Microbiological characterization in specific environment in a university library in its composition and quality

• Autor(a) principal: Portela, Patricia de Oliveira
• Data de Publicação: 2019
• Outros Autores: Kozusny-Andreani, Dora Inés
• Tipo de documento: Artigo
• Idioma: por
• Título da fonte: Em Questão (Online)
• Texto Completo: https://seer.ufrgs.br/index.php/EmQuestao/article/view/89846
• topic: Acervos bibliográficos – contaminação; Preservação documental; Micro-organismos

Conservation and preservation of a library’s information material are necessary to extend the duration of their physical support and to ensure the integrity of historical, technical and scientific production for future generations. This study aims at characterizing the microorganisms in a specific environment in a university library that may cause damage to the collection and possible harm to the health of the users. It is an applied research which adopts experimental procedure and both qualitative and quantitative approaches. Samples were taken from the air and from 24 books. All samples were cultivated in plates with both selective and non-selective media for fungi and bacteria and incubated at 37 °C for 24h up to 48h (bacterial media) and for 4 up to 15 days (fungal media). Afterwards, colonies were enumerated, and their characteristics were evaluated. Conventional biochemical identification methods were performed. Results revealed molds, yeasts and bacteria and indicated numerical variations relating to the microorganism on book surface and in the air: although microbiota count in the air was significantly higher than that on the books, the later presented greater variety of microorganisms than the former.