RECOVERY
This section provides general background information on salvage techniques for water, mold, and fire-damaged collections.
If wet materials cannot be dried within 48-72 hours, they should be frozen because they are at risk of developing mold, particularly if there is high humidity. Freezing wet materials also stabilizes them, keeping water damage from worsening. Water causes a variety of damage to paper-based collections: book bindings and pages swell and distort, pages and documents cockle, water-soluble inks can bleed, and coated papers begin to adhere to each other as soon as the volumes begin to dry. However, once wet collections are frozen, no additional damage occurs. Thus, if freezing occurs quickly there is less physical damage and more chance that the materials can be salvaged rather than replaced.
It is difficult to transfer wet collections directly to a salvage company for freezing quickly enough to prevent mold and minimize water damage, since there are only a few of these companies nationwide. In addition, institutions often require time to make decisions about what should be done and allocate funding for salvage. Thus, it is usually best to freeze collections locally, even if they will ultimately be sent to a salvage company to be vacuum freeze dried. A commercial blast freezer will provide the best results; materials should be frozen at -10 degrees Fahrenheit or lower.
Local freezing companies are –
Local freezer (1) –
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Nocs West Gulf Cold Storage |
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Contact: |
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9223 Hwy 225 |
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La Porte, TX 77571 |
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281-930-8002 |
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After-hours phone: |
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Regulations that must be complied with: |
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Local freezer (2) –
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Name: |
Preferred Freezer Services |
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10060 Porter Rd La Porte, TX 77571 |
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After-hours phone: |
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Be aware, however, that not all paper-based materials can be frozen. The Salvage of Specific Media section indicates which materials should not be frozen. In general, bound volumes and paper records can be frozen. If necessary, most photographic materials can be frozen, although it is better to dry them immediately. Cased photographs (such as daguerreotypes, ambrotypes, tintypes) should never be frozen.
If there is no local freezer facility available (due to a widespread disaster or other reason), a refrigerated truck may be needed to transport materials to the nearest freezer facility. A refrigerated truck will not freeze the collections, but it may keep them cool enough to avoid mold growth. See Appendix D: External Suppliers and Services for a source of refrigerated trucks.
There are several options for drying wet collections. The method chosen will depend on the extent of the damage to collections and to the building, the amount of material involved, the rarity/scarcity of the damaged material, the number of staff or others available to provide assistance, and the funding available for salvage. If you choose to contract out for drying services, it is important to put a contract in place with the vendor. A sample contract is provided in Appendix K: Disaster Recovery Contract.
A general summary of the drying options is provided here to assist your institution in making decisions. Remember that no drying method will undo the damage that has already been done, however. The materials will not look better after drying than they looked before drying began. However, some drying methods can minimize or prevent additional damage, and in general, the quicker collections can be dried (or frozen, as described above) the less damage there will be.
Air-Drying
Air-drying is best used for small numbers of damp or slightly wet books or documents. It is less successful for large numbers of items or for items that are very wet. It requires no special equipment and can be done on site using staff or volunteers, but it is very labor-intensive, requires a lot of space, and often results in bindings and paper that are very distorted. It is seldom successful for drying bound volumes with coated paper. There will also likely be additional costs for rehabilitating collections, such as rebinding, flattening of single sheets, and additional shelf space to store volumes that remain distorted after drying. It is important to always contact a conservator or other preservation professional about drying unique or rare materials; they will sometimes choose to air-dry the item(s) using special techniques, or they will suggest another drying option.
In general, air-drying must be done in a clean, dry environment where the temperature and humidity are as low as possible. At a minimum, temperature must be below 70 degrees Fahrenheit and humidity must be below 50%. The air should be kept moving at all times to accelerate the drying process and discourage mold growth, but care must be taken not to blow away loose documents. Single documents can be laid out on tables, floors, and other flat surfaces, protected if necessary by paper towels or clean, unprinted newsprint. Bound volumes can be dried on tables covered with plastic or unprinted newsprint. The volume should be interleaved about every fifty pages with paper towels or unprinted newsprint, and then stood on its head, fanned open, and placed on several sheets of absorbent paper. If the edges are only slightly wet, interleaving is not required. When volumes are dry, but still cool to the touch, they should be closed, laid flat on a table or other horizontal surface, gently formed into their normal shape, and held in place with a lightweight. Do not stack drying books on top of each other, and check frequently for mold growth, particularly along the gutter margin.
