Saving Family Treasures Guidelines
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Guidelines for the care of some of the more common materials to be affected by a natural disaster or other emergency are listed below.
- The listed web sites and recovery guidelines provided are in no way an exhaustive list.
General Recovery Guidelines
- General Information on What to Do with Wet Records
National Archives and Records Administration - Emergency Salvage of Flood Damaged Family Papers
National Archives and Records Administration - Emergency: If you're First...
American Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works (AIC) - Save Your Treasures the Right Way
Heritage Preservation, Heritage Emergency National Task Force - Tips for the Care of Water-Damaged Family Heirlooms and Other Valuables
American Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works (AIC) - Salvage at a Glance
by Betty Walsh, Western Association for Art Conservation - Fire Recovery: A Case Study
by Susan Page, National Archives and Records Administration
Family Papers or Other Archival Documents
- Emergency Salvage of Flood Damaged Family Papers
National Archives and Records Administration - Procedures for Salvage of Water Damaged Library Materials
by Peter Waters - Emergency Salvage of Wet Books and Records
Northeast Document Conservation Center - Salvage at a Glance
by Betty Walsh, Western Association for Art Conservation - Salvage Operations for Water Damaged Archival Collections: A Second Glance
by Betty Walsh, Western Association for Art Conservation - Paper: " Framed or Matted,Preparation for Drying
Minnesota Historical Society - Coated Paper
(Including linen drawings and sensitized coatings such as thermofax)
Minnesota Historical Society - Vellum and Parchment: Bindings and Documents
Minnesota Historical Society
Bound Volumes
- Fan the book open
- Place small strips of thin white paper approximately every ΒΌ inch close to the spine
- Allow the book to dry
Books or Bound Volumes
- Procedures for Salvage of Water Damaged Library Materials
by Peter Waters - Air-Drying Wet Records, Volumes or Other Books
Alabama Department of Archives and History - Saving Water-Damaged Books
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) - Emergency Salvage of Moldy Books and Records
Northeast Document Conservation Center - Cloth or Paper Book Covers
Minnesota Historical Society - Leather or Vellum Book Covers
Minnesota Historical Society - Scrapbooks
Minnesota Historical Society
Photographs
(Photographic Film and Prints)
- Saving Photographs after the Flood
American Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works (AIC) - Photographs and Transparencies — Salvage Priorities
Minnesota Historical Society - Emergency Salvage of Wet Photographs
Northeast Document Conservation Center - Microfiche
Minnesota Historical Society - Microfilm and Motion Picture Film
Minnesota Historical Society
Magnetic Media, Audio and Video
- Damage Mitigation and Recovery, Magnetic Media
by Peter Brothers - Magnetic Media: Reel-to-Reel Tapes
Minnesota Historical Society - Magnetic Media: Computer Diskettes
Minnesota Historical Society
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