Life in archives can be is dangerous. Work with many old historical files may be a health threat to researchers. We are exposed to dirt, dust and, the most dangerous, fungal mould. The threat is serious and should not be neglected — door to in the Tarnow Archive reminds it to everyone who enter the stacks.

Biohazard threat in archives is not a joke. My friend worked once with 16th-Century rabbinic book in the Vilnius Archive. On his way back to Warsaw his body begun to swell. He got anaphylaxis response immediately after living his train was taken to quarantine for two weeks.

Obviously anaphylaxis response to fungal mould is rare case, rashes happens much more often. Antibiotic ointment is must have for every researcher, just like pen and piece of paper.