Volume 18 No.2 2013 Archival Products NEWS Superstorm Sandy: Response and Recovery at NYU Ehrman Medical Library By Angela M. Andres, Lou Di Gennaro, and Laura McCann

UPERSTORM SANDY MADE Ehrman Medical Library was devastated by landfall on October 29, 2012 just the storm. The library is a vital part of the The lowest level Ssouth of New York City. Amplified NYU Health Sciences Libraries, providing of the library by a full moon and high tide, Sandy’s record- academic and research support for students was completely breaking storm surge caused 14 feet of seawater and staff of the Langone Medical Center and submerged by to pour into lower Manhattan inundating NYU School of Medicine. The collections the surge. streets, tunnels, and subway lines and cutting include monographs and serials (both electrical power in and around the city. print and electronic), reports, audiovisual The New York University (NYU) Langone materials, digital resources, graphic materials, Medical Center, situated on Manhattan’s rare books and pamphlets, and a historically east side, was hit heavily by the storm surge, important archival collection. The lowest which flooded the center’s lower levels and level of the library was completely submerged caused power outages throughout the facility. by the surge. The ground floor level took on NYU Langone Medical Center is a premier a minimum of one foot of floodwater. The institution for clinical care, biomedical flooding resulted in electrical outages which research and medical education. Throughout compromised servers, disrupting access to the evening of October 29 and into the vital digital resources including email access. morning of October 30, Langone patients Once all patients were evacuated work were evacuated. Immediate assessments began immediately to restore power to the indicated major damage to electrical and medical center and resume clinical care mechanical infrastructure, as well as damage functions. At this time senior staff of NYU to clinical and research facilities including Health Sciences Libraries were able to access the Frederick L. Ehrman Medical Library. the facility and set to work salvaging servers Located on three floors at the heart of and computer processing units necessary the NYU Langone Medical Center, the to restore basic library functions. Paula S u p e r s t o r m S a n d y : R e s p o n s e a n d R e c o v e r y a t n y u E h r m a n M e d i c a l L i b r a r y – c o n t i n u e d

DeStefano, head of the Barbara Goldsmith The first priority Preservation and Conservation Department of was to formalize New York University Libraries, was contacted a contract with to provide expertise on the recovery of the Belfor, the flooded print and archival collections. disaster response company that Assessing the Damage (Left) Inside a stairwell between the ground floor and basement, with On the morning of November 1, with standing water and tideline on the wall. (Right) A wet box containing rare was already on pamphlets damaged by the flood. continuing power disruptions causing the scene at the major public transport delays, conservators NYU Langone Laura McCann (Conservation Librarian) After a quick assessment of books shelved Medical Center. and Lou DiGennaro (Conservation Technician in open cabinets surrounding the mezzanine for Special Collections) from the Barbara and rare books and archives housed on the same Goldsmith Preservation and Conservation floor, the conservators were led by library staff Department set out on foot from Brooklyn to down to the ground floor, which consisted the Medical Center to begin damage assessment. of public service space, a reading room, Equipped with headlamps, personal circulation and reference service desk areas, protective equipment, a digital camera and cataloging, interlibrary loan and acquisition assessment forms, the conservators conducted offices, and the server room. Here the carpet a survey of the library spaces. Upon entering was still damp, ceiling tiles had fallen, and the library at the mezzanine level, which books, audiovisual materials and computers had had no power or environmental control below the tideline were completely wet. In the for three days, a damp musty odor and high cataloger’s office off the main reading room, humidity were immediately evident. The water the conservators discovered two record carton had subsided and a dirty tideline, about a foot boxes of rare and valuable pamphlets on the and a half high, was visible along the walls floor that had been submerged and thrown of the ground floor. Library staff informed about by the force of the water. A number of the conservators that standing water was still early printed books, some in original leather present in the formerly submerged basement and vellum bindings, safely escaped the rush level, which contained printed monographs of water. Access to the basement level was and serials on compact shelving and Medical prevented by standing water in the stairwell. Center archival materials in flat files. With the possibility of biohazards from adjacent research facilities, the conservators and library staff quickly determined the risk to personal safety was too high to pursue the assessment of this level. The initial reconnaissance completed, the group planned immediate response actions. The first priority was to formalize a contract with Belfor, the disaster response company that was already on the scene at the NYU Langone Medical Center. The intensity of the damage required the expertise, equipment, facilities, and manpower of a disaster recovery The interlibrary loan office on the ground floor of Ehrman Library. Water in the plastic tote shows the approximate level firm. Senior library staff quickly coordinated of the floodwaters. the contracting of Belfor to oversee the

