"The Mountain Lily, Sinks," Hendersonville, NC.
J. Barber Coll., UNCA
In the Event of a Water
Disaster/Emergency
Sometimes bailing won't do any good. You will need to
match the type of emergency with the appropriate response. Some response
guidelines follow.
RESPONSE GUIDELINES
1. Initial response: Call Public Safety - 6710
2. Reporting hierarchy (call or notify)
A.) Any flooding -- whether from plumbing leak, sprinkler
dysfunction, or ceiling leak, should be reported immediately to physical
plant (6697) or, if after hours, to PUBLIC SAFETY -
(6710).--
3. One of the following measures may need to be taken:
A.) If water is leaking from ceiling onto stacks, cover
the affected area with plastic sheeting, arranged in such a way as to
shed water onto the floor.
B.) If leak is in an open area, use buckets or other
suitable receptacles to catch the water.
C.) If water is standing on floor in book ranges, move
books from lower shelves onto higher shelves, trucks, or some other
location away from the water. DO NOT PUT BOOKS ON FLOOR.
4. Unplug electrical equipment only if it poses no threat
to personal safety in doing so.
5. EMERGENCY WATER SHUT-OFF INSTRUCTIONS:
A.) In the event there is no one to assist in
the shut-off of water, the following directions will locate the shut-
off valves for plumbing and for sprinklers.
THIS PROCEDURE SHOULD
ONLY BE USED AS A LAST RESORT, WHEN NO PHYSICAL PLANT PERSONNEL CAN BE
REACHED. Instructions are located in the Appendix III.A.1.f
RECOVERY GUIDELINES FOR WATER-DAMAGED
MATERIALS
General Recovery Instructions
Water damage may occur as a result of flooding from the
sprinkler, system, heavy rain, or plumbing accidents. It is imperative
that action be taken as soon after the disaster occurs as possible.
The salvage process will often involve the use of resources outside the
library. The names and phone numbers of persons who can provide ancillary
services are listed at the end of this document (Appendix
III.A.2).
In the event of major water damage, follow the outlined
procedures below:
A. Do not enter the area while there is any danger of
personal injury.
B. Contact the UNCA safety officer and the
UNCA physical plant. The safety office can provide
guidance, and the physical plant can provide needed equipment, e.g. wet
vacuums.
C. In the event of fire-related flooding, await the all-clear signal
from the fire- marshal or the official in charge of
extinguishing the fire.
D. In the event of other flooding, use good judgment e.g., is there
danger of electrocution? If there is any doubt, ask
the UNCA safety office or Physical Plant representative for
direction.
E. As soon as you have determined it is safe to enter the flooded
area, begin water removal with mops and/or wet
vacuums.
F. Take immediate steps to reduce both the temperature (to at least
65 degrees) and the humidity. This is important to
retard the growth of mold and mildew.
G. Remove all movable items that are retaining water e.g., trash,
loose carpets and rugs, etc. With the proper use of
wet vacuums, fans, etc., it should not be necessary to remove
permanently installed carpet except in extreme
cases.
H. Make sure that air conditioning is working and is set at least 65
degrees or lower.
I. Use all available fans (Preferably industrial ones) to maximize
air-flow.
J. Use portable dehumidifiers to augment central air/dehumidification
system in areas of heaviest water damage.
K. Identify a holding area that is cool, dry, and well ventilated to
which all water-damaged materials can be immediately
removed.
In the event of major water damage to the following types of materials,
follow the outlined procedures :
BOOKS
A. Separate soaked books from books with light water damage.
Inventory all books. This can be done on the on-line catalog by wanding
all the books to a cart and labeling the cart either "severe damage" or
"mild damage.
B. Books that have been soaked need to be individually wrapped in wax
paper or freezer paper and immediately frozen. Any commercial freezer is
adequate; however, a blast freezer is preferable. One of the advantages
of using a blast freezer is that it also kills insects and their larvae
at the same time.
