- Preservation Home
- About
- Collections Care
- Conservation
- Digital Preservation
- Emergency Management
- En Español
- FAQ
- Preservation Science
- Resources
- Outreach & Training Opportunities
- Have a preservation question?
Ask-a-Librarian
Related Links
Mitigation During Emergency Response: Stabilization of Paper and Film-based Materials
Date: Wednesday, February 15, 2012
Background and History: The Library of Congress Preservation Directorate and the The Federal Library and Information Network (FEDLINK) Preservation Working Group hosted their sixth meeting on building cooperative disaster response networks.
Goal and Program Description: This half-day program, held at the Library of Congress and sponsored through FEDLINK, included lectures and a hands-on response and recovery exercise. Conservation Division speakers Andrew Robb, Head of Special Formats, and Alan Haley, Senior Rare Book Conservator, introduced a history of emergency management in cultural institutions, current approaches and strategies for protecting collections, and recovery of collections exposed to water, covering prevention and control of mold and effective drying and freezing methods.
Outcomes: The program reinforced the fundamental disaster preparedness principle of continuous training and practical exercises, providing attendees the opportunity to apply concepts and use techniques covered in the lectures in the context of a realistic disaster scenario. Concepts were further reinforced through a comprehensive debriefing session in which participants reviewed the exercise and shared their experiences and knowledge for responding to water emergencies and disasters.
Participants: Staff from the Library of Congress and neighboring institutions participated in the program.
Support: The continuing SAFETY NET series is a collaborative effort of the Library of Congress Preservation Directorate, the FEDLINK Preservation Working Group (formerly the Federal Library and Information Center Committee Disaster Preparedness Working Group), and Safety Net, a voluntary federal library network for disaster response.