2 S u p e r s t o r m S a n d y : R e s p o n s e a n d R e c o v e r y a t n y u E h r m a n M e d i c a l L i b r a r y – c o n t i n u e d salvage of library materials and remediation of the physical spaces. The next action The next action for library staff was to for library staff define salvage priorities. Aided by a recent was to define collection management project and the salvage priorities. library’s disaster plan, they determined the first priority to be archival material, rare books, rare pamphlets, interlibrary loan items, and computer processing units (the servers had already been salvaged and relocated). The second priority was dry Belfor employees at work inventorying and packing dry collections on the ground floor. library material on the ground floor. All wet materials that were not archival materials, windows provided necessary illumination rare books, rare pamphlets, interlibrary loan and air circulation. Working quickly the items, or computer processing units were conservators, using supplies found in the determined to be replaceable and therefore library’s disaster response kit, covered the were not selected for salvage. conference table with polyethylene sheeting Due to the high relative humidity in the and began removing wet housing material, facility the conservators were concerned about being careful to retain all bibliographic a potential mold outbreak on the mezzanine information. The pamphlets were spread out level. Library staff monitored environmental on the table and allowed to briefly air dry conditions with battery-operated equipment. before being individually wrapped in Tek- Elevated relative humidity was successfully Wipe. (Tek-Wipe is a very strong non-woven reduced by opening adjacent windows and reusable fabric made from polyester and doors to take advantage of the cold and dry absorbent cellulose.) The wrapped pamphlets conditions outside. were then transferred into plastic crates and Once salvage priorities were defined brought via taxi to NYU Libraries’ Bobst the group met with Belfor staff to plan the Library for freezing. Bobst Library was one of recovery of library materials. Access to the the few downtown institutions to maintain basement space was still restricted while power after the storm because it is connected industrial hygienists and engineers assessed to NYU’s co-generation electrical plant. the space, limiting recovery activities to The conservators worked into the evening the ground floor. Belfor teams set to work placing small groups of wet pamphlets, moving dry high-priority items from the separated by waxed paper, into self-sealing ground floor to the mezzanine and then polyethylene bags, labeling the bags, and inventorying and discarding low-priority placing them in the freezer. wet material. Discarding wet materials was In the weeks following Sandy, Belfor important to reduce the moisture content on teams inventoried and packed the dry the ground floor and prevent mold growth. books and office papers from the ground

The conservators began immediate work floor and mezzanine shelving. The Wet pamphlets were spread salvaging the wet pamphlet collection while packed books were trucked to a climate- out to dry on a polyethylene- covered conference room table. library staff salvaged the CPUs. controlled secure offsite facility. Testing of the environmental conditions in the Recovery of Collections basement was completed in December and Work on the wet pamphlets commenced in the archival materials were transferred from a conference room where large south-facing the basement directly to Belfor’s freezer truck.

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The archival materials were then shipped to The Ehrman Library flood situation Important keys Belfor’s facility for vacuum freeze-drying, demonstrated the importance of having a and emergency cleaning and mold remediation. Treatment disaster recovery firm involved from the supplies should of the archival materials and remediation of earliest stages of the response; a firm (or be regularly the library spaces by Belfor is ongoing. The firms) should be identified in the disaster maintained Ehrman Library staff are currently working plan, ideally with a pre-arranged contract in (checked for in temporary offices. Through outreach and place, and key staff members should keep fresh batteries, the use of digital resources and services they printed copies of the disaster plan at home, continue to provide vital support for the since electronic copies and on-site printed for instance), research, educational and clinical functions of copies may not be accessible. Important keys well-organized NYU’s School of Medicine and the Langone and emergency supplies should be regularly and clearly Medical Center. maintained (checked for fresh batteries, for labeled. Recovery and treatment of the salvaged instance), well-organized and clearly labeled. pamphlets continues at the Barbara It is useful to prioritize collections so that Goldsmith Book and Paper Conservation high-value materials can be quickly identified Lab in Bobst Library. Conservators thaw each in an emergency situation, and to store high- pamphlet in a shallow tray of water to release priority items in the least vulnerable areas the frozen pages from one another, clipping within a facility, avoiding basements, low original sewing threads to facilitate the shelves, and other potentially risky places.

