This International Standard specifies the characteristics of general-purpose repositories used for the long-term storage of archive and library materials. It covers the sitting and construction of the building and the installation and equipment to be used.
It applies to all archive and library materials held in general-purpose repositories, where mixed media may be stored together. It does not preclude the establishment of separate areas or compartments within individual repositories, where the environment can be controlled to create conditions suiting the needs of specific archive materials.
It does not cover special requirements for the long-term storage of not or not fully paper-based documents such as parchment or vellum, photographic documents or machine-readable documents.
It also does not cover repository management procedures.
In a number of fields, national or local building regulations may cover in detail such matters as construction, safety and security for public buildings and buildings in which valuable objects are stored (fire precautions, emergency exits, security against earthquakes, theft, burglary, terrorist acts, etc.), as well as services and equipment in professional use. This International Standard therefore avoids detailed rules and regulations in these fields, except when recommending what may be additions to these requirements.