Hurricane Sandy left a lot of damage in its wake, and books and libraries are among the casualties. Melville House in NYC is safe, however – its office and bookstore are open. Claire Kelley, one of its directors, offers a few tips on saving your library in a flood. Also useful for anyone who wants to save a wet book.
Here’s a few of them that are news to me:
- If you see signs of mold, be careful to separate these books from others because the mold can spread.
- Don’t put weights on the books, let them dry out first. Once they are almost completely dry, they can be stacked to smooth out wrinkled pages and warped pages.
- Use fans to speed up drying. Good ventilation is important to prevent mold.
She also compiles tips from other sources, including University of Rochester Library, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Library (with instructional photos), and The Library of Congress.
Check it out here.
Tags: Claire Kelley