Disaster Prevention, Disaster Preparedness, and Disaster Recovery: Chapter 1

Disaster Prevention

Reprinted with permission from Conservation Correspondence , No. 1, January 1982, Illinois Cooperative Conservation Program.

Disasters occur in libraries with alarming regularity. Some are caused by natural calamitites such as floods, earthquakes, tornadoes, or storms and others are man-made calamities such as fires, burst water pipes, leaky roofs, and overflowing air-conditioning systems. A disaster does not have to involve huge quantities of material to be disastrous. Whatever the cause, or the extent of damage, disasters are almost always unexpected, frequently occur on weekends or during the night, and are seriously destructive to all types of library material.

The most likely type of damage that occurs is water damage; tornadoes and storms inevitably involve high winds and rain, water is used to douse fires, and plumbing honeycombs a building. Water from a burst water main can quickly soake huge quantities of books or other material. Book coves will warp and bleed, and archives will stick together in huge clumps. Coated paper stock, widely used in books and serials because of the ease of reproducing half-tones, will permanently fuse together in one mass if not properly and quickly treated. The delicate emulsion/dye layer of wetter photographic materials can separate from the film base. Wet or damp materials of all types are subject to attack from mold and mildew.

Fires can result in total destruction of a collection. They can start in a variety of ways--through careless smoking, faulty electrical wiring, defective heating equipment, accumulations of trash, or a workman's welding torch. Library material constitute a highly combustivlw, compact fuel that will totally burn. Nearby items not directly engulfed in flames can be irreparably charred. Soot and smake are deposited on material within a wide range of the actual conflagration. Heat from a fire causes binging to shrink and warp, paper to prematurely age, and plastic-base material to melt. Water used to fight a fire can also cause widespread damage--not only from the water itself, but from the force of high-pressure hoses. A building that has burned cannot be enterd immediately, delaying salvage efforts and resulting in additional damage.

Disaster prevention is only the first step that libraries should take to protect their collections. Prevention measure should be followed by development of a disaster preparedness plan and disaster recovery procedures.

Prevention Strategy

1. Conduct general inspection of the entire library building to identify problem areas. Ideally, the inspection should be made by outside experts--a fire protection engineer, a structural engineer, a safety specialist, an insurance agent trained in hazard analysis, and a representative of the local fire department. Not all libraries, however, will be able to afford inspection by engineers. Who carries out the inspection will depend on the size of the collection, the particular building, arrangements for insurance, connection to a parent institution or local government the value of the collection, and the geographic location. At the very least, a careful inspection by library staff of the entire building is necessary. Questions that arise can then be directed to appropriate experts by telephone or by letter.

2. Inspect specific area, systems, and services to identify hazards. Inspection will uncover problems such as incipient roof leaks, worn extension cords, clogged drains, or malfunction of a fire alarm. As with the general inspection, the more expert the person involved, the more likely that potential problems will be identified. An experienced plumber, for example, would be more likely to notice situations where leaks/burst pipes are possible. Examination of records, dates and descriptions of repairs and improvements, and architects' plans may clarify questions or point to problems.

3. Arrange for improvements to be made and dangerous situations corrected. Many hazards, especially those involving poor housekeeping practices can be eliminated without much expense. On the other hand, the addition of a modern sprinkler system to an existing building will require planning as well as considerable expense. The cost of installation, however, would be tiny compared with the value of the collection and the building. For most libraries recommendations for improvements may have to be made well in advance for budgetary consideration. However, the urgency of a situation may require quicker action. A formal written report detailing the results of inspections an describing potential disasters is a strong argument for timely action.

4. Determine a schedule and assign responsibility for periodic inspection of the building, its systems, and hazardous areas. Maintenance is an onging task. Problems arise as facilities age or stressful situations occur. Filters clog, tar on roofs deteriorates, and trash accumulates. A winter with a particularly heavy snowfall may encourage roof leaks during the spring thaw. New plumbing and an increase of water pressure could cause additional strain on old plumbing. Depending on the library and its arrangement for security/custodial services, a watchman or janitor could make routine daily checks of coffee pots, electric heaters, ashtrays, etc. Staff assigned to building maintenance should make other periodical inspections. A watchful attitude on the part of the staff will help identify problems before they become disasters.

Prevention Principles

1. The presence of automatic systems for fire and water detection and fire extinguishment are the best guarantee that damage will be minimal.

2. Good housekeeping practices are an essential part of disaster prevention.

3. When new construction is in progress, or a building is being renovated or repaired, extra diligence is required.

4. Stack areas should only be used to store library materials.

5. Vital records, important or special collections, and irreplacable materials should receive extra protection.

6. Compartmentalization will help contain a fire and limit destruction to smaller areas.

7. The building's physical plant/systems should be isolated from stack areas.

8. Any vertical opening will encourage the spread of fire by creating a chimney effect.

9. Wherever there is water, there is potential for water damage.

10. Each individual library presents its own set of unique problems.

Prevention Checklist

What special dangers are unique to your library by virtue of location, age, design, or layout of the building, availability of fire fighting services, etc.?

