Throughout the year, the floors and surfaces are cleaned by the regular cleaners, Sarah Evans and Jan Quinn, who have the important job of keeping all the buildings and facilities other than the Cathedral itself spick and span. This, coupled with the fact that the Chained Library is a long way from the Exhibition entrance, helps the books to stay clean. The sophisticated environmental controls also cut down dirt in the atmosphere. Even so, by the end of the year, a fine layer of dust has built up and needs to be gently removed.

There are about 1,500 books in the Chained Library, including 227 medieval manuscripts. Members of Library staff and volunteers working together take about six days to clean them. The books are removed one shelf at a time, placed on padded tables, and their exteriors carefully cleaned with special low-suction hoovers, which have brushes about the size of a 10p coin. The shelves are wiped with microfibre dusters and the tops of the cases vacuumed before the books are replaced.

Once the books are clean, the cases are covered with dustsheets and Sarah and Jan clean and polish the floors. This year we are also cleaning the books in the Chapter Room and some of the reference books in the Library Reading Room.

The Mappa Mundi and Chained Library exhibition reopens on Monday 23 January and the Library Reading Room on Tuesday 24 January.

Doalso read this article from BBC West Midlands:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hereford-worcester-16528446