1. Mold
2. Pests
3. High Humidity
4. Water damage
4.1. Environmental risks
4.1.1. Building Envelope (Exterior) Leaks
4.1.2. Flooding
4.1.3. Catastrophic damage
4.2. Interior leaks
4.2.1. Plumbing
4.2.2. Condensation
5. Physical degradation
5.1. Unstable storage
5.1.1. Messy shelving
5.1.2. Inappropriate storage fixtures
5.1.2.1. Should reflect format
5.1.3. No housings, enclosures, or encapsulation
5.1.4. Enhanced rates of chemical decay
5.1.4.1. High temperatures
5.1.4.2. High humiditity
5.1.4.3. Pollutants
5.2. Light damage
5.3. Overuse
5.4. Rough handling
5.4.1. Fragile Format
5.4.2. Fragile Condition
6. Poor management of 'special' collections
6.1. Little institutional knowledge of collections
6.1.1. Ignorant of potential value of 'special' collections
6.2. Few resources
6.2.1. No staff with explicit custodial responsibilities
6.2.2. Limited funds
6.3. Lack of policies
6.3.1. Lack of security
6.3.2. Poor inventory control
6.3.2.1. Missing or Misplaced objects
6.3.3. Limited potential and capacity to acquire anything new of distinction
6.3.3.1. Opportunity lost to preserve community memory