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Up in smoke
- 1. How to recover historical documents when a fire ravages your building By Group 5: Rachel Carter, Stacy Helming and Sara Denhart
- 2. ο Based on the damages that result from a fire to a historical building ο Idea taken from the burning of the Courthouse in Madison ο Madisonβs Courthouse had hundreds of documents in the basement and other county offices when the fire started ο The fire caused burn and water damage to documents ο The fire resulted in documents being freeze dried and shipped to Michigan for cleaning and deodorizing
- 3. This photo was taken from Sara Denhartβs wireless phone on the day of the fire. She covered the fire for the local newspaper, The Madison Courier.
- 4. ο The process begins in preparation and planning ο Natural disasters, like earthquakes, floods and severe storms, cannot be prevented. ο Planning can help lessen the effects of natural disasters. ο Manmade disasters, like fires and failures in utility infrastructure, can be prevented. ο Planning for these events can also help lessen the effects of these incidents.
- 5. ο Ways to prevent these occurrences from happening: ο Having routine inspection by staff members and certified building code inspectors. ο Making sure the building is maintained ο Making sure the building is properly cleaned ο Making sure housekeeping duties are regularly performed ο By watching what users and the public are doing throughout the building (Illinois State University, 2008)
- 6. ο The area where the historical documents and materials should be: ο Properly ventilated β preferably having a separate HVAC system ο Kept at 68 degrees and 50 percent humidity ο Should not be stored in a basement or an attic ο Should be protected from dirt, dust and light. ο Ultra-violet filters should be put on all fluorescent lights and on windows to prevent any damage to materials and documents ο Food, smoking and beverages should be restricted from the area. (Illinois State University, 2008)
- 7. ο Staff members should know the buildingβs layout and any issues that might be dangerous. ο They should know all the procedures, where fire exits and extinguishers are located and how to operate them. ο The evacuation maps and procedures should be posted and known by staff. ο And, most of all, the building should have an emergency plan
- 8. ο Call 911 in the event of an emergency ο Call the full staff member list, starting with the person in charge. ο Leave messages and try all forms of communication listed, may they be wireless, electronic or landline options. ο Call the insurance company
- 9. ο In-house collections salvage team ο Team leader, preferably the director or facilities manager ο Salvage manager to oversee the operation ο Recorder to maintain inventory of materials ο Staff Coordinator ο They will make sure operations have enough people to work through the salvage site ο They will make sure the necessary materials and other items are available ο Conservator ο They will use their expertise to ensure the best conservation practices are used ο Team Members to provide assistance during the emergency ο Backup Team Members to provide additional assistance (The President and Fellows of Harvard College, 2007)
- 10. ο Have a staff meeting to discuss plan before disaster strikes ο Choose the teams during the meeting ο Determine supplies and services needed if event happens ο Can take up to four hours to discuss details and assign duties (Disaster Plan Workbook, n.d.)
- 11. ο Extremely rare and essential items ο Valuable documents ο Essential documents for operations ο Irreplaceable materials that must be kept in original form ο Microform and photographic masters ο Significant content and valuable items ο Materials with significant content and are expensive to replace ο Items that belong to other libraries ο Materials that are replaceable with other originals ο Expendable ο Has yearly substitutes and updates ο Duplicates (The President and Fellows of Harvard College, 2007)
- 12. ο Fire ο Fire damage can occur from lightning strikes, wildfires, arson, electrical problems, cigarette smoking, lit candles or manmade causes. ο After extinguishing a fire, water damage can exacerbate the problem. ο Water ο Water damage can occur from accidently setting off the sprinkler system, flooding, leaks in the roof, broken plumbing pipes and leaks, rainfall, extinguishing a fire or any other manmade problem. (Walsh, 1997)
- 13. ο After a fire, there are several types of damage that you may encounter, including items that are: ο Completely burned and beyond salvage. ο Partially burned, but dry ο Partially burned, but not wet ο Smoke or soot damaged ο Unburned but wet ο Physically damaged from the fire fighting effort ο Simply heat affected ο Damp, but not wet ο Wet, but not soaked ο Soaked or waterlogged
- 14. ο Air drying ο Use a cool, low-humidity area with good air circulation. ο If possible, air dry material on plastic racks to increase evaporation. ο Exposure to light may reduce threat of mold, but prolonged sunlight can cause fading. ο Interleaving ο Use blotter paper, uninked newsprint, paper towels, or waxed or freezer paper ο This keeps items from sticking together and prevent dye transfer or running. ο Freezing ο If objects cannot be dried within 48 hours, freeze them until action can be taken. ο Freezing stabilizes collections for months; it stops mold growth, ink running, dye transfer and swelling. (FEMA: Emergency Response Action Steps, n.d.)
