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A Collaborative Publication Sponsored by
the Conservation Analytical Laboratory
and the Office of Risk Management, SI;
the Preservation Policy and Services Division, NARA;
the Preservation Directorate, LC; and the Curatorial Services
Division, NPS.
In commemoration of Arts and Humanities Month and Hispanic Heritage Month
October 1993
In the past several years, the United States has suffered major disasters ranging from earthquakes in California to hurricanes in Miami. These disasters often cause severe and ongoing destruction in the form of water damage to cultural property, the most vulnerable being books, documents, and other paper-based materials. On such occasions the Conservation Analytical Laboratory--Smithsonian Institution (CAL-SI), Library of Congress (LC), National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), and National Park Service (NPS) receive increased requests for information on disaster preparedness, management, and response for the salvage of books, documents, and other paper based materials.
In order to facilitate a pro-active rather than reactive approach to disaster preparation with respect to cultural property, four basic references currently issued separately from CAL, LC, NARA, and NPS have been updated and combined into this single pamphlet. The editors hope that this streamlined publication will provide sound introductory information to private individuals and public institutions in preparing for either small or large scale events.
The SI handbook presents guidelines for general facilities preparation and response to a variety of events both natural (storms, floods) and man-made (hazardous material accidents). The NARA article addresses small scale events and procedures for the general public to be used for the immediate response action for water damaged documents, photographs, etc. The LC booklet provides more in-depth information for both public and private collections dealing with a larger, longer-term coordinated program to salvage bound volumes. Finally, the NPS Conserve O Gram supplies specific information about dealing with the prevention and treatment of mold, a frequent consequence of water damage.
Since little information has been published in Spanish pertinent to the salvage and recovery of cultural property, this consolidated brochure will be published in Spanish as well as in English.
CAL-SI, LC, NARA, and NPS all have additional guidelines and publications on a variety of preservation and conservation topics available to the general and professional public upon request:
Information OfficeSMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION
Office of Risk Management:
Jacqueline Young, Assistant Director
Priscilla Terry, Risk Manager
Conservation Analytical Laboratory:
Lambertus van Zelst, Director
Dianne van der Reyden, Senior Paper Conservator
Ronald Bishop, Senior Researcher
Alan Postlethwaite, Deputy Director
NATIONAL ARCHIVES & RECORDS ADMINISTRATION
Preservation Policy & Services Division:
Cynthia G. Fox, Acting Director
Diana Alper, Regional Preservation Coordinator
Mary Lynn Ritzenthaler, Supervisory Conservator
Public Affairs:
Shirley Clarkson, Acting Public Affairs Officer
Susan Cooper, Public Affairs Specialist
Public Programs:
Thomas King, Marketing Specialist
LIBRARY OF CONGRESS
Preservation Directorate:
Diane Nester Kresh, Acting Director
Peter Waters, Preservation Strategic Planning Officer
Amparo de Torres, Assistant to the Conservation Officer
NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
Curatorial Services Division:
Ann Hitchcock, Chief Curator
Virginia Kilby, Staff Curator
Anthony Knapp, Staff Curator
Diane Vogt-O'Connor, Archivist
Division of Conservation: