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Banyumas Library uses UV light to sterilize books
A chamber called the Dropbox is used to "quarantine" returned books.
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The “Dropbox” at the Banyumas Library and Archive Agency in Central Java. (Kompas.com/Fadlan Mukhtar Zain )
T
he Banyumas Library and Archive Agency in Central Java has created a mechanism they call the Dropbox to sterilize books with ultraviolet (UV) light.
UV light is thought to be able to kill viruses contained in the droplets in the air.
Shaped like a filing cabinet, the Dropbox measures 130 by 75 by 75 centimeters. It consists of six drawers, and each fits 14 books. The books are warmed for 24 hours at 40 degrees Celsius and exposed to UV rays for 10 minutes. The books are arranged so that each receives an equal amount of radiation.
Dropbox is also equipped with an automatic temperature control which will turn off the five light bulbs inside the machine if the temperature exceeds 40 degrees Celsius.
Read also: National Library of Indonesia reopens with new health protocols
“It’s our way to keep our visitors safe,” Fuad Zein Arifin, the agency’s representative, told kompas.com. “Our concern is that books could transmit COVID-19 through direct contact or droplets that may fall on them.”
Dropbox is still under trial. The agency has used it for one week to “quarantine” returned books.
“We will evaluate the results to see whether UV light can affect the books’ conditions or change their colors,” Fuad said. (wir/wng)
