paper are more vulnerable to insect damage than others. Collections maintenance works to prevent infestations through a monitoring regime known as integrated pest management or IPM, and often involves a system of glue traps scattered throughout storage and display areas. This allows museum or repository staff to identify vulnerable locations, catch new infestations and identify the type of insect being trapped, and then act to eliminate the infestation. A range of possible treatments are available to address insect infestation. While in the past, application of chemical treatments was the preferred method, the risks they carry to human life and to the collection mean that they are rarely, if ever, used today. Instead, non-chemical methods are preferred, and include freezing, controlled heating, radiation, and anoxic treatments. Even options as simple as regulating the temperature and relative humidity of a space can be effective at curtailing an infestation, depending on the pest. Each option has benefits and drawbacks, and the choice of treatment used should be undertaken in consultation with a qualified professional. Physical Forces Physical force, as an agent of deterioration, refers to any physical action upon an object that would result in damage. Examples range from large-scale events, such as earthquakes and building collapse, down to less readily recognizable issues, such as poor support or constant vibrations. In order to prevent accidental damage due to physical forces when moving and handling museum objects, objects should be carefully inspected before being picked up, paths should be kept free of obstacles or tripping hazards at all times, rolling carts lined with polyethylene foam padding should be used for moving objects, and “all steps of a procedure must be determined in advance”. In storage, objects should be housed where they are easily accessible, and fragile objects should be well supported and stored in padded boxes or mounts. To prevent crushing, heavy boxes or other materials should not be placed on top of other boxes containing collections. Fire Collections maintenance works to prevent and minimize all risks of fire to the collection, including banning smoking, routine maintenance of fire extinguishers, and establishing and maintaining a system for the maintenance of smoke detectors (including a regular schedule of inspection, cleaning, and testing). Protection against fire is best handled in blocking or preventing threats, and secondarily to mitigate the effects of these types of threats. Collections maintenance also protects objects from fire damage with sprinkler systems,