Actually LTO tape drives (and tapes) are really tolerant to dust. Several of my customers have LTO changers in rooms where there was wall work and painting done

Actually LTO tape drives (and tapes) are really tolerant to dust. Several of my customers have LTO changers in rooms where there was wall work and painting done, with tons of thick dust. The drives still work. Actually one of the changer failed, but that's the changer arm, not the drives.