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Preventing/Mitigating Disaster

Water Damage | Fire Damage | Theft and Vandalism | Data Protection

Water Damage

Water damage can be the result of many different disaster scenarios, ranging from hurricane or flooding to roof leaks or clogged pipes. Paper-based collections are highly susceptible to damage from water, which causes swelling and distortion of bound volumes and cockling of paper. It also dissolves water-soluble inks and pigments and causes coated papers to adhere to each other. Photographs may separate from their mounts, emulsions may dissolve or stick together, and items may be stained. Mold growth can be an additional danger, developing within 24 to 48 hours if the relative humidity is high and the materials remain wet or damp. Mold can be highly dangerous to people and causes staining and other damage to collections.

See a Water Damage Prevention Checklist (PDF, 228k).

Take a few moments to reflect on the scenario below. Click on Show Answer to see how the damage might have been prevented or lessened.

Water Damage Prevention Checklist (PDF, 228k)

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: The Jane Smith Memorial Public Library

Scenario: The Jane Smith Memorial Public Library local history room is a small, crowded room located on the first floor of the library. Last Friday the library received a donation of personal papers that provide important documentation of the town's early years. The two cardboard boxes containing the materials were placed under the Special Collections librarian's desk with other items waiting to be processed. On Saturday night severe thunderstorms with damaging winds moved through the area. A loose gutter was torn off the library, causing water to pool at the side of the building, where it seeped in through the wall near the Special Collections librarian's desk. An inch of water pooled on the floor of Special Collections and seeped up into all materials that were stored on the floor in that area, including the recent acquisition, seriously damaging it. The reference librarian did not discover the damage until Monday morning at 11 am, two hours after the library opened, when she unlocked the door to retrieve a collection.

Question: What could have been done to prevent or mitigate this damage?

Show Answer:

Exploring: Fire Damage