DISASTER PREPAREDNESS AND RECOVERY FOR RECORDS RETENTION
COLLEGE OF CHARLESTON
LAETITIA ELEANOR SOBIESUO
INSTITUTIONAL RECORDS ANALYST
When a disaster strikes in a state agency, like the College of Charleston, or local
government office, free technical help is available. You need only contact the State
Archives Records Services at (803)896-6213 – Monday through Friday – to get help.
Preparing for a disaster – Survey the facility
Since structural breakdowns of buildings that house records cause most disasters, it is
imperative that you inspect your records storage area thoroughly inside and out, ideally
with the director of a physical plant because they maintain the College of Charleston
physical facilities. The director can shed light on past problems and repairs, help spot
potential structural problems, locate outside drains and the shutoffs for water and
electricity, explain maintenance routines, and authorize modifications if need be. Also
ask if the location/building is on a flood plain to prepare for flooding.
Look closely at records storage areas, and show the maintenance director where the
records are. It may be necessary to flag those records that are more vital and historically
valuable. This will enable the first respondents to a disaster to salvage records in order of
importance.
Mitigate risks
Establish a routine to check suspect areas of records location, to maintain the building
and equipment and most important to maintain stable temperatures and humidity (if
possible) in storage areas. In addition:
o If you store your records under plumbing or in an area that leaks frequently, move
them; cover them with protective polyethylene sheeting or keep a roll of
polyethylene sheeting nearby and cover them at night and on week ends.
o Store the records off the floor on sturdy shelving or at least on pallets.
o If high humidity is causing mold because you can’t afford an adequate air
conditioning system, install and maintain fans and commercial-grade
dehumidifiers – small humidifiers must be maintained daily and will not work in
large spaces. Isolate moldy records and contact the State Archives at (803) 8966213 for help. Many of the older treatments for mold are health hazards.
o If binders or folders stored near windows are fading, cover the window or put the
records in boxes; boxes of archival quality if they are records of permanent value.
o If your storage boxes are collapsing under their weight because they are stacked
more than two boxes are collapsing under their weight because they are stacked
more than two boxes high, install sturdy shelving and replace damaged cartons
with well-made records storage cartons that hold no more than one cubic foot – or
half a file drawer – each. Reinforce the bottom seams of the cartons with tape.
o If your vital or historical records are stored on magnetic media or in computers,
you should establish and maintain a schedule – usually daily or weekly – to backup your data and store back-ups off site in a building that is secure from fire and
theft, located above the flood plain, is structurally sound, and has stable
environmental conditions. There is no substitute for frequent back-ups of your
electron records.
o If insects or vermin are damaging records that cannot be moved, consult a
preservation specialist before you get a pest control officer to correct the problem
with chemicals.
Check Insurance coverage
Most government agencies have no insurance and so have to raise money for recovery
when a disaster occurs. Often, this results in costly delays and unnecessary loss because
most commercial vendors want their payments up front. Therefore, it is advisable for the
budget analyst and the record keeper to work out a system that will give the office swift
access to emergency funds – reserve one or two purchase orders to authorize the
immediate recovery of supplies and services, for example, or establish a disaster recovery
fund in your permanent budget. You may even be proactive by purchasing supplies to
keep on hand. Secure these properly and inventory them regularly.
Label vital and historical records
Because the damage sustain in a disaster may prevent an agency from saving everything,
you should identify and label both the records that you will need to restart business and
those of permanent or historical value. Place the labels wherever they are needed – on
filing cabinets, shelving, and records storage boxes with acid-neutral, waterproof
polyvinyl acetate (PVA) adhesive and remember to remove and relocate labels if you
move records to another location.
Establish Priorities for recovery
Contact the conservation staff at the State Archives at (803) 896-6112 for advice and
consider the following when you establish priorities:
o You will need certain records to resume business.
o You must protect your historical records.
o Some media are more vulnerable than others – leather bound volumes, magnetic
records, and photographs, etc…
o You can store most water-damaged paper records in a freezer indefinitely.
o You can store silver halide microfilm in clean, cool water indefinitely.
Maintain a shelf list
You should develop a simple inventory as a “shelf list,” either electronically or on paper,
to pinpoint records, and maintain the list off-site. This shelf-list will be essential to the
cost-effective recovery of your records, especially if you did not color-coded labels on
vital, fragile, and historical materials before the disaster. The shelf-list can also be used
to speed up the process of labeling items before you send them to the freezer for storage.
Designate a recovery director
You should establish the lines of authority and responsibility in an emergency by
appointing an official as a recovery director and giving that director the authority to make
decisions about emergency expenditures. Such an individual should be knowledgeable in
recovery techniques, able to make rational decisions under pressure, and able to deal with
people in stress. The director should not have to deal with the press during recovery
operations.
Recovery operations
Most accidents will inflict little damage on your records if you have proactively mitigated
your risks in time. A fire or hurricane, however, can cause massive damage and force
you into a recovery operation. You will cut costs and improve your chance of saving
most of your records if you follow the procedures outlined below.
