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Comment by GCA10 | Hacker News Reader

I've visited that library. It's a high-ceiling architectural joy, but unless you're deeply, deeply into repetitive religious tracts of 600 years ago, most of the collection is more of a curiosity than a valuable resource to modern scholars.

To answer @Amerzarak's question, the abbey is in a rural setting without an immediate surrounding community of researchers or urban resources. So, yes, no air-conditioning. The floors are polished; the ticket-takers are friendly, and the guides have a handful of stories that they tell well. For aesthetics, it would be nice if they can preserve everything. But in terms of scholarly impact, this wouldn't be on my list of the world's 1,000 historic collections most worth preserving in their entirety.

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> but unless you're deeply, deeply into repetitive religious tracts of 600 years ago, most of the collection is more of a curiosity than a valuable resource to modern scholars.

It's an abbey, so they are probably into religious tracts and it has cultural and sentimental value to them. E.g. if it has a Bible from the 13th century then it's worth preserving even if it's just the usual stuff.

Potentially some of the books are also palimpsest, and perhaps if examined closely might have more ancient writings on them like lost Greek histories, poetry, or philosophy. I understand that the repurposing of paper was quite common back then.

> I've visited that library. It's a high-ceiling architectural joy, but unless you're deeply, deeply into repetitive religious tracts of 600 years ago, most of the collection is more of a curiosity than a valuable resource to modern scholars.

You know, there are modern scholars that study that stuff, both directly and as a resource for studying other areas.

I believe the "unless" conditional covers that.

What about the modern scholars bit?

They have electricity though right? Then they’re not too rural to have AC?

You can't slap a window unit on World Heritage sites: https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/758

Ah, if you've got the budget (and stature) of the U.S. Library of Congress, you can probably figure out how install all the necessary ductwork in a giant, multi-chambered old building that wasn't built with AC in mind. (Fun article is here about how they do it: https://www.aoc.gov/explore-capitol-campus/blog/librarys-hva...)

But it's worth browsing pictures of the abbey to get a sense of how challenging this would be. https://www.comece.eu/christian-artworks-benedictine-archabb... Most books reside in giant, wall-flush bookcases with no natural ventilation. Establishing decent airflow -- without accidentally ruining structural walls or turning the bookcases into perforated messes -- seems very hard.

> […] install all the necessary ductwork in a giant, multi-chambered old building that wasn't built with AC in mind.

You do not need to run ducts, just piping for (say) mini-splits.

Only US is obsessed with ductwork. Most of the world prefers mini-splits.

We have mini splits too. It's just that many homes already have ducts. Also, a lot of people unfortunately find the indoor units unsightly.

Yes, they are just not popular here. All new US houses are built with airducts as well, so it's not just old homes.

By the way, I was always curious why installing splits _in_ the room. I understand multi-story apartments, where there's no other place. But if we're talking about detached houses you have an attic (where the airducts go), or a ceiling (where recessed lights go). Can we put splits in there? I can see problems with power delivery, condensate diversion, but they are the same if we install them _in_ the room. But in return you get fine-tuned climate control, and no pressure difference problems (no need for bypasses to prevent slamming doors with ducts).

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