Emergency Preparedness and Response

• Items on Exhibit
• Items with Coated Papers
• Items with Soluble Inks and Colorants
• Books and Bound Materials
• Manuscripts
• Art on Paper
• Items Housed in Plastic Enclosures
• Photographic Materials
• Microform
• Audio/Visual Recordings
• Paintings and other Framed or Glazed Art
• Metals
• Glass/Ceramics
• Wood
• Textiles
• Wet Natural History Collections

Coated Papers are any glossy or chalky papers used for posters, magazines, and many modern printed books.

Recovery Priority during the first 24-48 hours

• Dry items immediately. (If there are too many sheets to dry within 24 hours, then freeze them). If coated papers are allowed to dry in contact with one another, then they will fuse together.
• Place freezer or wax paper between single items.
• Cover papers with plastic to prevent partial drying until they can be frozen or salvaged.
• Do not tightly compress books or single sheets.
• Do not attempt to unfold, unroll, or separate pages or individual sheets if there is any resistance.
• Use extra caution with large sheets; wet paper is easily torn. Support with screens or polyester webbing.

Freezing Procedures

• Keep coated papers very wet until dried or frozen.
• Use plastic cartons, milk crates, or cardboard cartons for packing.
• Pack oversize materials flat. Pack books spine down.

Air Drying Procedures

• Drain excess water from the item before drying. Follow the instructions (found in the left toolbar) for the specific type of material.
• In general, coated papers respond well to freeze-drying.

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