Organize the recovery effort
The recovery should have a director. The latter will identify self to police and fire
officials on the scene. Using a large battery-operated lantern rather than a flashlight if the
power is out, the director will assess the condition of the records as soon as the building
is declared safe. For safety reason, allow only authorized staff and volunteers into the
damaged area and use check-in sheets to monitor traffic to and from the area.
To inhibit the growth of mold, lower the temperature in the disaster area and place fans
(heavy duty fans that move air indirectly across the ceiling or floor rather than directly at
documents) in the area to circulate air. Use heavy-duty, all-weather extension cords in
good repair (the longer the cord, the less the power it sends to the appliance).
Minimize damage to records on the floor first either by keeping traffic off them or, if
unavoidable, place boards on top of them to distribute the weight for protection.
Assess the nature and extent of the damage; establish a recovery site out of the path of
personnel who may be working in the area. The recovery area should have assess to clear
running water and have enough space for sorting, packing, stacking and moving carts in
and out. Organize recovery teams according to tasks. You will need enough people on
hand to work in two hour shifts, and you should have work tables that are sturdy and tall
enough to allow people to work comfortably.
If you have labeled records during your disaster plan, you will be able to use those to
recover records quickly in order priority.
Begin recovery
Dispose of records of no value to your department operations and not worth the expense
of recovery. However, if you have a large volume of valuable records, place them on ice
to buy time and ask the conservation and micrographics specialists at the State Archives
to help you choose the most cost-effective options for recovery.
You can put microfilm and motion picture film into thick plastic garbage bags, place the
bags inside a large, clean trash cans, and fill the trash bags with clean water. You can
wrap, pack, label, and freeze modern photographic materials and paper records. Find a
freezer service that can maintain a temperature of at least 20 degree Fahrenheit but not
colder than -40 degrees. Establish a freezer service that you can use before the accident
and check in with it twice a year. To ship records/items out off-site or out of state, pack
them in ventilated packing boxes (milk crates or sturdy records cartons as substitutes),
and freeze them as quickly as possible to prevent damage from the expansion of ice
crystals.
If only a small volume of valuable material is damaged, you can vacuum or freeze-dry it
then either copy or restore it, depending on how valuable items/records are. Freezedrying is more expensive than vacuum-drying but is the better option for fragile or very
valuable material/records.
Stabilizing and recovery various materials
Loose Paper records
If paper records hold the most important information in your office, you should work on
them first. If not, recovery priority should be based on records vulnerability to damage.
Proper handling with freezing or air drying can recover most loose paper records that
water has damaged extensively. Damage from mold or fire, however, is irreversible and
felt-tipped inks will smear. Freezing will prevent insoluble inks from smearing, and it
will prevent the growth of mold as well. So to avoid smearing, use only insoluble ink or
pencil for office transactions.
If the papers are not too wet, place newsprint or silicone release paper between them;
wrap them in packages no more than two inches thick; place them flat in cubic foot boxes
or milk crates, and pack the boxes loosely because the water will expand when it turns to
ice.
If the papers are saturated and begin to disintegrate when you try to separate the sheets,
wrap and freeze them without interleaving; then call the state Archives at (803) 8966112 for help.
If the papers are only slightly damp, you can spread them out and air-dry them in rapidlycirculating air at low temperatures. When the pages dry, you may find they are rippled.
If you do not have to retain the originals, photocopy or microfilm and then dispose of
them.
Electronic records
Are they backed up off sites? If yes, do nothing. Are they the only copies? If yes,
generally remove from cases and rinse in clear water, dry gently and place in new cases
and copy onto new hardware. See specific instructions for the various storage media of
electronic records following. Several commercial recovery services can recover
electronic records faster and probably better than a record keeper can. Keep such
services telephone numbers handy. See local services contact information attached. You
may be able to recover data (a) on diskettes by disassembling them, washing them in
distilled water, drying them (never in a microwave) and then copying the data onto new
diskettes; (b) on hard drives by washing them quickly, drying them in temperatures not
higher than 100 degrees and again, never in microwave, for not more than an hour; and
then copying the data onto new hard drives; (c) on compact disks by washing but not
drying them and then putting the data onto new disks. You will have to plan for the cost
of new diskettes, new hard drives, and new compact disks.
Photographs and negatives
Photographs and negatives should be separated, spread out, and air dried as soon as
possible. If they are stuck together, soak them, separate them, then, dry them by hanging
each individually on clothes lines by the borers with clean, rust-free plastic clips. If no
line is available, dry flat on a clean surface, emulsion side up. Prevent curling by placing
them in archival folders and weighing them down gently. Refer severely curled or fragile
photos to a conservator.
If quick action is impossible, wash prints and negatives in clean water, interleave them,
place no more than four or five into small plastic bags, freeze them, and call a
conservation specialist. Do not put too many bags in one stack.