Has someone on the staff been assigned disaster prevention responsibility? Are the building and its systems periodically checked by this person?

Do the card catalog and special collections receive additional protection from fire and water?

Is a walking check made of the premises before closing each day?

Roof

Is the roof in good repair? Are drains and down-spouts unobstructed?

How old is the roof and how long was it projected to last?

Housekeeping Practices

Is trash removed from the building daily?

Are solvents, cleaning supplies, paints, etc., stored safely?

Are stack areas used for collection storage only?

People

Are staff members aware of the disaster hazard? Are smoking rules strictly enforced?

Are space heaters, coffee pots, hot plates, or tacking irons used by staff? How is their use supervised?

Fire Protection

Are detection systems in working order? Are they routinely checked?

Are detection and extinguishment systems connected to a central alarm at the municipal fire station?

Are manual fire extinguishers routinely checked? Do all staff members know how to use them?

Disaster prevention is really just a combination of common sense, observation, and diligence. Its purpose is to prevent, as much as possible, damaging situations from developing. There shoud be, of course, additional safety and prevention measure practiced to protect people.

Only good luck can indefinitely protect a library from all potential calamities, but a properly designed, well-constructed, and diligently-maintained building will prevent needless disaster from occurring.

Environmental Controls

From Disaster Prevention and Recovery Plan, Nebraska State Historical Society, Judith Fortson-Jones, Conservation Specialist, May 30, 1980:

there are five areas of the environment that can be manipulated in an effort to prevent a disaster, or at least lessen the effects of a disaster. These five areas are pollution, temperature, relative humidity, lighting, and storage furnishings.

Pollution

It is important to filter air as it enters storage areas because of the danger of pollution. This could be in the form of either gaseous or particulate pollutants; both have harmful effects. Gases bring about acid deterioration of paper and microfilm, causing paper fibers to weaken and disintegrate, and leading to a gradual fading of the microfilm image and possibly the formation of microscopic blemishes. Dust, dirt and pollen particles, though they are very small, have rough, sharp edges which cut paper fibers and scratch the surface fo microfilm.

The most effective filtering system for removing gaseous poluutants utilizes an alkaline water wash. The particle removal efficiency of the water depends largely on the size and nature of the particles. A water spray is of little use in removing very small particles, such as those found in smoke, or greasy particles, such as soot. A cell-type washer is more efficient in this regard, since it also incorporates fiber filters. It is recommended, however, with either water wash system, that a fiber filter be used upstream for particulate pollutants.

An actvated carbon filter is also very effective in removing, by absorption, the gaseous pollutants in the atmosphere. This filter does not remove air-born particles. An activated carbon system can be retrofitted into an existing system without great expense. Installation of water wash filters costs considerably more.

If it is necessary to remove only particulate pollutants, a fiber filter should be used. A non-woven, pleated fabric is most efficient. If a filtering system is not available, a strong effort should be made at least to carry out good housekeeping practices. Vacuuming will help significantly in reducing dust accumulation. For cleaning shelves, there are available synthetic fiber dust cloths which have an electrostatic attraction for dust particles, and do not require any additional treatment. These are highly recommended. One-Wipe, a treated dust cloth or Endust sprayed on cheesecloth may also be used; other cleaning products should be avoided because they may contain harmful ingredients. It is also advantageous to store unbound papers in containes with loose-fitting (not air-tight) tops. This will help to keep out both gaseous and particulate pollutants.

If the storage area is to be painted (with either oil-base or water-base paint), harmful fumes will be released into the surrounding atmosphere. Paper and microfilm should be removed beforehand and not returned to the area for a two-week period. In addition, it should be noted that photcopying devices produce ozone in varying degrees, and some produce ammonia; both of these products are harmful to paper and microfilm. As a matter of caution, then, storage areas should be located as far as possible from copying devices.

Checklist: Pollution
______ air is filtered as it comes into the storage area
______ alkaline water wash or activated carbon filters are used for gaseous pollutants
______ fiber filters are used for particulate pollutants
______ vacuuming is performed regularly in storage areas
______ shelves are cleaned with electrostatically charged clothes or with treated dust clothes
______ microfilm and paper items are stored in protective containers
______ books, papers, and microfilm are removed for at least a two-week period from freshly
painted areas
______ books, papers, and microfilm are not kept in the same vicinity with photocopying devices

Temperature

In most situations--whether due to harmful contaminants resulting from the manufacturing process, or from atmospheric pollution--paper is undergoing a steady process of deterioration. The rate of these destructive chemical reactions is significantly accelerated by increases in temperature, resulting in weakening, embrittlement, and discoloration of paper. Elevated temperatures also increase the rate of degradation of microfilm. they are especially harmful to vesicular film, causing collapse of the bubbles and a subsequent image loss.