separation. A soft brush is used to dislodge Sources New York University Health Sciences Libraries: http://hsl.med.nyu. any surface dirt deposited by the floodwaters, edu/ and the individual folios are lifted from New York University Libraries, Barbara Goldsmith Preservation and the water and placed in a stacked Conservation Department: http://library.nyu.edu/preservation/ “sandwich” of non-woven polyester BELFOR Property Restoration: http://www.belfor.com/en/USA.aspx fabric and blotter to quickly absorb Disaster Preparedness and Response Resources most of the moisture. The pages are American Institute for Conservation 24-hour Assistance Line: 202-661-8068 then transferred to a fresh stack of Caring for water-damaged family heirlooms and other valuables: dry blotter and reemay and allowed http://www.conservation-us.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=Page. viewPage&pageId=597 to finish drying under weight. Once Conservation Center for Art and Historic Artifacts dry, the pamphlets may require Disaster assistance services: http://www.ccaha.org/services/ mending or additional surface disaster-assistance

cleaning before being resewn. Northeast Document Conservation Center Emergency salvage of wet books and records: http://www.nedcc.org/ resources/leaflets/3Emergency_Management/06SalvageWetBooks.php Reflecting and Looking Forward Emergency salvage of wet photographs: http://www.nedcc.org/ While it may not be possible to resources/leaflets/3Emergency_Management/07SalvageWetPhotos.php Thawing a frozen pamphlet in a prepare for any and every contin- water bath. Emergency salvage of moldy books and paper: http:www.nedcc .org/ gency in a disaster or emergency, it resources/leaflets/3EmergencyManagement/08SalvageMoldyBooks.php is almost impossible to over prepare. Major Heritage Preservation Compilation of resources and publications concerning disaster/flood weather events such as Superstorm Sandy are recovery: http://www.heritagepreservation.org/PROGRAMS/flood.html increasingly common; the aftermath of Sandy Emergency Response and Salvage Wheel—free app: http://www. provides an opportunity to consider what such heritagepreservation.org/programs/TFNewsReleases/nr120410.html

storms mean for library collections and what Laura McCann is Conservation Librarian at Barbara Goldsmith kinds of steps can be taken to prepare for and Preservation and Conservation Department, New York University Libraries. She can be reached at [email protected]. defend against these natural disasters before Angela Andres and Lou Di Gennaro are Assistant Conservators for they happen. Special Collections at Barbara Goldsmith Preservation and Conservation Department, New York University Libraries.

4 Two-Year Journey with Joseph Royer Architectural Drawings By Cher Schneider

OSEPH WILLIAM ROYER, 1873- While the literature covering Royer’s life 1954, was a prominent Illinois public is sparse, fortunately there are local newspaper There are Jfigure and engineer but an under- articles documenting his personal and private life. approximately recognized Midwest architect. An Urbana Brian Adams, Assistant Director of Public 100 Royer native, Royer was best known for his school Service of Archaeology and Architecture buildings still buildings and homes scattered throughout Program at the University of Illinois at standing around Champaign-Urbana, Illinois. In the 1920s, Urbana-Champaign (UIUC), became Champaign Urbana could have been called ‘Royerville’ interested in Joseph William Royer after due to the number of buildings created renovating Urbana homes. His restoration and Urbana by Joseph Royer. There are approximately led to research culminating in a book about even reaching 100 Royer buildings still standing around Joseph Royer called Joseph William Royer: into Indiana Champaign and Urbana even reaching Urbana’s Architect. His book gives a detailed and Iowa. into Indiana and Iowa. Royer received his account of Royer’s professional and personal life. Architecture Degree from University of After discovering five packets of Joseph Royer Illinois College of Engineering in 1895. drawings, containing 103 total sheets, Adams immediately contacted UIUC University Archives to preserve these artifacts. University Archives decided that the best course of action, for preservation and access, was to digitize these materials due to the damage, size and nature of the drawings. The University of Illinois has a digital content creation unit (DCC) on campus that digitizes rare and fragile items for the Library. After digitization, the drawings would be stored in the high density cold storage on the UIUC campus, as they Woman’s Residence Hall in Jackson, IL. Packet contained nine sheets of revisions of the building. will be low-use items. In October 2011, the UIUC conservation laboratory began collaboration with University Archives and DCC to assess and prepare the five packets of Joseph Royer architectural drawings for digitization and permanent storage. The project was recently completed in June 2013.

