To prevent an emergency from becoming a disaster, quick response and recovery are essential. The documents listed below provide useful information about emergency response and salvage of library materials.
Salvage Information for Many Types of Collections
Compilation developed by the Weissman Preservation Center, 2007.
Articles and charts developed by Betty Walsh and originally published in the WAAC newsletter, 1998.
- Salvage at a Glance
- Salvage Operations for Water Damaged Archival Collections: A Second Glance
- Salvage Operations for Water Damaged Collections
Emergency Drying Procedures for Water Damaged Collections. Library of Congress online leaflet, 1998.
Salvage Information for Books and Paper
A complete list of Northeast Document Conservation Center Preservation Leaflets is available at http://www.nedcc.org/resources/leaflets.list.php. The following two leaflets can be found in Section 3: “Emergency Management”.
Procedures for Salvage of Water Damaged Library Materials. Extracts from an unpublished revised text by Peter Waters, The Library of Congress, July 1993.
Drying Wet Books and Records.
SOLINET Preservation Services online leaflet, originally written by Sally Buchanan, 1992.
Salvage Information for Photographs
Emergency Salvage of Wet Photographs. A complete list of Northeast Document Conservation Center Preservation Leaflets is available at http://www.nedcc.org/resources/leaflets.list.php.
Disaster
Recovery: Salvaging Photograph Collections, Conservation Center for Art and Historic Artifacts (CCAHA) online leaflet, written by Debra Hess Norris, Art Conservation Department at the University of Delaware, ©1998.
Salvage Information for Audio/Visual Materials
Iraci, Joe, Disaster Recovery of Modern Information Carriers: Compact Discs, Magnetic Tapes, and Magnetic Disks. Ottawa, Canada: Canadian Conservation Institute, 2002. Technical Bulletin 25. Is the most detailed and comprehensive work about salvaging these types of media. Available for purchase ($10 US) from the Canadian Conservation Institute's online Bookstore.
Iraci, Joe, Remedies for Deteriorated or Damaged Modern Information Carriers. Ottawa, Canada: Canadian Conservation Institute, 2005. Technical Bulletin 27. Focus is on the results of everyday wear and tear, but some of those conditions may complicate salvage of media damaged by disaster. Covers optical discs, magnetic tapes and magnetic disks. Available for purchase ($15 US) from the Canadian Conservation Institute's online Bookstore
Disaster Recovery. SPECS BROS. tip sheet about handling audio and video tapes following a disaster.
Fire Affected Audio Materials. ScreenSound Australia information sheet covering vinyl discs, audio tapes, cassettes, CDs, and DVDs.
Audio Preservation and Restoration Directory. Association for Recorded Sound Collections (ARSC) directory of members' services. Contains a list of vendors who may perform disaster recovery. (Members of the Harvard community should contact the Weissman Preservation Center or HCL Conservation Services for advice about selecting a vendor.)
Disaster Recovery for Films in Flooded Areas . Association of Moving Image Archivists procedure, developed following Hurricane Katrina in 2005, that outlines how to salvage home movies, but can also apply to any type of motion picture film. Contains a list of labs equipped to do salvage re-processing.
Hurricane & Flood Recovery Advice: Magnetic Tapes Can Survive Flood Exposure . SPECS BROS. information sheet written following Hurricane Katrina in 2005.
Fire Affected Videotapes. ScreenSound Australia information sheet.
Salvage Information for Textiles
Salvaging Water Damaged Textiles . American Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works (AIC) online leaflet from Disaster Response and Recovery, written by Marlene Jaffe and members of the AIC Textile Specialty Group, December 1, 1995.
Personal Collections and Family Heirlooms
Tips for the Care of Water-damaged Family Heirlooms and Other Valuables. American Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works (AIC) online leaflet from Disaster Response and Recovery.
Sources for the Recovery of Valuable Personal Belongings. Georgia Department of Archives and History online leaflet, 1998.