If you have both negatives and prints, you may want to recover only the negatives; you
can make new prints later when resources are available. If you have only prints, you can
restore those and have negatives made and stored separately when time and money allow.
Microfilm and motion picture film
If you have no undamaged negatives from which to make duplicates, you can store
damaged film for a few days in clean, cold water (see above under “Begin recovery”).
Black and white film can stay in water for up to three days, and color for up to forty-eight
hours. Once your microfilm is stabilized, call Micrographic Services at the State
Archives at (803) 896-6210. Micrographic Services of the Archives can reprocess your
damaged microfilm, arrange to recover any master negatives, or help you locate a vendor.
If you have master negatives, find out who made the film because Kodak and Fuji will
provide recovery service only if master negatives are on their film.
Fight mold
Mold is a danger to records. Before returning records to storage, remove wet carpeting,
clean all walls, floors, shelves, and storage cabinets with fungicides, dry them
thoroughly, and air them out completely. Once the records have been returned to storage,
you should check for mold or at when the humidity is high in the storage areas.
Evaluate the incident and your response to it
To prevent the loss of money, time, and information, in the future review your situation
after your records are recovered or replaced by asking:
o Could I limit or avoid the damage if a similar disaster struck again?
o Do I need to revise my records management program to minimize future losses?
o Do I need better insurance coverage?
o Do I have the information and supplies I need to deal with future emergencies?
o What additional training does my staff need?
About vendors and drying
Restoration on-site or away: If the job is big enough, vendors of vacuum drying and
vacuum freeze drying services can transport their equipment to the site of a disaster
especially if an agency has insurance coverage. However, if your problem is small and
localized, vendors will ask you to ship the records/materials to them. You may need to
rent a refrigerated truck, or, if you have only a small amount of material, you may want to
simply pack it in dry ice and ship it UPS for overnight delivery.
Training: When you use vendors, remember that they are not trained to recover records
of permanent or historical value. So, someone with a basic knowledge of preservation
should monitor the vendor’s on-site activity carefully and supervise the transfer of
materials to and from a freeze-drying facility.
Authorizations and cost: Before any commercial vendor begins any work, the service
will require either an authorization from an insurance adjuster or a purchase order
number. Thus, you should plan on spending about seventy-five dollars a cubic foot for
the transportation to and recovery of records at a commercial freeze-drying facility and
their recovery once they are there. Vacuum drying will be substantially cheaper than
vacuum freeze drying, but it is not recommended for brittle or fragile materials or for rare
books because it involves fairly high temperatures (see list of commercial recovery
services attached).
Working with specialists to rehabilitate the records or retrieve information
Note that the State Archives has a disaster recovery team that is on emergency call
twenty-four hours a day, and it has staffers who can help you sort through options and
recommend commercial drying methods during working hours. If there are research
copies and not he master negatives of your microfilm, the State Archives Micrographics
Service staff at (803) 896-6208 can help you review costs and vendors. Similarly, the
Conservation Laboratory staff (803) 896-6211 can advise you on treatments for various
materials and recommend commercial drying methods. When you call the State Archives
for help, you should be able to estimate roughly, in cubic feet, volumes, or pages. If
possible, the amount of material damaged, and give the name of your contact person.
You should also be prepared to answer some questions about the disaster:
o Was it a fire?
o Were water or chemical extinguishers used?
o Did the building sustain structural damage?
o Is the damaged building an historic site?
Checklist for disaster preparedness
Daily procedures
o Locks on doors and windows secure and all keys accounted for
o No pipes, faucets, toilets, or air conditioning units leaking
o Electrical equipment unplugged and no evidence of frayed wiring
o No signs of structural damage
o No burning materials in ashtrays or wastebaskets
o Trash removed daily, preferably at night
o Staff room cleaned daily
Periodic Procedures
o Outdoor hazards: railings, benches, planters, light/flag poles well-anchored,
overhanging trees, branches trimmed – Physical Plant at 3-5550
o Roof: covering sound (no leaks, cracks); flashings present and intact
o Drainage from roof: eaves, gutters, drains, and down spouts cleaned regularly;
drainage systems connected directly to sewer system - PP
o Ground-level drainage: drainage around doors checked
o Windows and skylights: caulking and sealants sound; trees trimmed away
o Fire safety: extinguishers operable; smoke alarms operable; sprinkler system
operable; water detectors operable; Halo system operable; staff trained to: sound
alarms, notify fire department and others, use extinguishers, turn off power, water,
HVAC, sprinklers, and close fire doors
o Electrical wiring: no overloading, wiring in good condition, appliance cords in
good and unplugged nightly (if appropriate)
o Heating; ventilation, air conditioning (HVAC) system; effective temperature and
humidity controls; furnace inspected annually; air conditioning inspected
annually; exhaust working on ventilation: exhaust working, air filters effective
and changed regularly
o Water protection: pipes and plumbing – including toilets, icemakers, freezers,
and other water sources – not located above records; pipes well supported; no
leaks; pipe joints and valves in good condition; water detector present, inspected