Actually, both paper and microfilm fare quite well at the temperature at which we are most comfortable--65-70 degrees Fahrenheit. It is equally important to prevent rapid or severe fluctuations in temperature. Like many other materials, paper expands and contracts as the temperature increases or decreases. This causes the paper fibers to rub against each other, thus weakening and breaking. these flutuations also have a harmful effect on book binding structures. In addition, significant variations in temperature can accelerate the rate at which harmful gases enter paper and microfilm. Such damage can be kept at a minimum if there is a variation in temperature of no more than 5 degrees Fahrenheit, or plus or minus 2.5 degrees.

Since attics often have very high temperature, paper should not be stored in these areas. If an entire building cannot be cooled in the summer, then perhaps a window unit can be installled in one room, and the most important paper items kept there. If fluctuations in temperature are unavoidable, then they might at least be slowed down by opening or closing windows and window covers (this is a last resort, since it may introduce polluted air into the storage area). Double glazing in windows also helps to slow down the rate of change.

Checklist: Temperature
______ readings of temperature are taken regularly with a reliable instrument, so that undesirable situations may be alleviated
______ thermostats are set between 65-70 degrees Fahrenheit
______ fluctuations in temperature are kept within a range of 5 degrees Fahrenheit, or plus or minus 2.5 degrees
______ when fluctuations do take place, they are slowed down as much as possible
______ books and papers are not stored in attics

Relative Humidity

Closely related to control of temperature is the consideration of relative humidity. If humidity is too low, the result may be dry, brittle paper (and leather bindings). Low humidity could also cause a slight contraction fo the emulsion layer of microfilm, which would make the film curl; if excessive, this would make focusing difficult in the micrfilm reader. And low relative humidity may also promote static electricity, thereby attracting dust particles to the film.

If, on the other hand, the humidity is too high, deterioration could be accelerated by more rapid decomposition of paper brought about by a chemical reaction with the water, or, perhaps even more harmful, the growth of a fungus--usually mildew, which causes leather to rot and paper to soften and eventually crumble. Because of its surface emulsion, silver halide film is even more susceptible to mildew damage than paper is (silver halide is also more susceptible than diazo and vesicualr film). Fungus growth causes distortion of the emulsion and an eventual chemical breakdown, making the gelatin become sticky. High levels of humidity also hasten the degradation of the film base; polyester is somewhat more resistant to this than is acetate.

The ideal level of humidity for paper is 45-55%; for microfilm, it is 30-40%. It is also important to limit humidity fluctuations to a range of 10%, or plus or minus 5%. Otherwise, the resulting movement of moisture through the paper would cause movement and breakage of paper fibers.

In the winter, interior relative humidity may have to be lowered due to a problem with condensation on windows. Double glazing of windows, in addition to provieding imporved thermal insulation, may also be helpful in reducing such condensation. If overall humidity control is not provided in a building's heating/air conditioning system, it may be desirable to use portable humidifiers and/or dehumidifiers. Electrical refrigeration-type dehumidifiers are preferable. Those which utilize crystals of calcium chloride or other desiccants create a danger of fine dust particles which could abrade paper and film, and, in the case of calcium chloride, also result in a bleaching action through the formation of hydrochloric acid. Also, dehumidifiers tend to ice up at temperatures lower than 65 degrees Fahrenheit, though some models are able to cope with such situations.

In situations where even minimal control of relative humidity is difficault to acheieve, an effort should be made at least to keep the air circulating through the use of electric fans. Mildew is more likely to grow if the air is stagnant. Also, when fluctuations in relative humidity do take place, they should be slowed down as much as possible, since this would be less hamful than rapid changes. Control of window openings and window coverings (again used as a last resort) may be helpful in this respect, as well as electric fans. Paper should not be kept in basement storage areas, as a rule, because of the difficulty of controlling their high levels of humidity.

Checklist: Relative Humidity
______ readings of relative humidity are taken regularly with a reliable instrument, so that
undesirable situations may be alleviated
______ relative humidity is maintained at a level between 45%-55% for paper, and 30-40% for
microfilm; for a combination of these media, relative humidity is kept at 40%
______ fluctuations of relative humidity are kept within a range of 10%, or plus or minus 5%
______ when fluctuations do take place, they are slowed down as much as possible
______ portable humidifiers and dehumidifiers are used as needed; if dehumidifiers are used,
electrical refrigeration-types are preferable
______ when the level of relative humidity is too high, air is kept circulating through the use of
electric fans
______ paper is not stored in basement areas

Lighting

The fourth major environmental consideration is lighting. Paper and book materials are adversely affected by both natural and artificial light, and by both incandescent and fluorescent bulbs. The hamful effects of incandescent lighting are related to the heat it generates through infrared radiation--heat which can accelerate deterioration by speeding up chemical reactions, by movement brought about by temprature fluctuations, or by its drying effects. Fluorescent lighting is preferred in some instances because it is cooler and requires less energy. This type of lighting; however, emits ultraviolet radiation. These rays are a form of high frequency energy, and bring about photo-chemical change in organic materials such as paper. They may also result in a change in microfilm images; diazo is expecially sensitive to light-induced image degradation.

