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Risk Assessment and Salvage Guide

 

5.0 Salvage

 

The kind of salvage operation you need to instigate will depend upon the type of emergency you are faced with. It will also depend upon the time you have available to you, the resources you have available, whether that be staff, funding or space. Once this has been established it is necessary to act in accordance with the priorities determined by the emergency team.

 

5.1 Mould

If the emergency affecting your collection is the development of mould the material affected must be removed and frozen. The removal of mould should then be done in consultation with a conservator. The temperature and humidity of the room must be measured immediately and restored to suitable levels, i.e. 65°F relative humidity 45% ±5. To achieve this it will be necessary to turn off heaters, establish good circulation of air using fans, open windows and doors, remove any wet material or refuse etc. It may be necessary to use dehumidifiers, however it is important to monitor the humidity because if conditions are too dry they may cause some materials to become brittle.

For the treatment of mould see:

5.2 Insects and Rodents

The extent of the infestation and the type of insect should be determined. The use of sprays etc. on the material may be damaging so consult a conservator. Clean the affected area and remove any refuse etc. as detailed in PREVENTION. Traps should be laid for rats and the point of access identified and sealed. Again the area should be thoroughly cleaned.

For useful advice on pest control try:

5.3 Human Agents

Theft

The theft should be reported to the authorities and places likely to encounter them, e.g. rare booksellers. Security should be reviewed and strengthened where necessary.

Vandalism

The incident should be reported, the damaged material removed and repaired as required.

5.4 Fire

Once the response plan has been instigated and the area deemed safe for re-entry the bulk of the damage encountered will probably be water-damage. This takes priority over, charred smoke-damaged material and is covered in the next section. Charred material will be brittle so careful handling is required. Material should be removed to the pre-determined area where environmental conditions are stable and suitable. Items that are charred or soot damaged can be repaired easily and are generally stable and so will not take precedence over water-damaged items. Items damaged by fire, that haven't experienced water damage should be cleaned and repaired under the advice of a conservator.

For more on fire damage see:

5.5 Water damage

Water damage is probably the most likely form of damage you will have to deal with, as it can result from a number of disaster events, faulty plumbing, storms, fire etc. Once again speed is of the essence, and the aim is to stabilise material as quickly as possible, to ensure that they absorb only the minimal amount of water as well as to arrest the development of mould.

When the source of the leak has been identified and stopped the area should be cleared of debris and clutter to allow easy access, doors and windows opened, fans employed, and heating turned off. The salvage teams should work to the priority list, removing and freezing water-soluble material, or photographic material as quickly as possible, saturated material taking precedence over partially wet items (the removal of the wettest material will also help to reduce the humidity level.) Books that are floating or submerged in water can be left (unless they contain water-soluble material) until priority items have been dealt with, as mould will not develop until they are removed. Wet material should be handled with great care. No attempt should be made to open wet books, or separate sheets that have become stuck together. The only exception to this rule is material that is printed on coated paper (art paper), which needs to be interleaved with siliconized paper, when wet, otherwise it will form a solid block.

When material has been removed from the crisis area it should be divided into sections for freezing, for air-drying and for specialist treatment. There may be confusion in some cases as to what should be frozen and what can be immediately air-dried. In this case the relevant material should be frozen anyway, as later on it can be thawed and air-dried if necessary.

Freezing

Saturated material must be frozen as quickly as possible (mould can set in as soon as 48hrs, after initial water-damage.) The material should be wrapped in freezer paper and packed in cartons, ensuring that there is ample room in each carton for air to circulate. It is important that an exact record is kept as to what is in each carton, and the type of material that it is. The material is then frozen in the cartons. Plastic milk crates are most suitable for this. Separate sheets should be placed on flat trays, such as the kind bakers use.

Once frozen, swelling and the development of mould is arrested, however the material is not dried nor the threat of mould removed. There are a number of drying methods available at that stage, the material can be thawed and air-dried, it can be freeze dried, vacuum thermal dried, vacuum freeze-dried. Some of these methods can be expensive, and facilities may not be easily accessed, and so these factors must be taken into account when deciding. It is helpful if excess mud is washed from material before freezing, but not essential, so this must only be done if time is available. Books should be held, closed tightly, in cold, clean running water and dabbed lightly with a sponge. Under no circumstances should they be rubbed as this will cause further damage. Under no circumstances should material containing water-soluble components be washed. Again, if you are unsure about washing an item, freeze it, as it can be cleaned at a later stage.

Air-drying

For air-drying, a room well removed from the emergency area needs to be identified and good circulation, using fans etc, established. Books should be placed in circles, upside down upon absorbent material, such as un-inked newsprint. This material needs to be replaced at regular intervals. Covers will need to be opened slightly to achieve this. If they will not balance they can be placed, spine-up, with the weight resting on the text. Dehumidifiers can be used as part of this process; however books need to be monitored carefully to ensure that they do not become brittle. As books dry from the outer edges in, it is important to confirm that the entire book is dry before repairing or replacing in the general collection. This method is time and resource consuming as material has to be monitored, and a lot of space is needed. It may not be an ideal method, therefore, for large quantities of material, or for very wet material.

After drying, repair and restoration may be necessary and this should be done in consultation with the appropriate specialists before the material is replaced in the collection.

Specialist Treatment

Items such as negatives, film and microfilm should not be frozen, but should be transported for specialist treatment in their boxes, cans etc, which should be filled with clean, cold water. These can then be put in plastic cartons lined with black sacks. There is a lot of information available, detailing drying techniques and other methods of salvaging water-damaged materials. It is worthwhile reading as much information as possible and deciding on the most relevant to your particular collection. The following web-sites provide good detailed drying procedures,