The above instructions provide only very general guidance; additional instructions will be needed if air-drying is to be undertaken. There are a number of resources that provide detailed directions for air-drying wet materials. See Appendix L: Additional Resources for Salvage of Specific Media.
Potential locations for air-drying wet collections are –
Within the building/institution –
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Location: the Library Storage area and Tech Services |
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Off-site –
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Poligon Group: or BMS Cat Lmt or |
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Space Available: |
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Contact: |
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POLIGON GROUP: 24/7 hotline (800) 422-6379 BMS 877-730-1948 |
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After-hours phone: |
https://www.polygongroup.com/en-US/ or https://www.bmscat.com/ |
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Freezer-Drying
Books and records that are only damp or moderately wet may be dried successfully in a self-defrosting blast freezer if left there long enough. Materials should be placed in the freezer as soon as possible after becoming wet. Books will dry best if their bindings are supported firmly to inhibit initial swelling. The equipment should have the capacity to freeze very quickly, and temperatures must be below –10 degrees Fahrenheit to reduce distortion and to facilitate drying. Expect this method to take from several weeks to several months, depending upon the temperature of the freezer and the extent of the water damage. Caution is advised when using this method for coated paper, as leaves of coated paper may stick to each other.
Vacuum Freeze-Drying
This process calls for very sophisticated equipment and is especially suitable for large numbers of very wet books and records as well as for coated paper. Books and records must be frozen, then placed in a vacuum chamber. The vacuum is pulled, a source of heat introduced, and the collections, dried at temperatures below 32 degrees Fahrenheit, remain frozen. The physical process known as sublimation takes place; that is, ice crystals vaporize without melting. This means that there is no additional swelling or distortion beyond that incurred before the materials were placed in the chamber.
Many coated papers can be difficult to dry without sticking together once they are wet. Because it is nearly impossible to determine which papers will block, all coated papers should be treated the same way for the purpose of vacuum freeze-drying: before any drying takes place, and ideally within six hours of becoming wet, materials should be frozen at -10 degrees Fahrenheit or lower. Then they may be vacuum freeze-dried with a high potential for success. Rare and unique materials can be dried successfully by vacuum freeze-drying, but leathers and vellums may not survive. Photographs should not be dried this way unless no other possibility exists. Consult a photograph conservator.
Although this method may initially appear to be more expensive because of the equipment required, the results are often so satisfactory that additional funds for rebinding are not necessary, and mud, dirt, and/or soot is lifted to the surface, making cleaning less time-consuming. If only a few books are dried, vacuum freeze-drying can indeed be expensive. However, companies that offer this service are often willing to dry one client’s small group of books with another client’s larger group, thus reducing the per-book cost and making the process affordable. See Appendix D: External Suppliers and Services for vacuum freeze-drying service providers.
Vacuum Thermal Drying
Books and records that are slightly to extensively wet may be dried in a vacuum thermal drying chamber into which they are placed either wet or frozen. The vacuum is drawn, and heat is introduced. Drying typically occurs at temperatures above 100 degrees Fahrenheit, but always above 32 degrees Fahrenheit. This means that the materials stay wet while they dry. It is an acceptable manner of drying wet records, but often produces extreme distortion in books, and almost always causes blocking (adhesion) of coated paper. For large quantities of materials, it is easier than air-drying and almost always more cost-effective. However, extensive rebinding or recasing of books should be expected. Given the elevated temperature used in drying, it is most appropriate for materials with short-term (under 100 years) value.
On-Site Dehumidification
This is the newest method to gain credibility in the library and archival world, although it has been used for many years to dry out buildings and the holds of ships. Large commercial dehumidifiers are brought into the facility with all collections, equipment, and furnishings left in place. Temperature and humidity can be carefully controlled to specifications. Additional testing is being undertaken, but the technique is certainly successful for damp or moderately wet books, even those with coated paper, as long as the process is initiated before swelling and adhesion have taken place. The number of items that can be treated with dehumidification is limited only by the amount of equipment available and the expertise of the equipment operators. This method has the advantage of leaving the materials in place on the shelves and in storage boxes, eliminating the costly, time-consuming step of moving them to a freezer or vacuum chamber. See Appendix D: External Suppliers and Services for on-site dehumidification service providers.
Whether collections are to be moved to another location for immediate air-drying or transported to a local freezer or commercial drying facility, the materials will need to be properly packed and the location/transport of all items will need to be documented.
