FIRE DAMAGE

Some methods that have had a degree of success in cleaning books after a fire are: careful use of vacuuming, use of Pink Pearl erasers and chemical sponges, and extra fine steel wool on leather bindings. Thorough airing of books has been found to help remove smoke smell after a fire. The materials should be placed on a table in the shade and slightly fanned. They should not be left outside overnight. Another technique that may be useful for removing soot is dry ice blasting. This is a process by which solid carbon dioxide is propelled at high speed and sublimates upon contact removing soot. This process is similar to sand blasting, but is non-abrasive.

Because of the hazards involved and the labor intensiveness of the task, the cleaning of fire-damaged materials might best be handled by professional conservators. However, when staff is used, breathing masks should be worn to prevent inhaling soot, and proper ventilation of the work area should be maintained. Staff with respiratory problems should never be allowed to enter the work area.

WATER DAMAGE

Although daunting tasks, salvage and restoration efforts in the case of water-related disaster have a much greater chance of success in comparison to large-scale fire damage, as long as proper measures are taken expeditiously. The following section presents guidelines to be used in developing salvage procedures as a specific response to a water disaster, but, as pointed out in the previous section, a more complete examination of detailed procedures supplied in the Appendix to this Manual and current literature, along with recommendations from experts, should first be made before beginning of any recovery operation.

Assessment of Damage

• Remember, replacement of damaged materials will almost always be less expensive than restoration. Follow established salvage priorities and emphasize restoration of materials which cannot be replaced.

• Attempt to secure a decision from Library Administration on what can be discarded before salvage operations begin, as this will speed the recovery effort.

• Ascertain whether water has been contaminated (e.g., with ash or soot from fire, or polluted as a result of a sewage system leak, etc.). Fungicidal sterilization may be called for.

• Attempt to gain the most accurate possible idea of the extent and degree of damage as it will determine the nature of the actions to be taken, the size and nature of the salvage team, the supplies needed, and other vital factors.

Stabilization and Control of Conditions

• Wet books will develop destructive mold within 48 hours. Heat and humidity foster its growth. Therefore, reduce temperature and humidity. Create maximum air flow using fans, air conditioning system, etc.

• Damp books are susceptible to mold. Books immersed in water will not mold as air is needed for it to grow. Under most conditions, books immersed in water should be temporarily allowed to remain there, or be placed in clean, running water until ready for removal for treatment.

• Books that are tightly shelved will mold only on the outer edges. Do not separate them until they are ready to be treated.

• If mold growth has begun, the affected items should be isolated and thoroughly dried. A conservator or recovery service should be consulted for advice on the best method to use for mold removal. Treatment can vary according to the extent and nature of the growth: from individual treatment of items, to area fogging on-site, to large scale fumigation in a vacuum chamber.

• The most effective current treatment of books which cannot be immediately dried is freezing. This will prevent any further water damage, will inhibit further mold growth, and will allow for time to develop more complete restoration plans.

• If water damaged microforms cannot be re-purchased, they should be placed in plastic bags filled with clean, cold water at once and sent to a commercial laboratory for re-processing.

Removal of Books from Library

• An inventory of all items removed from the Library should be kept. This inventory may be in print format or created on a computer-generated spreadsheet. The inventory should contain such information as time will allow to be recorded that will identify the material being removed. Suggested data are: Salvage Container Number into which materials are placed for removal, Shelf Location from which materials were removed (range/section number), Item Description (call number, author/title, bar code, etc.), Date Removed, and any other information considered important, such as format or recovery destination. Every effort should be made to avoid actions that might remove identifying marks or labels on items taken from the Library. Containers should be coded to correlate with inventory forms.

• In conjunction with the priority listing found in the section on Salvage Priorities, systematic removal of items from the Library should be made in this order:

Wettest items should be removed first, as this will assist in lowering the overall humidity in the disaster area;

Books which have fallen on the floor between shelving units will most likely be among the wettest and should also be removed first to eliminate the obstruction to salvage efforts they cause;

Books on the lowest shelves will likewise be among the wettest and should be removed in horizontal sequence;

Other books that are wet should then be removed, with emphasis placed on items that may have developed mold, as well as badly charred books if fire is involved. Charred items should be placed between cardboard sheets and wrapped for protection;

Consideration should also be given to removing even dry and undamaged books from the disaster area to a controlled environment where they will be protected from damage and not inhibit clean-up of the affected area.

• Removal should be done quickly, but with care, as wet books are very fragile. No attempt should be made to open closed books or separate pages, to close books which are open, or to compress books which are swollen. Books should be packed in the condition in which they are found.