- 15. ο Vacuum Drying or Thermal Drying ο Items are dried in a vacuum chamber, often at temperatures above 100 degree Fahrenheit. ο This method accelerates aging and causes damage to many materials: animal skins (leather and vellum), film media. ο Widely available ο Slower than vacuum freeze-drying but less expensive. ο Vacuum Freeze ο The items are dried in a vacuum chamber at below-freezing temperatures to minimize swelling and distortion. ο Generally provides the most satisfactory results; recommended for historic collecting materials and glossary paper. ο A commercial service available throughout the United States (FEMA: Emergency Response Action Steps, n.d.)
- 16. ο Cleaning ο Non-professional staff can do this process. ο It involves cleaning furniture, fixtures, and collecting damaged materials and equipment. ο How long: 48 hours to seven days ο Retrieval and Protection ο Paraprofessional and professional staff can do this process. ο It involves protecting materials that were not damaged and sorting materials that were damaged by severity. ο How long: 24 hours to seven days ο Restoration ο Professional staff should do this process. It involves deciding what materials will be restored in house and what will be sent to a professional restoration company. ο How long: one month to more than one year ο Documentation ο Facility director and recorder document damage to facility and materials. ο How long: 24 hours to seven days
- 17. ο Some building contents may be contaminated. ο Do not enter without current tetanus shots, protective gloves/clothing, hard hat and NIOSH-approved respiratory mask. ο Identify and repair structural hazards. Brace shelves. Remove debris from floor. ο Reduce temperature and relative humidity at once to prevent mold outbreak. Ideally targets are less than 70 degrees Fahrenheit and 45 degrees RH. ο If warm outside, use coldest air conditioning setting; cover broken windows with plastic. ο In cool, low-humidity weather open windows, use circulating fans. If mold is already present, do not circulate air. ο Do not turn on heat unless required for human comfort. ο Remove standing weather and empty items containing water; remove wet carpets and furnishings. ο If everything is soaked, use commercial dehumidification except in historic buildings. ο Purchase needed supplies. (FEMA: Emergency Response Action Steps, n.d.)
- 18. ο Leave undamaged items in place if the environment is stable and area secure. ο If not, move them to secure, environmentally controlled area. ο If no part of the building is dry, protect all objects with loose plastic sheeting. ο When moving collections, give priority to undamaged items and those on loan. ο Separate undamaged from damaged items. ο Until salvage begins, maintain each group in the same condition you found it ο Keep wet items, dry items dry, and damp items damp ο Retrieve all pieces of broken objects and label them. ο Check items daily for mold. (FEMA: Emergency Response Action Steps, n.d.) ο If mold is found, handle objects with extreme care and isolate items.
- 19. ο Once it is safe to enter the building, make a preliminary tour of all affected areas. ο Wear protective clothing. ο Do not move objects or collections without documenting their condition. ο Use a Polaroid-type camera or video camera to record conditions of collections and structure. ο Make sure images clearly record damage. ο Supplement with better quality photos when necessary. ο Make notes and voice recordings to accompany photographs. ο Assign staff to keep written recordings to accompany photographs. ο Make visual, written and voice records for each step of salvage procedures (FEMA: Emergency Response Action Steps, n.d.)