C. After the books have been frozen they will need to be dried at
freezing temperatures in a vacuum chamber. There is not a commercial
vacuum chamber available in the Asheville area; however, there are a
number of firms that specialize in this service. Small numbers of books
can be shipped to them in freezer trucks. For large numbers of books the
firms can usually send portable equipment to the disaster site. Bids for
this service should be sought from the firms listed at the end of this
document. Vacuum chamber treatment will normally take two or three days
per load of books. After bids are received the inventory should be
checked to determine which books can be more cheaply replaced. (Document
Reprocessors quoted a price of approximately $3 per book for
restoration.)
D. (If the books cannot be frozen before they dry, they
should be interleaved with paper towels or clean newsprint. Interleaves
should be changed frequently.)
E. If the books are frozen in a blast freezer they should
be packed in dry ice and returned to the Asheville area and held in a
conventional freezer while they are being processed in the vacuum
chamber.
F. Following treatment in the vacuum chamber the books
will have a humidity of about two percent. At this point the books will
be very fragile and will need to be stored undisturbed for two to four
weeks until they have regained their normal humidity (about seven
percent).
G. Books with minimal water damage may be air dried. The
following procedures should be followed:
1. Select a cool, dry, well-ventilated area for
drying.
2. Cover work tables with paper towels or clean
newsprint.
3. Stand books upside down with covers slightly open; do
not fan pages. Place toothpicks under covers so
that books stand tilted slightly backwards.
4. Place clean newsprint or paper towels between covers
and end papers; change frequently.
5. When books begin to dry, use paper towels or clean
newsprint to interleave at intervals of 50 pages.
Keep books upright during this process.
MICROFORMS
A. First determine if they are replaceable; if so, what is
the cost. If they are not replaceable or if the
replacement cost is prohibitively high, use the following
procedures.
B. Rinse the microforms in cool, clean water.
C. Store them in cool, clean water.
D. Arrange to have the microforms reprocessed. This
involves further cleaning and restoration of the emulsion. This service
can normally be provided by a film manufacturer such as Kodak.
E. Consult with manufacturer. See Appendix for a list of
consultants and vendors that specialize in salvaging microforms.
Diazo Fiche : Air dry
Jacketed Microfilm: Freeze or dry within 72 hours.
Keep wet inside a container lined with garbage bags until drying can begin. Air dry.
Microfilm Rolls: Priority: Rewash and dry within 72
hours. Do not remove from boxes; hold cartons
together with rubber bands. Fill boxes with water and pack (in blocks
of 5) in a cardboard box lined with garbage bags.
Arrange for a microfilm processor to rewash & dry within 72
hours; label box "Wet
Film.
COMPUTER MEDIA/DISKETTES
The first and most important rule is prevention. Keep a backup copy of
all important diskettes in a separate location. For double insurance, the
backup should be stored off site. NOTE: Equipment may be damaged by
playing damaged discs. Contact the manufacturer before proceeding with the
restoration below . See EXPERTS & CONSULTANTS. If there are
water-damaged diskettes that need to be restored, use the following
procedures:
A. Remove diskette from plastic holder, but do not cut the
holder.
B. Hang the diskettes up to dry in a cool, well-ventilated place. The
preferred method is to suspend the diskettes by
running a piece of doweling or tautly drawn string through the center
hole. In any case, do not bend the diskette.
C. After the diskette is dry, replace it in the plastic holder and
immediately recopy the data onto a new diskette.
D. In the event of severe damage (e.g. mud, soot, etc.) a commercial
reprocessor (Kodak, Polaroid, etc.) should be contacted.
Floppy Disks (5 1/4") and Flexi Disks (3 1/2)
Dry immediately. Do not touch disk surface with
bare hands. Contact supplier for best method of
packing. To dry disks:
1. Cut edge of jacket with non-magnetic scissors for floppy disks
or pry open plastic disk cover for flexi
disks
2. Remove disk with gloved hands
3. Wash in trays of distilled water
4. Dry with lint free towels
5. Copy and insert into new jacket or disk cover
Tapes
Air dry immediately. To dry:
1. Rinse tapes in cold distilled water.
2. Support vertically
3. Clean by winding against a felt pad.
4. Copy tape and discard damaged
original
VIDEO and AUDIO TAPES
Again, the most important rule is to keep backup copies of
any unique or irreplaceable videos or sound recordings. In the event of
water-damaged video tapes or audio tapes, use the following
procedures.
