Sensible precautions

• Basements

• Other floors

• Fire alarms and prevention

Basements

Materials that are stored on a basement floor in cardboard cartons can easily be housed in a more appropriate fashion and shelved high enough to be safe from unexpected floods. Similarly, records stored on conventional shelving in a basement should not be closer to the floor than 15 centimeters (six inches). Materials stored beneath water pipes or drains should be moved away from them, and materials in an area that has a history of flooding should be relocated. Basement areas can be especially vulnerable because of drain back-ups, water draining from pipe bursts in other parts of the building structure, and water from external sources, such as a burst water main in the street. In addition, unless there is adequate air circulation, mold can form and cause rapid deterioration and, as a less traveled area, rodents and insects are more likely to be active. Some consideration should be given to the installation of floor-mounted water alarms, which are of only moderate cost. Wet/damp floors and other forms of moisture attract insects, which must have moisture to survive.

Other floors

The chief culprit in water damage to library materials is water coming from above via leaking pipes, overflowing bathrooms or restrooms, roof breaks, and broken skylights. If materials are stored in areas that are in danger, it is usually a simple matter to move them to a place less vulnerable, away from likely sources of leakage. Past history is generally a good indicator of possible future damage, and recent ceiling leakage history can usually be determined by an examination of the walls and ceiling. Staining or streaking often indicates that water has percolated through the ceiling at some time, and the likelihood of a repeat is quite high. Sometimes, repairs or restoration to the building can cause leaks to occur when, for example, temporary protective plastic sheeting placed in position by builders is blown away during an unanticipated rainstorm. Regular roof and gutter maintenance are important, as instances have regularly occurred where water has seeped through walls because of a clogged gutter or downspout.

Fire alarms and prevention

Obviously, fire in a library or archives can be disastrous, so an alarm system that will notify personnel that a fire has started must be in place. Unfortunately, many libraries are not adequately protected against fire, although prudent protection can be relatively inexpensive. Ideally, the alarm should be wired to a security center, such as a fire department, usually via a basic telephone hook-up. If possible, an automatic sprinkler system should protect the collection and surrounding structure, but in any case extinguishers should be readily available. Common sense auditing of a facility includes checking the condition of electrical wiring, reducing flammable rubbish accumulation, ensuring that other combustibles such as parafin or petrol are away from the books. A fire in a building structure housing library materials can cause substantial collateral damage even if the materials are not directly burned via smoke or wet from water damage. Valuable information can be gained by asking a local fire department representative to help to audit the facility and provide some recommendations to reduce the fire risk. This is also an opportunity to introduce the fire department to the special nature of the library for their files. Even the best-protected facilities can be devastated by fire however, and it is imperative that essential back-up data files—such as the library's bibliographic records—be stored at a different site.