Conservation Corner: An Ounce of Preparation
Training for disasters before they happen
We think of libraries as safe havens for books, but they are not immune to the effects of disasters, as we learned from the aftermath of events such as Hurricane Sandy. While the New York Society Library was lucky in that instance, we don’t take it for granted that we always will be. Even something as simple as a leaking pipe can cause irreversible damage to paper based materials. Having a plan in place to respond quickly to such events is a crucial part of caring for our collection.
It was with this in mind that staff participated in two disaster preparedness workshops last month. The weather may have been clear and sunny, but we were immersed in thoughts of hurricanes, broken pipes, and rising flood waters. We discussed various hypothetical disasters that might befall our books, and got some hands-on experience with the recovery of wet library materials. I was impressed, if a little alarmed, at the range of destructive scenarios dreamt up by my imaginative students. Since I spend so much time caring for damaged books, it felt a little strange to deliberately get some of them wet. I knew that it was for the greater good, however, and in case you are worried, these were all deaccessioned books that were destined for the recycling bin anyway. No current collection material was harmed during the making of this workshop!
We are dedicated to taking good care of our collection, and while we hope we never have to use the lessons learned during this training, we are more prepared to handle future challenges.
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