A. If the tape is only slightly wet it may be cleaned by
fast-forwarding and rewinding it through a tape cleaner The lint
cleaners will pick up the water as the tape passes across them. The lint
cleaners will need to be replaced as they become wet.
B. Copy video onto new tape.
C. If video is too badly damaged to be salvaged in the
above manner, contact a video manufacturer for estimates on
restoration.
Audio Cassettes
Do not put excessive weight on sides of reels or
cassettes
Pack vertically in boxes or milk crates
Drying: Air dry if no master copies exist
Copy onto new cassette; Equipment may be ruined trying
to play contaminated cassettes
Phonodiscs
Handle discs by the edges and support discs
vertically.
Packing: Transfer discs (up to 5 at a time) to boxes or
milk crates
Pad containers and interleave with foam every 25
discs.
Drying: Remove discs from sleeves and jackets
Identify with wax crayon if label separated
Dry labels, sleeves, and jackets as other paper
materials.
If discs dirty, wash in 10% solution of Kodak Photoflo
in distilled water. Wash
shellac, acetate and vinyl discs in separate
containers.
Support discs vertically to air dry
Reel to Reel Tapes
Drying: Air dry; Dry box as other paper materials or
replace if badly damaged
Video Cassettes
Packing: Pack vertically in boxes or milk crates; do not
put excessive weight on sides of reels or cassettes
Drying: Call consultant or vendor listed in EXPERTS
& CONSULTANTS
LP / CD
Wipe the surfaces clean with cheese cloth or some other
soft, absorbent material.
If the item has a paper label affixed to the center,
blot it gently and allow the disc to air dry in a cool,
well-ventilated place.
If the discs have paper folders, make sure the paper
folders have been thoroughly dried (using the methods recommended for
books) before putting the discs back in
them.
ARCHIVES, MANUSCRIPTS, and UNBOUND MATERIALS
Boxes will deflect a large amount of water; consequently, unless there
is standing water or long term exposure the materials should be relatively
safe. If there is a large amount of water damage the materials should be
carefully transferred to new boxes and frozen and vacuum dried using the
procedure outlined for books. However, the preferred method of treatment
is air drying as some inks will break down during the vacuum drying
process.
Flat materials, such as manuscripts, typescripts, prints, drawings,
blueprints, etc. exhibit somewhat wider variability of materials and
production methods than printed books. As a result, problems with soluble
media (bleeding inks, etc) and blocking of paper are common. Inks may
dissolve and offset onto adjacent materials. Such staining will frequently
be permanent and irreversible. Air drying is most
suitable for small numbers of unbound materials, which are damp or water
damaged only around the edges. If there are hundreds of single
pages; the paper is coated; inks are soluble; or the water
damage is severe, other methods of drying would
probably produce better results and be more cost-effective.
Wet paper is extremely fragile and easily torn or damaged, so care must
be exercised. It is also important to remember that
this process will not restore materials to their
original condition. Contact the Preservation Librarian for assistance in performing this procedure, as it can cause a great
deal of damage if not done correctly.
A. Remove damaged items from boxes.
B. Separate and spread out individual sheets on clean newsprint or
paper towels.
C. If there is mud or other debris on the paper do not attempt to
wipe it off until after the document has dried. Some
archival documents were created using water soluble ink; wiping
such documents while they are wet can destroy them. After
they are dry, gently clean them with a soft
brush.