and functioning; sump pumps and back-ups available; appropriate dehumidifiers
available; no leakage or seepage through walls; protective enclosures for special
materials – rare maps and archives, eg, - and for fragile media: cassettes,
diskettes, and so forth
o Records/Collection Areas: shelves well-braced; no valuable materials under
water sources; shelving 4”-6” off floor; stairways and pipe shafts enclosed; no
valuable materials in basement; exits unobstructed; important collections away
from windows
o Housekeeping: safe storage of cleaning supplies and other flammables; smoking
in designed areas only; food and drink prohibition enforced; pest management
strategies in place
o Security: book drops outside building or in fire-resistant room; exterior of
building well-lit; locks or alarms on windows and doors; intrusion alarms or
detectors; closing procedures effective
o Insurance policy up to date; “Acts of God” covered; replacement costs specified
for special materials; new equipment added to policy duplicate shelflist,
accessions register or collections register in off site location
o Emergency numbers are accurate and posted near every telephone
Emergency telephone list
Name of Institution: College of Charleston
Staff contact in case of emergency: Public Safety at 3-5611
Person in charge of building maintenance: Physical Plant at 3-5550
State Archives: Sarah Murray at (803)896-6112
Priority listing of materials
Complete a list of materials for salvage by assigning priorities as follows:
1. Salvage at all costs
2. Salvage if time permits
3. Salvage as part of general clean-up
Keep the following in mind when setting priorities:
A. Can the item be replaced? At what cost? Besides the purchase price, cost should
include ordering, cataloging, and so forth
B. Would the cost of replacement be less or more than the cost of restoring the
object?
C. How important is the object to the records?
D. Is the object/piece of record available elsewhere?
Designate a recovery director
o Recovery director identifies him/herself to personnel from Emergency Services
o Recovery director obtains clearance to enter disaster area
o Recovery director inspects and assesses damage to collection/records
 Check for any potential hazards
 Take photographs or videos of the damage
 Contact insurance companies if their assessors are not already on the scene
o Plan recovery operations
 Select adequate space for recovery operations
 Set up communications
 Assemble supplies and equipment
 Assemble work crews and give them instructions
 Arrange for relief shifts and breaks
o Begin recovery operations according to priorities
 Clear the passageways if necessary and sort the items on-site
Electronic Records
Are they backed up off site? If yes, do nothing
Are they the only copies?



Remove from cases and rinse in clear water
Dry gently
Place in new cases and copy onto new hardware
Audio and video tapes
Are they backed up off site? If yes, do nothing
Are they the only copies?
Small number:
 Rinse exterior dirt from cases in clean water
 Dry tape with heat of not more than100 degrees
 Replace audio cassette cases if possible
 Copy to new tape on mew machinery
Large number:
 Gently rinse off dirt or mud
 Use a vendor to clean and copy them
Photographs and Negatives
Small numbers
 Keep immersed in water; do not allow to dry stuck together
 Set up clothes lines
 Air dry by using plastic clothes pins to clip photos separately by borders to
line
 If no line is available, dry flat on a clean surface, emulsion side up
 Prevent curling by placing them in archival folders and weighing them
down gently
 Refer severely curled or fragile photos to a conservator
Large numbers
 Do not allow to dry stuck together
 Interleave with neutral sheets and place no more than four or five in a
plastic baggie
 Place flat in boxes and freeze; do not stack too many in a pile
 Begin air drying process as few at a time or refer materials/records to
conservator
Microfilm and Motion Picture film
If duplicates are unavailable or cannot be made:
 Obtain large trash can and clean, large trash bags
 Line the cans with the bags
 Fill trash bags with clean, cold water
 Submerge damaged film in the water
 Have the film reprocessed within 48 hours
 If the film is a master negative, contact the film manufacturer for
reprocessing
 Contact Micrographics Services at the State Archives if they are not
master negatives at (803)896-6210
Bound volumes
Very wet books
 Wrap books in a layer of plain paper
 Pack in box, spine down
 Pack oversize books flat, placing the larges books on the bottom and the
smallest books on top
 Send to freezer
 Refer large numbers to a drying service
1. Vacuum-freeze fragile, leather-bound and rare books
2. Cloth or paper bound books can be heat dried
 Small numbers may be air dried in small groups
Slightly damp books
 Set up air drying tables in low traffic areas
 Interleave some-not too many- paper towels or plain newsprint
 Set books on end-with text upside down- and fan out covers and pages
 Circulate the air rapidly and indirectly, using fans in good condition
 Check books regularly, and replace interleaved blotting sheets as they
become damp
 Air-dry until gutters are completely dry
 Rebind books with severely warped covers
 Monitor books for the growth of mold for the year after they have been
reshelved
Mundy books
 Using moderate water pressure and sponge, rinse off books, holding outer
edges tightly closed
 Wrap and freeze or air dry
 Brush off any remaining dirt when dry
Moldy books
 Isolate these items
 Wrap and freeze
 Contact the Conservation Lab at the State Archives at (803) 896-6211
Loose paper documents
 Support the document when you move them
 Separate and interleave slightly damp documents
 Do not try to separate very wet pages, wrap and freeze in then batches
 Valuable originals should be freeze-dried
 Air dry other originals
 Photocopy or microfilm originals as appropriate
 Return originals to folders when dry and monitor for the growth of mold
for a year
Disaster Recovery Services: Local in South Carolina
Cleaning Services, Fumigation, Fire and Smoke Reclamation
Clean Aire, Inc.