Description and Condition The 103 Joseph William Royer Drawings came to conservation in very poor condition. A Science Building in Jackson, IL. This building contained two packets totaling 31 sheets. There were five packets of drawings: three

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The three primary conservation and preservation goals for the drawings were A Chapter House for the Alpha Kappa Detail of coated cloth paper with Detail of brown semi-transparent Alumnae in Urbana, IL. This packet contained losses from insect damage and interleaved paper. A Chapter House to stabilize the 17 sheets of interleaved semi-transparent mildew staining from A Chapter for the Alpha Kappa Alumnae in coated cloth paper and semi-transparent House for the Alpha Kappa Alumnae Urbana, IL. drawings, to brown paper. in Urbana, IL. prepare for safe handling during packets were architectural blueprints and two paper had many losses from insect damage digitization and packets were original architectural drawings. with some mildew staining. to consider The blueprints on cream wove paper The other packet of original drawings was long-term, were stable but had suffered much physical all drawn in graphite on cream tracing paper low-use storage damage. The drawings were originally found with covers of Kraft paper. This packet of solutions. rolled and retained the curl. Much of the drawings was extremely brittle and almost damage was seen as surface soil and grime torn in half horizontally with many edge with tattering of the edges. Other damage losses. There was also much smudging of included, but was not limited to, yellowing, the graphite with edge losses. staining, mildew staining, self-adhesive tape, tears, folds, creases and undulations. There Preparations were areas of fading of the cyan media but The three primary conservation and preservation most of the damage occurred on the top and goals for the drawings were to stabilize the bottom sheets that were most exposed. drawings, to prepare for safe handling during The two packets of original drawings were in digitization and to consider long-term, low- a more compromised state than the blueprints use storage solutions. The initial assessment because of the inherent quality of materials. evaluated the project on an overall level The media was friable and the sheets were including, condition assessment, treatment once again brittle and tattered. One packet hours, materials needed and projected budget. had half of the images drawn in black pen During assessment it was decided that this could and ink on thin coated cloth paper and the be a great learning experience for a student. other half was drawn with graphite on brown A second-year student in the Graduate semi-transparent paper. The ink and graphite School of Library and Information Science drawings were interleaved together. The cloth had been hired for a one-year contract to complete the Royer project. This student had eight months of experience on stabilizing geological maps for conservation and the new project allowed for a more in-depth learning experience about conservation and preservation under the supervision of the Senior Conservator of Special Collections.

Treatment Performed Item level evaluation was conducted prior to Before treatment image of A Calvary Armory, Urbana, IL. This packet contained six sheets. treatment. Each sheet was tested with various

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blueprints. This hinging paper is available in different mending widths that worked very well To save time, a for this project. The transparent papers required 12g 100% Thai a thinner and more transparent mend. For that Kozo hinging reason, Gampi was used instead. paper from After treatment image of Woman’s Residence Hall, Jackson- ville, IL. (Left) recto; (right) verso. The large sheet size created storage and Hiromi was used handling concerns. Therefore 3 mil and 4 mil for the blueprints. polyester film was tested for encapsulation stability. While the thicker film made for better support during handling, it also produced larger and heavier packages. Packets had to be arranged

