areas.
Director Charlene Akers pointed out that humidity is a major environmental concern for the long term preservation of historical items and documents at any museum. The ideal humidity range is between 35 and 40 percent relative humidity (Rh) with temperatures between 68 and 72 degrees F. Akers pointed out that the Rice County Historical Society’s storage areas’ temperatures are fairly consistent but the humidity ranged during the past year from 31% Rh to 61% Rh. The grant purchased dehumidifiers will help create a more stable environment for items in the storage areas and hence extend their lives