1006 Rabbit Run
Columbia, SC 29061
(803) 776-1117; (803) 238-1812 (24 hr. beeper)
Duct cleaning, Smoke, odor, and water restoration.
First Response
12 Diamond Lane
Columbia, SC 29210
(803)750-5538; (803) 612-7734 (pager)
Water damage, water extraction, structural drying, carpet and furniture cleaning.
ServiceMaster of Mid Carolina
5816 Shakespeare Road
Columbia, SC 29223
(803) 735-8181
Carpet and furniture cleaning, fire and water clean-up.
Servpro
270 Rabon Road
Columbia, SC 29223
Servpro of Lexington
1831 Pine Street
West Columbia, SC 29170
(803) 749-0178
Disaster restoration specialists handling fire, smoke, water damage, odor removal and
dehumidification.
COLD STORAGE FACILITIES
Amerigold Logistics
2339 Shop Road
Columbia, SC 29202
(803) 799-6520
Blast freezing, refrigeration.
Atlas Cold Storage
2130 Old Georgia Highway
Gaffney, SC 29340
(864)799-6520
Blast freezing, refrigeration.
Coburg Dairy
3020 Bluff Road
Columbia, SC 29209
(803) 776-5700
Refrigerated trucks, coolers, and freezer space. Damaged materials will have to be
shrink-wrapped to be stored in freezers with food.
PYA / Monarch
120 Longs Pond Road
Lexington, SC 29072
(803) 951-4200 (24 hrs.)
Cooler and freezer space. Seasonal availability for no-food items may pose a space
problem.
Standard Corporation Integrated Logistics
1115 Bluff Industrial Blvd.
Columbia, SC 29201
(803) 771-0015
Blast freezing, refrigeration.
ENVIRONMENTAL STABILIZATION
Aggreko, Inc.
121 Vera Road
Lexington, SC 29071
(803) 957-7475
Temporary temperature and humidity control.
Belfor USA
492A La Mesa Road
Mt. Pleasant, SC 29464
(888) 421-4119
Disaster recovery, dehumidification, mold removal, magnetic media recovery, vacuum
freeze-drying.
EQUIPMENT & TRNSPORTATION RENTAL
Budget
408 Blossom Street
Columbia, SC 29201
(803) 799-3005
Trucks of various sizes and types. No refrigerated trucks are available.
Frank’s Quality Services
1784 Two Notch Road
Lexington, SC 29073
(803) 957-4946
Refrigerated trucks available for lease
U-Haul
2339 Two Notch Road
Columbia, SC 29204
(803) 256-7397
Trucks of various sizes and types. No refrigerated trucks are available.
PEST MANAGEMENT
Chicora Foundation, Inc.
PO Box 8664
861 Arbutus Drive
Columbia, SC 29202
(803) 787-6910
Pest control, environmental consulting, architectural counseling.
Disaster Recovery Services: National
COLD STORAGE FACILITIES
Commercial Cold Storage, Inc.
4300 Pleasnatdale Road, NE
Atlanta, GA 30340
(770) 448-7400
Blast freezer, freezer storage, refrigeration.
Industrial Cold Storage
2625 W. 5th Street
PO Box 41064
Jacksonville, FL 32203
(904) 786-8038
Blast freezing, refrigeration
CONSULTING SERVICES
American Institute for Conservation
1717 K Street, NW, Suite 301
Washington, DC 20006
(202) 452-9545
Free referrals to professional conservators throughout the United States.
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Headquarters
500 C Street, SW
Washington, DC 20472
(202) 646-4600
Free publications relating to emergency preparedness. Also may be available with
financial and additional resources when response and recovery operations exceed the
capabilities of state government in a presidentially declared emergency or disaster.
Northeast Document Conservation Center
100 Brickstone Square
Andover, MA 01810
(978) 470-1010 (24 hrs.)
Basic advice and references in the event of an emergency. Staff conservators are also
available for expert consultation. The field rate for conservation is $530/day. There is no
charge in case of dire emergency.
Solinet
1438 W. Peachtree Street, NW, Suite 200
Atlanta, GA 30309
800-999-8558
Services include referrals to conservators, specialized consultants, and other service
providers; also disaster recovery advice after an emergency.
DRYING FACILITIES/ENVIRONMENTAL
STABILIZATION
American Freeze-Dry, Inc.