The order for packing collections will depend on the extent of the damage and the institution’s salvage priorities. If collections will be frozen and vacuum-freeze dried, it is usually best to begin with the wettest materials first so that they can be frozen quickly. If only air-drying will be possible, however, it is better to begin with the collections that are the least damaged and most easily salvaged.
If sufficient staffing is available, one or more packing crews should be put together. This will be the responsibility of the Collections Recovery Specialist and the Work Crew Coordinator. See the Disaster Response Team for names and backups for these two positions. The packing crew would consist of a crew leader, box assembler, retriever of collections, wrapper, packer, sealer, record-keeper, and transporter. Book trucks, handcarts, or dollies can be used to move packed materials within the building. See Appendix C: In-House Supplies and Appendix D: External Suppliers and Services for resources.
Materials can be placed in cardboard boxes, milk crates, Rescubes, or other containers as appropriate. If cardboard boxes are used—they should be no larger than 1.5 cubic feet, they should be lined with heavy-duty trash bags to prevent them from becoming wet, and they should never be stacked more than four boxes high. Packing instructions for specific types of collections can be found in the Salvage of Specific Media section below.
If materials are muddy, sandy, or otherwise dirty, it may be necessary to rinse them before packing (assuming enough time and personnel are available). If materials have been damaged by salt water it is especially important to rinse them. Collections with soluble inks (watercolors, many manuscripts), animal skins (leather, vellum, or parchment), or works of art paper should not be rinsed, since rinsing may cause further damage.
The area to be used for rinsing must have running water and good drainage. Personnel should be provided with rubber boots and waterproof clothing; see Appendix D: External Suppliers and Services for resources. If deposits of dirt are light, individual folders or volumes can be rinsed with a garden hose with a spray nozzle, keeping the item tightly closed to avoid transferring dirt between the pages. If deposits are heavy, a series of 3-8 large plastic garbage cans should be set up with a garden hose running into each can and the nozzle resting at the bottom. The water should be turned on to provide a slow but continuous flow into each can. Each item should be taken to the first can, held tightly closed, and immersed, and then to subsequent cans. The last station should have a hose with a spray nozzle for a final rinse. Excess water should then be squeezed from the volumes or folders.
Do not try to remove mud or stubborn stains; this slows down the rinsing process and may further damage the materials. Note that the same rinsing procedure can be used for photographic materials and computer media, except that shallow dishpans or photo processing trays may be used instead of garbage cans.
It is essential to document where collections were moved and what was done with them. This documentation allows the institution to keep track of which collections were damaged and where they have been taken. It will also be needed for insurance purposes. Both written and photographic documentation should be maintained. Forms that will assist in documentation are provided in Appendix E: Record-Keeping Forms. These include the Packing and Inventory forms and the Incident Report Form (which should be used to document salvage decisions and who authorized them).
In general, all boxes or other containers must be labeled on all four sides. The contents should be described as appropriate (e.g., by shelf range, call number, cabinet, drawer, record group, series). It is also helpful to indicate the quantity of material, the type of damage, the priority ranking of the material, and the destination of the container (e.g., freezer, air-drying). Alternatively, each container can be given a brief designation (e.g., floor/section and box number) and the Packing and Inventory forms can be used to record the detailed information described above.
Collections that have been involved in a fire often also suffer water damage, which has been addressed above. Problems that result specifically from fire include charring (either completely or just around the edges), smoke or soot deposits, and smoke odor.
If collections have been charred but are still readable, they can be microfilmed or photocopied if they are of value, but great care must be exercised because the paper may be extremely brittle. Bound volumes that have been smoke-damaged or charred only around the edges can be sent to a library binder for trimming and rebinding. General materials with smoke or soot deposits on the edges can also be sent to a library binder for trimming, or they can be cleaned in-house using natural latex sponges to remove the deposits. Any rare, archival, or special collections materials should not be cleaned this way, however; a conservator should evaluate them.
For collections with a residual smoke odor, there are professional companies that specialize in deodorization. Treatment in an ozone chamber will reduce the odor, but ozone is a powerful oxidizing agent that accelerates the aging of paper, so it should not be used on archival or other intrinsically valuable materials. Another possibility is to use storage boxes that incorporate zeolites; these have been shown to be effective in odor reduction.
Once salvage has been completed, ensure that a Collection Incident Report Form (see Appendix E: Record Keeping Forms) has been filled out completely, documenting all decisions that were made during the recovery. It is also a good idea to evaluate how successful the salvage efforts were and whether any changes need to be made to the disaster plan.
