Deposition of airborne particles within archives, libraries and museums poses a soiling hazard to the collections. Experimental methods for measuring factors that govern the rate of soiling are discussed, including measurement of atmospheric particle characteristics, particle deposition rates onto surfaces, and the effect of deposited particles on the appearance of surfaces. Mathematical models are discussed that can be used to diagnose the cause of soiling problems within buildings, and to test proposed solutions in advance of their adoption. Examples are gives of the likely effect of several approaches to particle deposition control.