411 White Horse Pike
Audubon, NJ 08106
(856) 546-0777
Able to vacuum freeze-dry 50 cubic feet at a cost of $55-60 per cubic foot. Can also
make arrangements for larger quantities with McDonnell Douglas (thermal vacuum
drying) or a Canadian company with a 500-cubic-foot vacuum freeze-dry chamber.
Belfor USA
2300 Fourth Street
Atlanta, GA 30084
Disaster recovery, dehumidification, mold removal, magnetic media recovery, vacuum
freeze-drying.
Blackman – Mooring Steamatic Catastrophe, Inc. (BMS-CAT)
Brent Lee, Regional Director (Southeast Region)
450 Cemetery Street, Suite 201
Norcross, GA 30071
800-433-2940; (228) 806-9550 (mobile)
Disaster recovery services, odor removal, vacuum freeze-drying. BMS-CAT provides
extensive recovery and restoration services and is able to handle almost any size
emergency. Recovery services include paper-based materials as well as electronic
equipment and magnetic media. Book and document collections are vacuum freeze dried
for approximately $40 per cubic ft. based on a 500 cubic foot load. Portable blast freezer
is available.
Disaster Recovery Services
2425 Blue Smoke Court South
Forth Worth, TX 76105
800-856-3333 (24 hr. hotline); (817) 535-6793
Vacuum freeze-drying, disaster recovery of computer media, microfiche and microfilm,
books, business records. Vacuum freeze-dry chamber has an 800-cubic-ft. capacity; the
rate for freeze-drying process that employs heat and a cold trap. During the drying
operation materials cycle from -40to 60 degrees.
Munters Corporation – Moisture Control Services
6900 Peachtree Industrial BLvd., Suite 1
Norcross, GA 30071
800-890-9877; (770) 242-0935
Disaster recovery services, building dehumidification, drying services, microfilm drying
services. Will dry to customer’s specifications or will recommend an appropriate
method. Choices include: vacuum freeze-drying, in-situ drying through
dehumidification, or stabilization by freezing materials to be dried at a later time. The
vacuum freeze-dryer has a 100-cubic-foot capacity, and cost is approximately $50 per
cubic foot with a reduction for quantities greater than 500 cubic feet.
Solex Environmental Systems
PO Box 460242
Houston, TX 77056
800-848=0484; (713) 963-8600
Vacuum freeze-drying, portable freezing chamber, environmental control systems,
decontamination.
SALVAGE – ELECTRONIC DATA & EQUIPMENT
Data Recovery and Reconstruction (Data R&R)
PO Box 35993
Tucson, AZ 85740
(520) 742-5724
A charge of $75 per drive is required for decontamination of fir-or water-damaged drives.
No charge for preliminary diagnostics.
Excalibur Data Recovery, Inc.
Valley Office Park
13 Branch Street, Suite 207B
Methuen, MA 01844
800-466-0893; (978) 681-1200
Fax: (978) 681-1203
Email: excaliburdr@rcn.com
http://www.excaliburdatarecovery.com
Data recovery from losses caused by many types of disasters. They have experience
working with many types of media and more than twenty operating systems.
Micro-Surgeon
6 Sullivan Street
Westwood, NJ 07675
(201) 666-7880
Offers evaluations based on a flat rate of $75 per drive and includes all diagnostic
services related to determination of recovery feasibility.
SALVAGE-MAGNETIC MEDIA
Smolian Sound Studios
1 Womans Mill Court
Frederick, MD 21701
(301) 694-5134
Well known for offering all types of audiotape restoration. Also works with acetate and
shellac discs.
Sound Studios, Inc.
1296 East 48th Street
Brooklyn, NY 11234
(718) 338-8284; (212) 870-1694
Consulting and treatment of audio tape collections. Able to work with a variety of
formats.
SPECS Bros.
PO Box 5
Ridgefield Park, NJ 07660
800-852-7732; (201)440-6589
Magnetic media restoration and reformatting.
Eastman Kodak Company
Disaster Recovery Laboratory
1700 Dewey Avenue
B-65, Door G, Room 340
Rochester, NY 14650
800-EKC-TEST (352-8378)
Reprocessess original camera films (only Kodak brand) free of charge. There is no limit
on the number of rolls. Films should be packaged according to Kodak’s instructions that
are given when Kodak is notified.
Fuji Microfilm
Atlanta, GA 800-366-3854
Microfilm recovery (Fuji film only)
New England Micrographics
750 E. Industrial Park Drive
Manchester, NH 03109
800-340-1171; (603) 625-1171
Reprocesses any amount of water-damaged microfilm, and also provides off-site storage
for microfilm and computer media. Cost is based on the size and nature of the request.
Works with Fuji film and also Ilford color film.
SALVAGE-PHOTOGRAPHIC MATERIALS
Conservation Center for Art and Historic Artifacts
264 South 23rd Street
Philadelphia, PA 19103
(315) 545-0613
Provides advice about recovery of various types of collections. A photograph
conservator is on staff to advise on recovery and treatment options for photographic
collections.