(Detail, bottom right corner) After treatment image of A and stored in groups up to 15 sheets. Calvary Armory, Urbana, IL. (Left) recto; (right) verso. A concern for digitization was the semi- transparency of some of the packets. archival erasers because of the different medias The scanner in DCC could not and supports on each packet, and was a great properly capture a high resolution opportunity to teach our graduate student image with transparency. about conservation materials and tools. The Conservation came up with two blueprints required much surface cleaning. options for DCC to capture the The recto was friable, so only latex-free best image: encapsulated drawing hydrophilic sponges were used. White vinyl with Permalife or an encapsulation crumbs and sponge erasers were able to be with a thick Hollytex backing. used on the verso. The transparent papers were As Permalife was the most opaque very delicate and brittle. Therefore, only the material, it produced the best image latex-free hydrophilic sponges were used on both during scanning. However, some of recto and verso with great care taken around the the wider drawings exceeded the graphite. It is important to note that certain largest size of the Permalife. Hollytex brands of these latex-free hydrophilic sponges was able to be used in a single sheet were more abrasive than others. on the widest drawings because it is Mending was also individually evaluated. available on a roll. The Hollytex was Aqueous treatment was not an option and the also time-saving, because it was used semi-transparent sheets were very hygroscopic. as the backing sheet of encapsulation Tidelines were a concern along with staining, package. Hollytex accepts a weld (Top) Sheet with Mylar encapsula- tion; (center) Permalife interleaving; archivability and reversibility. Heat-activated using a Minter Ultrasonic Welding (bottom) Hollytex backing sheet. adhesive was a concern because of the potential machine and holds strong, making of burning or darkening the sheets, especially the Mylar and Hollytex a very with the semi-transparent papers. After suitable encapsulation packet. evaluating options of heat-set, self-adhesive and DCC used a sheet-fed scanner to image paste, wheat starch paste was determined to be the drawings. The sheets were so large that the best option for our concerns. removing all the air from the encapsulation Because of limited time, cost and space, only was virtually impossible, despite appearing local humidification and flattening was carried completely flat. Trapped air in the encapsulation out. After which, mends of Japanese paper were packet became a problem as the sheets moved attached with thin and dry wheat starch paste to through the scanner. Adding small air-exchange the verso. To save time, a 12g 100% Thai Kozo holes in the corner welds in the encapsulation hinging paper from Hiromi was used for the reduced jamming.

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The encapsulated drawings were permanently Conclusion The custom stored in large, custom-made four-flap folders The end results of the Joseph William Royer four-flaps were providing safe handling and storage with project were successful in meeting the made from pieces light protection. Various materials such as concerns for conservation as well as fitting of E-flute hinged B flute, barrier board and 20 point Bristol the needs of University Archives and DCC. together with board were tested. The archival E-flute or Correctly assessing the needs of your project PVA, Jade 405 double E-flute board became the obvious and continuing to modify these needs as your choice due to the stability needed for the size project progresses is paramount in successfully and book cloth. and weight of the packets. obtaining your goals, including staying on Large four-flap folders were custom made budget and schedule. Considering conservation in conservation out of E-Flute board or double options and testing also makes for a project E-flute when needed for the encapsulated to run smoothly. Projects such as the Joseph stacks. The custom four-flaps were made William Royer architectural drawings can be from pieces of E-flute hinged together with a great way to employ and educate students PVA, Jade 405 and book cloth. The inner about conservation and preservation practices flaps were made from one sheet of E-flute with in special collections. At the UIUC conservation creased folds. The first four-flap was made with laboratory, we try to spread conservation and a small flap using metal posts and grommets preservation knowledge to the staff and with thread to secure the folder closed. students through experience by collection After the first packet, the four-flap portfolio assessments, conservation treatments and was redesigned to be a true four-flap with no knowledge and awareness of materials in the closing mechanism. The overlapping boards, collection. We feel it is a great way to preserve made to the full size of the folder, held closed collections through other professions. for safe sturdy enclosure. Also, without the Sources superficial closing mechanisms, stacking of Adams, Brian. Joseph William Royer: Urbana’s Architect. The News- the folders in storage was easier. This technique Gazette, Inc. Champaign, IL, 2011

is now used for many oversize materials in special Cher Schneider is the Juanita J. and Robert E. Simpson Senior Conservator at the University of Illinois Library, Urbana-Champaign, collections such as panoramic photographs, IL. She can be reached at [email protected]. prints and posters.

First custom four-flap portfolio First custom four-flap portfolio (outside). (inside).

LBS/Archival Products P.O. Box 1413 Des Moines, Iowa 50316-1413 1-800-526-5640 515-262-3191 Fax 888-220-2397 [email protected]

Modified custom four-flap portfolio (inside). archival.com