Following are very basic initial salvage instructions for the types of material found in your collections. Please note that detailed instructions are not provided here. If you wish to add them, such instructions are referenced in Appendix L: Additional Resources for Salvage of Specific Media. Also, if you wrote in additional types of material when you filled out the online forms, you are responsible for locating salvage instructions for those materials and adding them here. Again, see Appendix L: Additional Resources for Salvage of Specific Media.
The following salvage instructions have been adapted from: Walsh, Betty, Salvage at a Glance, in WAAC Newsletter Vol. 19 No. 2 (May 1997)
http://palimpsest.stanford.edu/waac/wn/wn19/wn19-2/wn19-207.html; Walsh, Betty, “Salvage Operations for Water-Damaged Archival Collections: A Second Glance,” in WAAC Newsletter Vol. 19 No. 2 (May 1997)
http://palimpsest.stanford.edu/waac/wn/wn19/wn19-2/wn19-206.html; the salvage instructions sheets at the Minnesota Historical Society Emergency Response web site at
http://www.mnhs.org/preserve/conservation/emergency.html;
Fox, Lisa, Disaster Preparedness Workbook for U.S. Navy Libraries and Archives; and the Emergency Response and Salvage Wheel (National Task Force on Emergency Response). See the bibliography for complete citations.
Documents with stable media should be frozen or dried within 48 hours. They can be air-dried or vacuum freeze dried. Do not separate single sheets. Pick up files by their folders, interleave between folders every two inches with freezer paper, and pack in milk crates or cartons, filling them three quarters full. If it is known from the outset that the records will be vacuum freeze dried, interleaving is not necessary.
Documents with soluble inks (felt pens, colored pens, ball point pen) should be dried or frozen immediately. Do not blot the surface. Interleave between folders with freezer paper and pack in milk crates or cartons. The documents can be air-dried or vacuum freeze dried.
Prints and drawings with stable media should be frozen or dried within 48 hours. Air dry or vacuum freeze dry. Don’t separate single sheets. To pack, interleave between folders and pack in milk creates or cartons.
Oversize prints and drawings should be frozen or dried within 48 hours. If they are damp, air dry or vacuum freeze dry. If they are wet, vacuum freeze drying is preferred. Use extra caution if folded or rolled. Pack in map drawers, bread trays, flat boxes, on heavy cardboard or poly-covered plywood.
Framed prints and drawings should be frozen or dried within 48 hours. If time permits, unframe and pack as for single sheets of paper (see archival materials and manuscripts, above). Once unframed and unmatted, air dry or vacuum freeze dry. Handle with care. Can be packed in map drawers, bread trays, flat boxes, on heavy cardboard or poly-covered plywood.
Soluble media (watercolors, soluble inks, and hand colored prints) should be frozen or dried immediately. Air dry or vacuum freeze dry. Do not blot. To pack, interleave between folders and pack in milk crates or cartons.
Immediately air dry discs. Dry paper enclosures within 48 hours. If disks have been exposed to seawater, rinse in clean water immediately. Do not scratch the surface. Pack vertically in crates or cardboard cartons. Dry discs vertically in a rack. Do not vacuum freeze dry. However, CD cases and paper booklets can be vacuum freeze dried.
Separate tapes into categories: dry tape, wet boxes only, and wet tapes. If water has condensed inside a cassette, treat the tape as wet. Immediately rinse off tapes soaked by dirty water or seawater. Do not unwind tapes or remove them from the reel. If they cannot be dried immediately, keep tapes wet, at their initial level of wetness (e.g., do not immerse tapes that are only wet on the outside of the tape pack). Tapes can stay wet for up to 72 hours if necessary, but care must be taken with tapes that have labels with water soluble adhesives and inks, or older tapes that may disintegrate if immersed too long. To pack, keep tapes wet in plastic bags. Pack vertically in plastic crates or tubs. Do not freeze magnetic media.
Air dry by supporting the tapes vertically on blotting material or lay the reels on sheets of clean blotter. Do not touch magnetic media with bare hands. Use fans to keep the air moving, but do not blow air directly on the items. If humidity is high, use portable dehumidifiers to slowly bring the humidity down to 50 percent. Dry tapes that have paper boxes and labels within 48 hours if possible; be sure to keep the tapes near their boxes for identification purposes.
