|
Salvaging Water Damaged Books
By Eric Waggoner
Hurricane season this year has been one of the worst
in the history of the United States. Because of this, I am reminded
of how precious our valuables are to us--especially books that we want to
keep long term. The question I want to raise is this. What can be
done to help salvage your damaged books?
Listed below are five simple steps to help you begin
salvaging your water damaged books.
-
Save the most important volumes
first.
-
Transfer books to a non-paper
container such as plastic to transfer them safely to where they will be
dried.
-
Find a dry, cool place where air
circulates to dry the books.
-
Stand up small damp books on the
driest end with pages fanned open. Larger or soaked books should
be laid open flat and placed on an absorbent surface. To help
speed up the drying process for soaked books, insert colorless paper
towels every few pages and change them when they become wet then insert
new paper towels in a different location.
-
Once the book is dry and cool to
the touch close the book and place a small amount of weight on top of
it. This will help keep the pages flat.
During this process, it is important to periodically check for mold growth
in order to ensure the best care is taken to salvage your books.
This process approximately takes a couple of days to complete if there are
only a few books and damage is minor. If the damage is severe, it
may take up to two to three weeks. This total process is longer compared
to other processes but it is also the most cost effective.
So, by following these five simple steps, you will be on your way to
salvaging your water damaged books. If you would like further
information or suggestions on salvaging books, link to the following
articles at:
"Saving Water
Damaged Books" by FEMA
"Dealing with Water
Damage with Special Emphasis on Flood Damage" by Harry Rinker
"Drying
Techniques" by The Southeastern Library Network Preservation Services
Back to Homepage
Copyright © 2005
Dixon Pentecostal Research Center |
