Heritage institutions throughout the world have the jurisdiction to preserve their collections in perpetuity. Failure to do so may result in loss of all information resources, historic and cultural values. Among others, heritage institutions have the responsibility to provide ideal environmental conditions in storage areas. Monitoring and controlling environmental conditions in which collections are stored is critical because unacceptable levels of these conditions contribute significantly to the breakdown of materials. Despite the various efforts made on providing ideal environmental conditions, there is lack of an appropriate management framework that can be used to achieve ideal environmental conditions in the preservation of heritage materials, specifically for the environment of Botswana. Therefore, this study sought to investigate the environmental conditions impacting upon the preservation of paper materials in the selected heritage institutions in Botswana with the aim of developing an environmental conditions management framework or strategy that can be used to improve storage conditions. The study was conducted at the Botswana Nationals Library Services (BNLS), University of Botswana Library Special Collections (UBLSC) and Botswana National Archives and Records Services (BNARS) based in Gaborone, Botswana. The study also included four local museums, namely the Department of National Museum and Monuments (DNMM) in Gaborone, The Phuthadikobo Museum (PM) at Mochudi, Kgosi Sechele Museum (KSM) in Molepolole and Khama III Memorial Museum (KMM) in Serowe. The study was guided by the ‘Benchmarks in Collections Care for Museums, Archives and Libraries’ standards as the theoretical framework. Both qualitative and quantitative data were collected through questionnaires, interviews, field observation, and document analysis. Quantitative data was analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) system, and this allowed graphical and broad themes representation of the findings. Qualitative information was content analysed and SPSS was then used for thematic presentations. Interviews were also conducted in all the selected heritage institutions.

The findings of the study revealed that various activities and procedures of preservation, particularly in relation to environmental considerations, are practiced in heritage institutions in Botswana. The findings indicate that certain aspects of policies, standards and benchmarks are considered, although there are limitations of lack of policies in four out of seven institutions studied. The findings revealed that institutions monitor and control various environmental effects such as light, temperature and relative humidity, mould, air pollution and air particulates. Moreover, institutions document and provide records on environmental conditions activities at very limited occasions.

Regarding facilities and resources, the mostly used facilities for environmental conditions were the vacuum cleaning equipment, curtains, fluorescent bulbs and brooms. Only three institutions were found to be using HVAC systems in their storage areas. Overall, the study revealed that resources and facilities required for achieving ideal environmental conditions in selected heritage institutions in Botswana are at a dismal state. A significant number of material deterioration was observed in all institutions. The major effects of deterioration observed were mainly discolouration, particulate loss due to dusty areas, brittleness/ desiccation, mould and corrosions such as foxing. A significant number of preservation challenges were observed in the selected heritage institutions in Botswana. The challenges observed in the findings were categorized into segments of: educational challenges, economic and financial challenges, disaster preparedness challenges, societal challenges, technical/operational challenges, infrastructure and equipment challenges, and administrative and planning challenges. Based on the findings, the study proposed Environmental Conditions Management Framework (ECMF) as a management tool that can be used to coordinate management of environmental conditions. Furthermore, the study provides recommendations for improvement specific to the objectives of the study. This study will make a major contribution on the body of knowledge on preservation of archives, museums and library materials in Botswana and Africa.

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