- 20. ο Gather staff off-site to assign tasks and review salvage priorities. ο Create a team big enough for the work. ο Establish a βCommand Centerβ with office equipment (computers, photocopier) and communications tools (walkie- talkies, cellular phones). ο Create a secure salvage area with locks, fans, tables, shelves, plastic sheeting, drying materials and clean water. ο Notify emergency officials of the extent of damage. Contact peer institutions or professional groups for help. ο Appoint a media liaison to report conditions and need for help/volunteers. You may have to limit access to collections. ο Verify financial resources; amount and terms of insurance, government assistance and potential outside funding. ο Contact service providers for generator, freezer, drying or freeze- drying services and refrigerated trucking. ο Arrange for repairs to security system.
- 21. ο Paper documents and manuscripts ο Stable media ο Freeze or dry within 48 hours of damage ο Donβt separate single sheets ο Interleave between folders and pack in crates or cartons ο Air, vacuum or freeze dry ο Soluble inks ο Immediately free or dry ο Do not blot ο Interleave between folders and pack in crates or cartons ο Air or freeze dry
- 22. ο Maps and Plans ο Stable media ο Freeze or dry within 48 hours of damage ο Pay attention and use caution if folded or rolled ο Pack in map drawers, trays, flat boxes or on poly covered plywood ο Air or freeze dry ο Soluble media ο Immediately free or dry ο Do not blot ο Interleave between folders and pack in crates or cartons ο Air or freeze dry ο Drafting linens ο Immediately freeze or dry ο Avoid pressure ο Pack in map drawers, trays, flat boxes or on poly covered plywood ο Air or freeze dry ο Interleave and separate sheets if air drying ο Maps on coated paper ο Immediately freeze or dry ο Pack in map drawers, trays, flat boxes or on poly covered plywood ο Freeze dry
- 23. ο Books ο Books and pamphlets ο Freeze or dry within 48 hours of damage ο Do not open or close ο Do not separate covers ο Separate with freezer paper ο Pack spine down in crate or cardboard box ο Air, vacuum or freeze dry ο Leather and vellum bindings ο Immediately dry or freeze if multiple books ο Do not open or close ο Do not separate covers ο Separate with freezer paper ο Pack spine down in crate or cardboard box ο Air dry ο Books and periodicals with coated paper ο Immediately freeze or dry ο Do not open or close ο Do not separate covers ο Keep wet ο Pack spine down in containers lined with garbage bags ο Freeze dry ο Can air dry by fanning pages and interleaving (Walsh, 1997) ο Do not freeze dry gilded or illuminated documents
- 24. ο Art on Paper ο Prints and drawings with stable media ο Freeze or dry within 48 hours ο Donβt separate single sheets ο Interleave between folders ο Pack in crates or cartons ο Air, vacuum or freeze dry ο Oversized prints and drawings ο Freeze or dry within 48 hours ο Use care if folded or rolled ο Pack in map drawers, trays, flat boxes or on poly covered plywood. ο If damp, air or freeze dry ο If wet, freeze dry ο Framed prints and drawings ο Freeze or dry within 48 hours ο Handle with care ο Unframe if possible ο Pack in map drawers, trays, flat boxes or on poly covered plywood. ο Air or freeze dry (Walsh, 1997)
- 25. ο Art on Paper (continued) ο Soluble Media ο Immediately freeze or dry ο Do not blot ο Interleave between folders ο Pack in crates or cartons ο Air or freeze dry ο Coated papers ο Immediately freeze or dry ο Keep wet in containers lined with garbage bags ο Freeze dry ο Can be air dried by separating pages and interleaving (Walsh, 1997)
- 26. ο Compact Discs & CD ROMs ο Immediately dry discs ο Dry paper enclosures within 48 hours ο Do not scratch surface ο Pack vertically in crates ο Air dry ο Sound and Video Records ο Immediately rinse off tapes soaked by dirty water ο Dry within 48 hours if paper boxes and labels ο Taps can stay wet for several days ο Do not freeze ο Do not touch magnetic media with bare hands ο Keep taps wet in plastic bags ο Pack vertically in plastic crate or tub ο Air dry ο Test vacuum drying without heat (Walsh, 1997)