General books and pamphlets should be frozen or dried within 48 hours. They can be air-dried or vacuum freeze dried. Do not open or close wet books, and do not remove book covers. Gently shape closed books to reduce the distortion set into the book on drying. If the water is very dirty, and there is enough time and help, consider rinsing; see the General Salvage section above for instructions. To pack wet books, lay a sheet of freezer paper around the cover and pack spine down in a milk crate or cardboard box. Fill boxes only one layer deep. If books have fallen open, pack them “as is” in cartons or trays, stacking them in between sheets of freezer paper and foam. Oversized volumes can be packed flat in cartons or bread trays, 2-3 books deep.
Books with coated papers will stick together unless frozen or dried quickly. Freeze them, or keep them wet in cold water until they can be air dried.
If discs have been exposed to seawater, wash them in tap water immediately. Immediately air dry discs. Dry paper enclosures within 48 hours. Do not scratch the surface during rinsing or packing. Pack vertically in crates or cardboard cartons.
Immediately air dry discs. Dry paper enclosures within 48 hours. Do not scratch the surface. Pack vertically in crates or cardboard cartons. Dry discs vertically in a rack. Do not vacuum freeze dry.
Manuscripts on paper with stable media should be frozen or dried within 48 hours. They can be air-dried or vacuum freeze dried. Do not separate single sheets. Pick up files by their folders, interleave between folders every two inches with freezer paper, and pack in milk crates or cartons, filling them three quarters full. If it is known from the outset that the records will be vacuum freeze dried, interleaving is not necessary.
Manuscripts on paper with soluble inks (felt pens, colored pens, ball point pen) should be dried or frozen immediately. Do not blot the surface. Interleave between folders with freezer paper and pack in milk crates or cartons. The documents can be air-dried or vacuum freeze dried.
Microfiche should be frozen or dried within 48 hours. They should be air-dried immediately or thawed later and air-dried. To pack, interleave between envelopes and pack in milk crates.
Microfilm rolls should be rewashed and dried within 48 hours by a microfilm processor. Do not remove the film from the boxes; hold the boxes (and labels) together with rubber bands. Keep film wet. Wrap five cartons of film into a block with plastic wrap. Pack the blocks into a cardboard box lined with garbage bags.
Microfilm strips in jackets should be frozen or dried within 48 hours. They should be air-dried immediately or thawed later and air-dried. To pack, keep wet and pack in plastic bags inside a pail or box.
Aperture cards should be frozen or dried within 48 hours. They should be air-dried immediately or thawed later and air-dried. To pack, keep wet and pack in plastic bags inside boxes.
Acetate negatives in poor condition should be immediately dried or frozen. The recovery rate is low. They should be air-dried, thawed later and air-dried, or vacuum freeze dried. Handle carefully due to swelling of the emulsion. Pack horizontally.
Acetate negatives in good condition should be frozen or air-dried within 48 hours. Drying methods in order of preference are: air dry immediately, thaw later and air-dry, or vacuum freeze dry. Do not touch the emulsion with bare hands. To pack, keep wet and pack in small plastic bags inside boxes.
Deteriorated nitrate negatives with soluble binders should be immediately dried or frozen. The recovery rate may be low. They should be air-dried or thawed later and air-dried. Do not blot the surfaces. Pack horizontally.
Nitrate negatives in good condition should be frozen or air-dried within 48 hours. Drying methods in order of preference are: air dry immediately, thaw later and air-dry, or vacuum freeze dry. Do not touch the emulsion with bare hands. To pack, keep wet and pack in small plastic bags inside boxes.
Polyester-based negatives should be frozen or air-dried within 48 hours. Drying methods in order of preference are: air dry immediately, thaw and air-dry later, or vacuum freeze dry. Do not touch the emulsion with bare hands. To pack, keep wet and pack in small plastic bags inside boxes.
Bound or loose newspapers should be frozen or dried within 48 hours. They can be air-dried or vacuum freeze dried. Pack oversize materials flat.
In general when air drying, raise items off the floor on trestles, pallets, or lumber to allow air to circulate underneath the items. Sponges, clean towels, paper towels, or unprinted newsprint may be used to absorb excess moisture. Exchange wet for dry blotting material at least daily until items are dry. Check daily for mold growth.
