On October 1, 2008, the Library Collections Emergency Team (LCET) held its fourth Collections Salvage Workshop. Thirty  participants from libraries all over Harvard attended class in the Lamont Forum Room and practiced what they learned on actual wet library materials. HCL Operations set up book shelves outside Lamont, LCET members loaded the shelves with books discarded by a local public library, and then staff hosed them down.

Participants examined the damage and formulated salvage strategies. They determined possible drying methods based on the amount of water absorbed by the materials and practiced air-drying the damp materials and “packing-out” the very wet materials for freeze-drying. They also practiced air-drying audio/visual and electronic media.

 Six LCET members gave tutorials about on salvaging books (Pam Spitzmueller, shown above), flat paper (Heather Hamilton), film and photographs (Brenda Bernier), electronic media (Alan Puglia), plus which supplies to stockpile for salvage (Ethel Hellman), and how to document the disposition of materials (Jane Hedberg).

Here Pam Spitzmueller demonstrates how to safely cut the tape that holds a book jacket in place. Wet book jackets should be separated from wet books before drying.