Introduction
Insurance/Risk Management
Earthquake Recovery
Fire Recovery
Flood Recovery
Hurricane Recovery
Mudslide Recovery
Tornado Recovery
Publications
Web Links
Other Organizations |
Emergency preparedness is a very important part of preservation
program management. No institution is immune from disaster. The
Library of Congress itself suffered the ravages of two major fires
in the 19th century. However, the most frequent cause of damage
to collections in general is from water, or a combination of fire
and water. Historically, water damage results from the failure
of aging building elements such as air-conditioning drip pans,
drain pipes, built-in joints, and so forth. Other damage and loss
have been caused by failure of cooling or humidity control systems,
vandalism and theft, and by the presence of the necessary fire
suppression systems. In addition, the shut-down of environmental
control systems during building maintenance and renovation can
result in emergency conditions for collections. |