- 27. ο Black and White Photographs ο Freeze or dry within 48 hours, except for carbon prints and Woodburytypes ο Immediately freeze dry carbon prints and Woodburytypes ο Do not touch with bare hands ο Interleave between groups of photographs, except for silver gelatin printing ο Silver gelatin printing needs to be kept wet ο Carbon prints and Woodburytypes should be stored horizontally ο Air dry ο Color Photographs ο Dye transfer prints need to be packaged to prevent damage and immediately dry ο Freeze or dry within 48 hours ο Do not touch emulsion ο Do not touch binder with bare hands ο Keep chromogenic prints and negatives wet ο Transport dye transfer prints horizontally ο Air dry face up ο Do not vacuum dry (Walsh, 1997)
- 28. ο Cased Photographs (Ambrotypes, Pannotypes, Daguerreotypes and Tintypes) ο Immediately dry ο Handle with care ο Pack horizontally in a padded container ο Air dry face up ο Never freeze ο Negatives ο Immediately freeze or dry ο Handle with care ο Do not blot deteriorated nitrates with soluble binders ο Do not touch emulsion with bare hands ο Store horizontally ο Keep polyester based film, nitrates and acetates in good condition and gelatin dry plate glass negatives wet ο Air dry face up (Walsh, 1997)
- 29. ο Transparencies ο Freeze or dry within 48 hours ο Handle with care ο Keep chromogenic color transparencies or mounted color slides and sheet films wet ο Pack vertically ο Pack color transparencies horizontally ο Air dry ο Never freeze color transparencies ο Motion Pictures ο Rewash and dry within 48 hours ο Keep wet ο Arrange with a film processor to rewash and dry (Walsh, 1997)
- 30. ο Microforms ο Rewash and dry within 48 hours ο Freeze or dry within 48 hours for aperture cards, jacketed microfilm or diazo and vesicular microfiche ο Do not remove from boxes ο Hold carton together with rubber bands ο Keep wet, except for diazo and vesicular microfiche ο Diazo and vesicular microfiche can be interleaved between envelopes and packed in crates ο Air dry ο Arrange with a microfilm processor to rewash and dry (Walsh, 1997) for microfilm rolls
- 31. ο Replacing Destroyed Materials ο Materials should be replaced, if possible ο Review insurance policy on having documents replaced ο Discarding Destroyed Materials ο Materials should be recycled or taken to proper disposal facilities (Policy: Replacement of Library Materials, 2010). ο Disaster Clean Up Efforts ο Only authorized personnel should be allowed in the building during the clean up process ο Circulation of Items ο Items on loan during the disaster should be accounted for and collected immediately. ο No items should be circulated until cleanup process is done. (National Archives of Australia, 2012)
- 32. Disaster Plan Workbook. (n.d.). Retrieved from New York University Library Website: http://library.nyu.edu/preservation/disaster/toc.htm FEMA: Emergency Response Action Steps: Recovering Fire-Damaged Records and Emergency Response Action Steps. Retrieved 20 April 2012. http://www.fema.gov Illinois State University. (2008). Illinois State University Libraries Disaster Plan. Retrieved April 19, 2012, from Illinois State University Libraries Disaster Plan: http://cool.conservation-us.org/bytopic/disasters/plans/isudis.html National Archives of Australia. Retrieved 20 April 2012. http://www.naa.gov Policy: Replacement of Library Materials. (2010, February 18). Retrieved from University of North Carolina School of the Arts Semans Library: http://library.uncsa.edu/home/policies/replacement-of-library-materials The President and Fellows of Harvard College. (2007, January 8). Library Preservation at Harvard. Retrieved April 19, 2012, from Library Preservation at Harvard: http://preserve.harvard.edu/emergencies/teamresponsibilities.pdf The President and Fellows of Harvard College. (2007). Priorities for Salvage. Retrieved April 19, 2012, from Library Preservation at Harvard: http://preserve.harvard.edu/emergencies/prioritiesforsalvage.pdf Walsh, B. (1997, May). Salvage at a Glance. Retrieved April 19, 2012, from The Western Association for Art Conservation: cool.conservation-us.org/waac/wn/wn19/wn19- 2/wn19-207.html
Editor's Notes
- These are the methods to use when treating damaged items after the fire.