Northeast Document Conservation Center
100 Brickstone Square
Andover, MA 01810
(978) 470-1010 (24 hrs.)
Has 3 photographic conservators with a wide range of knowledge of the various
photographic formats. Conservators are available for expert consultation, advice, and
treatment of collections/records involved in natural or other disasters.
MORE COMMERCIAL RECOVERY SERVICES
Blackmon Mooring Steamantic
Atlanta, Office
450 Cemetery St., Suite 201
Norcross, GA 3007 1-800-433-2940 / (770) 409-9669
Freeze-drying, fire recovery
Document Reprocessors
5611 Water St.
Middlesex, NY 14507
(716) 554-4500 / 24-hour number: 1-800-437-9464
Freeze-drying, fire recovery
American Freeze-Dry Inc.
411 White Horse Pike
Audubon, NJ 08106
24-hour-voice mail: (609) 54600777 / Fax (609) 547-4158
Freeze-drying
Munters Moisture Control Services
Atlanta Office
6900 Peachtree Industrial Blvd. Suite 1
Norcross GA 30071
24-hour number, Charlotte NC: 1-800-976-9375
24-hour number, Atlanta, GA: 1-800-775-0935
Drying, flood / water recovery
Steris Isomedix Services
Regional Office
2072 Southport Rd.
Spartanburg, SC 29306 (864) 582-3041
Sterilization of records damaged by mold, contaminants
Enviro-Air Control Corp.
1523 N. Post Oak Rd.
Houston, TX 77055-5409
(713) 681-3449 / 1-800-275-3449
E-mail: dhinfo@enviro-contrl.com
Dehumidifier sales and rentals
*Commercial recovery services numbers should be revised annually.
Supplies recommended for emergency recovery
Batteries
Battery-operated lanterns
Battery tester
Boots or shoes –sturdy and waterproof
Extension cords-heavy, water resistant, various lengths
Fans
Work gloves-heavy
Labels-adhesive
Milk crates or records center cartons
Newsprint, unprinted-end rolls available from local newspaper*
Paper towels*
Plastic sheeting-rolls in varying widths
Protective masks
Squeegees
Tape-packing
Utility knives, scissors
Waxed paper*
Blotter paper*
*Use these items as interleaves to keep wet materials from sticking together and to
prevent the dye from transferring or running.
Salvage at a glance for modern records
Material
Paper
Documents
and
manuscripts
Stable media
(photocopies,
pencil)
Soluble inks
(felt pen,
colored pens,
ball point)
Priority
Handling
Precautions
Freeze or dry
Don’t separate
within 48 hours single sheets
Packing
Method
Interleave
between
folders and
pack in milk
cartons
Drying Method
Immediately
freeze or dry
Interleave
between
folders and
pack in milk
crates or
cartons.
Pack in map
drawers, bread
trays, flat
boxes, on
heavy
cardboard or
poly covered
plywood.
Interleave
between
folders and
pack as above
Air or freeze dry.
Pack like maps
in containers
lined with
plastic
Separate with
freezer paper,
pack spine
down in milk
crate or
cardboard box
1 layer deep.
Separate with
freezer paper,
Freeze drying
preferred.
Do not blot.
Maps and
plans
Stable media
(printed maps)
Freeze or dry
Use extra
within 48 hours caution if
folded or rolled
Soluble media
Maps and plans
by photo
reproductive
processes such
as, diazos.
Hand colored
maps
Maps on coated
papers
Immediately
freeze or dry
Books
Books and
pamphlets
Freeze or dry
Do not open or
within 48 hours close, do not
separate
covers.
Do not blot.
Immediately
freeze or dry
Volumes with
Immediately
Do not open or
leather bindings dry; or freeze if close, do not
Air, vacuum, or
freeze dry.
Air or freeze dry
Air or freeze dry
Air, vacuum, or
freeze dry
Air dry
many books.
Books and
Immediately
periodicals with freeze or dry
coated papers
Computer
media
Tapes
Floppy disks
Immediately
rinse off tapes
soaked by dirty
water. Dry
within 48 hours
if paper boxes
and labels;
otherwise,
tapes can say
wet for several
days. Do not
freeze
Immediately
pack.
Do not freeze.
Compact discs
and CD ROMs
Sound and
video
recordings
Sound and
videotapes
Immediately
dry discs. Dry
paper
enclosures
within 48
hours.
Immediately
rinse off tapes
soaked by dirty
water.
Dry within 48
hours if paper
boxes and
labels;
otherwise,
tapes can stay
wet for several
separate
covers.
Do not open or
close, do not
separate covers
Do not touch
magnetic
media with
bare hands.
Handle open
reel tapes by
hubs or reel.
Do not touch
disk surface
with bare
hands.
Do not scratch
the surface.
Do not touch
magnetic
media with
bare hands.
pack spine
down in milk
crate or
cardboard box
1 layer deep
Keep wet; pack
spine down in
containers
lined with
garbage bags
and
interleaving
Keep tapes wet
in plastic bags.
