Indoor Microclimate Monitoring in Heritage Buildings: The Bologna University Library Case Study

The indoor microclimate conditions of historical libraries play a pivotal role in ensuring the long-term preservation of their valuable collections, while also influencing the comfort and well-being of staff and visitors. These two objectives may be in contrast, as proved in extensive literature. Microclimate monitoring is essential to evaluate which factors could expose the content of the library to a risk of damage and to design prevention measures. This paper presents the monitoring project, the systems and methodology, and the initial results of an experimental study on the indoor microclimate conditions of the University Library of Bologna (BUL), a very relevant cultural heritage building in the historic city center. The overall objective of the monitoring project is to gain knowledge of the specific microclimate conditions and the historical climate of the three main rooms of the BUL to define the right balance between the needs of conservation and the thermal comfort of staff, users, and visitors. The paper focuses on the short-term indoor monitoring assessment, carried out in the initial phase of the monitoring campaign. This phase, rarely addressed in the literature, is crucial because it enables the collection of results that can guide and orient the entire long-term monitoring campaign. The research results produced so far demonstrate the validity of the methodological approach and the monitoring framework, as well as the reliability of the related data. Moreover, they offer insights that can support the forthcoming inclusion of the BUL in a broader museum system.