Testing Climate Sensors: The Bergen City Museum Now Saves Hours of Manual Logging
The collection managers see that there is a greater industry focus on proper climate logging now than before. With technology from BEV/ART, they can automatically log the indoor climate and receive notifications directly on their mobile phones. This has already saved them hours of work.
Accustomed to Cumbersome Systems and Manual Logging
Bergen City Museum manages nine museums in a total of 105 cultural-historical buildings, of which 32 are protected. They also maintain around 180,000 objects and photographs.
The museum has always conducted some form of climate logging, but the meters are cumbersome and not well-suited to the daily operations of a museum. Retrieving data from all loggers takes several days of work.
The collection managers travel between nine museum venues, manually recording measurements approximately every third week. This leaves much room for human error and puts them behind in conservation work.
"Previously, we used a combination of small, cheaper loggers from electronics stores, and larger loggers designed for other purposes, like cold storage rooms. Some are connected to WiFi, others are not. We had to go around with a laptop, USB stick, pen, and paper. The time spent was enormous", says the managers.
"But now we can spend time on other tasks."
Measurements Every 15 Minutes
The Bergen City Museum recently started a project testing sensor technology from Bev/Art. They now receive updated climate data on their mobile every 15 minutes. The managers also get alerts when a sensor records values exceeding their preset limits.
This provides better insight into the indoor climate – even on weekends, and allows for quicker response to extreme weather.
"We see that it's raining in places where it hasn't before, and we have new leaks. For example, if we see in the Bev/Art reports that the humidity has jumped from 50% to 80%, we know something has happened. Since the sensors are connected to 4G, we can check the measurements from the couch and respond as needed," they smile.
Read article: Art Transportation and The Journey of a Dutch Renaissance Painting – It wasn't a funeral procession, but the reverence and meticulous care given to the art were just as profound.
Good Climate Data Makes It Easier to Determine Actions
The test project aims to obtain qualitative baseline data about the museum's indoor climate, making it easier to plan and prioritize climate-regulating measures.
A manual check every third week does not reveal sudden changes in the indoor climate in time, and the manual logging has only led to sporadic data that cannot be systematized or seen in context with other factors, like outdoor weather.
"It's good to have the numbers and proper measuring equipment because then we know for sure what's happening," say the managers at the museum.
"Previously, we would enter a storage room and get a strange taste in our mouths. Then we understand that there is mold there, but it's difficult to prove without expensive tests. In a database report, it later turned out that there were 10 different types of mold inside because the air quality was too poor."
Through collaboration with Bev/Art, they plan to develop an integration that compares the museum's climate log with weather data from Bergen. This will allow them to easily see if the weather directly affects damage to museum objects.
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Prioritizes Good Customer Service Over Price
At present, Bergen City Museum has climate sensors at the Lepra Museum St. Jørgen's Hospital, Damsgård Country Mansion, and Alvøen Main Building. The collection managers have installed several sensors themselves and praise the good cooperation with Bev/Art.
"We spent less than half a day on installation, but then we had customer service available on the phone. That's perhaps the best thing about Bev/Art. You can always reach them, they respond quickly, and everyone is very helpful. That's so important! We don't have time to sit a week waiting for an answer," they say.
At the same time, they emphasize that the technology is worth the price.
"There is great openness among museums in Norway, and some think that the technology seems expensive, but we don't think so. It's a bit more costly than a cheap logger at 200 kr, and in that sense, it becomes an investment, but it's worth the price.
See product: BEV/ART Custodian Sensor – The Temperature and Humidity Data Logger
Bergen's History and Identity Preserved for the Future
The Bergen City Museum is visited by about 200,000 people annually. It's important that both the buildings, interiors, and objects are preserved for future generations.
"Our collections are linked to Bergen's history and express the Bergen identity. People care very much about their city museum," say the managers.
The museum has ambitions to establish similar climate measurements in all storages and selected rooms if the technology from Bev/Art works as it should. First, the project will conclude what has worked and what the museum needs to consider moving forward.
The managers already have the visions clear.
"When we get measured and systematized data, and eventually uncover more faults, we must also intervene with measures. That goes without saying. Over time, it would be best with an annual goal that says something about what climate-preventive measures we should resort to," they say.
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