• If materials are to be frozen, items which are muddy or dirty may be cleaned before freezing. In most cases this will not be feasible because of the lack of time and the quantity of the materials to be handled. However, if it is possible, follow the methods given in Procedures for Salvage of Water-Damaged Library Materials by Peter Waters (Z701.W37 1979), or other sources found in current literature.

• If books cannot be packed on-site, the formation of "human chains" or the use of conveyor belts will be the best method for removing large quantities of damaged books.

 
• Plastic milk crates may be used to remove and transport damaged materials, but may be difficult to acquire in sufficient quantity. Therefore, strong cardboard boxes of a uniform size may be the best option for this purpose. When lined with plastic garbage bags they will be waterproof and sufficiently durable. Care should be taken to limit how high such boxes are stacked.

 
• If materials are to be frozen, they should be separated when possible with freezer paper or waxed paper as they are packed to prevent sticking together during the freezing process.
   
•  Containers should not be packed too tightly and should be only three-quarters full to facilitate freezing and subsequent drying.

• Containers should be properly labelled to identify their contents for inventory purposes.

Freezing of Materials

• If large quantities of books are involved, an adequate facility will need to be located that will be able to rapidly freeze materials at a temperature of approximately -10° F.

• Rental of a truck (or trucks) may be necessary to transport materials to the freezing facility. A freezer truck may be advisable for large quantities of materials. This type of truck should be packed only three-quarters full for faster freezing. Dry ice may also be used to freeze materials transported in unrefrigerated trucks.

• If freezer space is limited, it may be necessary to develop priorities regarding which materials should go to the freezer facility.

• Do not remove materials from containers - freeze them in containers.

Drying of Materials

• The method used for drying materials will be determined by varying factors, such as the quantity of materials involved, the condition of the materials, the value of the materials, time constraints, etc. Use of more than one drying technique should not be overlooked.

• A variety of methods are available for drying water-damaged materials:

Vacuum Freeze-Drying. In this process, frozen materials are placed in a vacuum chamber and dried at a temperature below 32° F. A high vacuum and controlled application of heat is introduced to remove moisture by causing ice crystals to sublimate, or vaporize, without passing through the liquid state. This is the best method for successfully drying coated paper, and limits further swelling and distortion in wet materials.

Vacuum Thermal Drying. Materials are placed in a chamber either wet or frozen, a vacuum is introduced, heat is applied, and materials are dried at above 32° F. In this process, materials remain wet while they are drying. This procedure may cause distortion in books and adhering of coated paper. It is a cost effective method for drying loose papers or materials of lower intrinsic value.

Thermal-Vacuum Freeze-Drying. This process is similar to vacuum freeze-drying in using a vacuum and applied heat to sublimate ice at sub-zero temperatures, but also employs a procedure to compress materials into shape.

Freeze-Drying. Wet materials are placed in a freezer chamber and quickly frozen at temperatures of -10° to -40° F. This process may take several weeks to complete, may result in some distortion, and coated paper may adhere.

Desiccant (Dehumidification) Drying. This method relies on a dehumidifier to reduce relative humidity to a very low level, and dries materials by applying controlled temperature and air flow.

Air Drying. This process requires a large, open work space with constant air circulation, and is a very labor-intensive procedure. However, if the number and value of the damaged materials do not warrant more expensive methods, and a sufficient work force is available, this may be the best process to use. Wet books should stand on their head ends and, if it will not cause further damage, their pages should be fanned open. Absorbent paper should be used to interleave pages and should be changed often. Misshapen books may be remolded by hand, if possible, before drying. Dirty books should be cleaned before processing. When nearly dry, selected materials may be hung on nylon line to complete drying, careful application of heat sources may be used to assist in the process, or books may be laid flat on a table. Drying books should not be stacked on top of each other.

• Fumigation and sterilization can be done most efficiently in a vacuum chamber if one is being used for drying.

Rehabilitation and Completion of Recovery

• After drying, water damaged books should not be returned directly to the collection. It is recommended they be shelved in a separate rehabilitation area which is well ventilated and climate controlled for at least six months. Newly dried materials should not be packed in boxes.

• Once in the rehabilitation area, the materials should be checked, ideally with the assistance of a conservator, to identify items which should be replaced or which need further conservation work.

• Materials should be periodically checked for mold development while being maintained in the holding area.

 
• Shelving in the water damaged area of the Library should be thoroughly cleaned with disinfectant and completely dry before materials are returned to the collection.

 
• Materials should be thoroughly dry before reshelving into the collection, and, ideally, examined by a conservator to insure that they are ready to be returned to the collection.

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