The danger of the radiant enrgy from incandescent lights is lessened by placing them as far away as possible from paper and microfilm, or by decreasing their wattage. Microfilm should be exposed to the light in readers as briefly as possible. Considerable protection from fluorescent fixtures can be provided by placing over the bulbs a special sleeve manufactured with a filtering material incorporated into the plastic. Most of the harmful ultraviolet rays are thus filtered out. These sleeves may be re-used indefinitely, though it is possible that their effectiveness is reduced after 7 to 10 years.

Even more ultraviolet radiation is present in natural sunlight. Some of these rays are filtered out by ordinary window glass, but a significantly harmful portion is still transmitted. This portion can be greatly reduced, however, by the installation of glass coated with an ultraviolet-filtering film, by glass which incoporates a filtering substance in tis manufacture, or by the use of window shades made of a special filtering plastic. The degree of effectiveness varies considerably with the tint and reflective quality of the film or glass chosen. A treatment applied directly to, or incorporated into, the glass provides more protection than shades. Double glazing give more protection than single glazing.

In settings where it is not possible to install specially treated window glass, the degree of damage can be reduced by closing blinds or shades. Since light is reflected from wall surfaces, interior walls may be cated with paint containing either zinc white or titanium dioxide, both of which absorb ultraviolet rays. Also, if ultraviolet filtering tubes cannot be purchased for fluorescent light fixtures, warm white tubes emit less ultraviolet rays than do other types.

The actual degree of damage from any kind of light is a result of the combination of length of exposure and level of light intensity. In other words, a document exposed to a low level of light for a long period of time may suffer more damage than a comparable document which is exposed to a high light level for a short time. It is the total--intensity multiplied by time--which determines the extent of damage. Ideally, paper and microfilm should be kept in dark storage as much as possible.

Checklist: Lighting
______ paper and microfilm are kept in dark storage whenever possible
______ if incandescent lighting is used, the bulbs are located as far as possible from paper or
microfilm; the wattage of the bulbs is as low as possible
______ microfilm is exposed to the light in readers as briefly as possible
______ if fluorescent lighting is used, protective sleeves are placed on the bulbs in order to reduce the amount of ultraviolet radiation
______ if protective sleeves are not used, "warm white" tubes are chosen over other "cool" types of tubes
______ protective ultraviolt filtering glass or screens are installed in windows in storage and use areas
______ blinds and shades are kept closed on windows in storage and use areas
______ if incoming sunlight is not filtered, interior wall surfaces are coated with paint containing either zinc white or titanium dioxide

Storage Furnishings

The major problem with storage furniture and containers arises from the fact that acid migrates. If archival quality papers--those which are permantnetly valuable--are placed in a box which is acidid, that acid will eventually contaminate the papers also, leading to an inreased rate of deterioration. Acid has a similar effect on microfilm, causing blemishes or other alterations of the image.

Wood, in its natural state is acidic. It is therefore preferable not to store paper or microfilm on wooden shelving or in wooden boxes and cabinets. Though an application of varnish or paint will help to seal the wood, and thus decrease the amount of acid migration, it does not completely prohibit the migration from taking place. And there can be additional problem from the paint and varnish themselves. Though testing on these substances is incomplete, there is strong evidence that, even when dry, they release harmful fumes.

Stainless steel is quite safe, but is not ordinarily used for storage because of its expense. Uncoated metal such as steel or tin are not acceptable since they are subject to rust. Baked enamel steel presents a better alternative for shelving and filing cabinets since there is not the problem of acid migration from the steel itself. The enamel coating may be harmful, however, since it may have either an oil or a rubber base, and could therefore release harmful gases. The situation for strage furnishings is obviously not ideal; at the present time, a completely safe and practical shelving alternative does not exist.

With whatever type of shelving is used, paper and microfilm should be shelved at least six inches off the floor, both in order to reduce dust and dirt pollution and to help prevent possible water damage. Open spaces should be left around shelves to allow for air circulation and thereby help to reduce the possiblity of mildew.

Checklist: Storage Furnishings
______ all shelving is at least six inches off the floor
______ open space is left around shelving to allow for air circulation
______ paper and microfilm are shelved in baked enamel steel shelving or file cabinets
______ if wooden shelves or cabinets are used, a protective coating of paint or varnish is applied