Drying of wood furniture should begin within 48 hours to prevent mold growth. Wooden objects should be dried slowly, since fast drying can cause irreversible damage. In general, rinse and/or sponge surfaces gently to clean, blot, and air dry slowly. Inspect painted surfaces to identify blistered or flaking paint. Do not try to remove dirt or moisture; air dry slowly. Veneer should be held in place with weights or clamps while drying, but be sure to provide a protective layer between the weight and the veneer. Polychromed objects require immediate attention; consult a conservator.
Drying of upholstered furniture should also begin within 48 hours to prevent mold growth, and these items should also be dried slowly. Rinse off mud and remove cushions and other removable pieces. Wrap upholstered items in cloths (e.g., sheets, towels) to air dry and replace the cloths as they become damp. Wood parts should be blotted and air dried slowly.
Many ceramics generally will suffer little damage from short-term exposure to water, but there are exceptions. It is important to identify the type of ceramic and consult a conservator before drying, as procedures can vary. If the ceramic is broken, cracked, or has mineral deposits or old repairs, place it in a clean, transparent polyethylene bag until it can be treated. Seal the bag and monitor it frequently for mold growth.
If a stone object has a smooth surface, blot it gently and air-dry. If the object has a rough surface or an applied finish, do not blot it. Air-dry it on a plastic screen or clean towel.
Metal objects can be rinsed and/or sponged and blotted, then air dried. If the object has an applied finish, do not blot or clean it. Air-dry it and keep any flaking surfaces horizontal.
Albumen prints should be frozen or dried within 48 hours. They should be air-dried immediately or thawed and air-dried later. Do not touch the binder with bare hands. Interleave between groups of photographs with freezer paper.
Matte and glossy collodion prints should be frozen or dried within 48 hours. They should be air-dried immediately, thawed and air-dried later, or vacuum freeze dried. Avoid abrasion. Do not touch the binder with bare hands.
Silver gelatin printing out and developing out papers should be frozen or dried within 48 hours. Drying methods in order of preference are: air dry immediately, thaw and air-dry later, or vacuum freeze dry. Do not touch the emulsion with bare hands. To pack, keep wet and pack in plastic bags inside boxes.
Carbon prints and Woodburytypes should be frozen or dried immediately. They should be air-dried or thawed and air-dried later. Handle them carefully, due to swelling of the binder. Pack horizontally.
Photomechanical prints (e.g., collotypes, photogravures) and cyanotypes should be frozen or dried within 48 hours. They should be air-dried or vacuum freeze dried. Do not separate single sheets. To pack, interleave every two inches with freezer paper and pack in boxes or crates.
Dye transfer prints should be air-dried face up immediately. The recovery rate is poor. Do not touch the emulsion and transport horizontally.
Chromogenic prints and negatives should be frozen or dried within 48 hours. Drying methods in order of preference are: air dry immediately, thaw and air-dry later, or vacuum freeze dry. Do not touch the binder with bare hands. To pack, keep wet and pack in plastic bags inside boxes.
Freeze or dry immediately. Vacuum freeze-drying is preferred due to coated paper. Can also be air-dried by separating pages and interleaving. Keep wet in containers lined with garbage bags.
Scrapbooks should be frozen or dried within 48 hours. If the scrapbook is not boxed and the binding is no longer intact, wrap in freezer paper before freezing. Vacuum freeze drying is preferred, although it should not be used for photographs. If scrapbooks are to be vacuum freeze dried, the photographs should be removed first. Air drying may be used for small quantities that are only damp or water-damaged around the edges. The scrapbooks should not have large amounts of coated paper or soluble adhesives. Do not move items until an area has been prepared to receive them. Large scrapbooks must be supported with boards.
Serials not on coated paper should be frozen or dried within 48 hours. They can be air-dried or vacuum freeze dried. Do not open or close wet volumes, and do not separate the covers. To pack them, separate with freezer paper and pack spine down in a milk crate or cardboard box. The box should be filled only one layer deep.
Serials on coated paper should be frozen or dried immediately to prevent the pages from sticking together. Vacuum freeze drying is preferred, although air drying by fanning the pages and interleaving is possible. Do not open or close wet volumes, and do not separate the covers. Keep the items wet and pack them spine down in containers lined with garbage bags.
Immediately rinse off tapes soaked by dirty water. Dry within 48 hours if they have paper boxes and labels. Otherwise, tapes can stay wet for several days. Do not freeze. Air dry. Do not touch magnetic media with bare hands. To pack, keep tapes wet in plastic bags. Pack vertically in plastic crates or tubs.