Archive |
"It's raining upstairs...."
This report to the Falk Library reference desk evoked curiosity, followed quickly by dismay. On Saturday, August 15, a plumbing leak on the third floor of Scaife Hall caused gallons of water to seep through to the mezzanine floor below, saturating a section of Falk Library’s oversize books collection. Because the leak occurred on a summer weekend when there are few people in the Library, it is impossible to say how long the downpour went undetected. Nearly 1,200 books, primarily on plastic surgery, were damaged or destroyed. Water damage is one of the most serious disasters that a paper-based library can have, and the most difficult to clean up. A flood creates two problems: wet paper, and a moisture-laden environment for mold to grow and spread. Wet materials can often be restored, most commonly by a freeze-drying method in which books are frozen to stop the absorption of moisture and the deterioration of the wet paper. Slow drying in a room with less than 10% moisture content in the air can return books to a usable condition. A greater concern than water is the resulting mold. The increased moisture in the environment creates a breeding ground for mold to grow on the wet materials, and even spread to undamaged books surrounded by excessive humidity in the air. Mold can begin to form in less than 48 hours with the right combination of temperature and humidity. While mold can be removed from paper, the time and expense of the process makes it practical only for rare and valuable materials. At the time of this publication, the damaged materials have been removed from the collection and sent to a disaster recovery firm for examination and possible restoration. HSLS will evaluate the materials that are returned, and rebuild the collection as best we can. Some books will be replaced with newer editions, and some important older works may be available on the used books market. Unfortunately, many others are gone from the collection for good. Materials that have been removed have the designation "Temporarily Unavailable - Damaged" in PITTCat until they are either replaced or permanently withdrawn. These titles may be obtained through interlibrary loan at no charge by submitting a book request through the HSLS Web site at --Deb Silverman |