Equipment needed for recovery of water damaged archival/rare
materials (paper):
- Long tables or flat surfaces for drying
- Unprinted paper towels or blotting paper (to line tables
& removes water
- that drains from the materials)
- Fans & extension cords
- Clothes lines & clothes pins
- Sheets of polyester film (mylar)
- Sprayer or sponge
Procedures
1. Secure a clean, dry environment where the temperature and humidity
are as low as possible. Ideally the temperature
should be below 70 deg. F. and the relative humidity
below 50% to prevent mold growth and distortion.
2. Line the tables with towels or blotting paper to absorb water
dripping from the materials.
3. Use fans to keep the air moving at all
times and should be left on until the drying process
is complete. This will accelerate the drying process and discourage mold
growth. The fans should be directed into the air and away from the
drying materials.
4. Place single sheets on flat surfaces or on
clotheslines.
5. Sheets can be separated by using the following
procedure. It is necessary to do this for materials
on coated paper.
a. Moisten polyester film with a sprayer or sponge and
lay on top of the stack of papers. Gently rub
down. With extreme caution, roll the film back. The polyester
film will cling to the top sheet.
b. Hang the polyester film up to dry on the clotheslines
using clothespins. As the sheet dries, the paper
will lift itself from the surface of the film.
c. Before the paper falls, remove it and place it on a
flat surface to dry. Once dry, materials should be
housed in clean folders and boxes. These materials
will occupy more space than ones which have not been water
damaged.
6. If the materials are damaged, reformatting options,
such as microfilming or photocopying should be
considered.
PHOTOGRAPHS
As with videos and computer software, it is best to have a
backup. Positive prints of all negatives should be made, and the negatives
should be stored in a separate location, preferably off site or in a
safe. Unique and/or irreplaceable photographs for which there are not
negatives should be duplicated. The duplicates and originals should
be stored separately. In the event that water damage does occur to
photographs for which there are not backups, use the following
procedures:
A. Immediately freeze the damaged items. DO NOT FREEZE THE
FOLLOWING:
-
wet collodion processes
-
photographs in cases, i.e, daguerrotypes,
ampbotypes, tintypes
-
magnetic media photo
-
glass negatives, and glass positives
B. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO VACUUM DRY THE PHOTOGRAPHS. Vacuum
drying can cause reversible damage to the surface of
the photograph.
C. Contact a commercial film manufacturer (Kodak,
Polaroid, etc.) to arrange for restoration work.
D. Call the Kodak Company or Image Permanence Institute
for best advice. These and other specialists in
photographic conservation are listed UNDER CONSULTANTS AND
EXPERTS.
Aperture Cards
Freeze or dry within 48 hours. Keep wet inside a plastic
garbage container or a box lined with plastic. Air dry.
Daguerreotypes
Air dry immediately; DO NOT FREEZE. Contact Professional Conservator. Keep
images face up and do not remove from case. Consult professional
conservator for packing of images. Do not attempt to BLOW dry. Consult a
professional conservator for drying instructions.
Motion Pictures
Rewash and dry within 72 hours and arrange for
professional film processor to re-wash and dry. To wash, pack film
cans in cold water and pack in plastic pails or in boxes lined with
plastic bags. Black and white negative film can remain in water
for up to 3 days without damage. Color negative or
positive film can remain in water only 48 hours
without damage. Do not attempt to dry film. Arrange for a professional
film processor to rewash and dry
Prints, Negatives, and Transparencies
Freeze or dry within 72 hours. Do not touch emulsions
with bare hands. Salvage in this order:
Keep packed in cold water. May be packed in containers
lined with garbage bags.
Drying: Order of preference:
Nitrates with Soluble Emulsions *
Immediately freeze. Do not blot or handle excessively.
Air dry.
*Note: Many of the Ball photos in Special Collections
are nitrate negatives.
Slides
Remove slide from cardboard mounts immediately.
Do not touch emulsion Air dry and
re-mount
Wet Collodion (ambrotypes, tintypes,
panotypes, wet collodion negatives)
Recovery rate for this medium is low. Dry immediately,
face up. DO NOT FREEZE. Handle with great care if images have glass
supports or glazing. Pack horizontally in padded containers.
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