Freeze drying
preferred. Air
dry by fanning
pages
Air dry, or test
vacuum drying
without heat.
Pack vertically
in plastic crate
or tub.
Keep wet.
Pack vertically
in plastic bags
or tubs of cold
water.
Pack vertically
in crates or
cardboard
cartons
Air dry.
Keep tapes wet
in plastic bags.
Pack vertically
in plastic crate
or tub.
Air dry, or test
vacuum drying
without heat.
Air dry.
day.
Shellac and
acetate discs
Vinyl discs
Do not freeze
Immediately
dry. Dry
enclosures
within 48
hours.
Dry within 48
hours.
Freezing is
untested; if it is
necessary,
freeze at above
-18 degrees
Celsius ((0o F).
Freeze or dry
enclosures
within 48
hours.
Freeze or dry
within 48
hours.
PhotographsMost 20thcentury black
and white
prints
Silver gelatin
printing out and
developing out
papers
Freeze or dry
Black and
within 48
white
hours.
negatives
Polyester based
film, nitrates
and acetates
and in good
condition.
Deteriorated
nitrates with
soluble binders
(negatives from
before 1951, if
they are
sticking to
Immediately
freeze or dry.
Recovery rate
may be low.
Discs are very
fragile. Hold
discs by their
edges. Avoid
shocks.
Hold discs by
their edges.
Avoid shocks.
Pack vertically
in ethafoampadded crates.
Air dry,
preferably with a
record cleaning
machine.
Pack vertically
in ethafoampadded crates.
Air dry,
preferably with a
record cleaning
machine.
Do not touch
emulsion with
bare hands.
Keep wet.
Pack in plastic
bags inside
boxes.
Do not touch
emulsion with
bare hands.
Keep wet.
Pack in small
plastic bags
inside boxes.
Order of
preference:
1. Air dry.
2. thaw and
air dry.
3. freeze
dry.
Do not vacuum
dry.
Order of
preference:
1. Air dry
2. thaw and
air dry,
3. freeze
dry.
Do not blot.
Horizontally
Do not vacuum
dry.
Air dry; thaw
and air dry; test
freeze drying.
enclosures)
Deteriorated
acetates
(negatives with
a vinegar smell,
and shrinkage)
Gelatin dry
plate
Glass negatives
Immediately
freeze or dry.
Recovery rate
is low.
Handle
carefullyswelling of
emulsion.
Horizontally.
Air dry; thaw
and air dry, and
test freeze
drying.
Freeze or dry
within 48
hours.
Handle with
care-glass
Keep wet.
Pack in plastic
bags vertically
in a padded
container.
Vertically in a
padded
container.
Air drying
preferred; or
thaw and air dry;
freeze dry.
Order of
preference:
1. Air dry,
2. thaw and
air dry,
3. freeze
dry. Do
not
vacuum
dry.
Order of
preference:
1. Air dry
in
mounts if
possible.
2. thaw and
air dry,
3. freeze
dry. Do
not
vacuum
dry.
Arrange with a
film processor to
rewash and dry.
Black and
white
transparencies
Glass lantern
slides, silver
gelatin
Color prints
and negatives
Prints and
negatives such
as Kodacolor,
Ektacolor, and
Fujicolor
Dry or freeze
Handle with
within 48 hours care-loose
binding tapes
and glass.
Freeze or dry
Do not touch
within 48 hours binder with
bare hands.
Keep wet.
Pack in plastic
bags inside
boxes
Color
transparencies
Color slides
and sheet as
Kodakchrome,
Ektachrome,
Anscocolor and
Fujichrome
Freeze or dry
Handle by
within 48 hours mounts or
edges.
Keep wet.
Pack in plastic
bags inside
box.
Motion
pictures
Rewash and
dry within 48
hours
Keep wet.
Pack in plastic
pails or
cardboard
cartons lined
with garbage
Air drying
preferred; thaw,
and air dry.
Microforms
Microfilm rolls
Rewash and
dry within 48
hours
Aperture cards
Freeze or dry
within 48 hours
Jacketed
microfilm
Freeze or dry
within 48
hours.
Diazo and
vesicular
microfiche
Freeze or dry
within 48 hours
Do not remove
from boxes,
hold carton
together with
rubber bands.
bags.
Keep wet.
Pack (in blocks
of 5) in a
cardboard box
lined with
garbage bags.
Keep wet.
Pack in plastic
bags inside pail
or box.
Keep wet.
Pack in plastic
bags inside pail
or box.
Interleave
between
envelopes and
pack in milk
cartons.
Arrange for a
microfilm
processor to
rewash and dry
Air dry, or thaw
and air dry
Air dry, or
freeze, thaw and
air dry.
Air dry, or
freeze, thaw and
air dry.
This table summarizes salvage for the most common records. If you have older or
more diverse records, see the following reference for more information:
http://palimpsest.standard.edu/waac/wn/wn19/wn19-2/wn19-207.html