Freezing Procedures:
- Drain excess water and square up text block as much as possible.
- Perform triage of wet books. Separate animal skin bindings from cloth and paper bindings.
- Place freezer paper or polyester webbing between books to prevent sticking.
- Inventory books by call number before packing for freezing. Write the shelving range call numbers on multiple sides of the box for security reasons.
- Pack them in separate plastic cartons or corrugated boxes. Animal skin bindings can not be vacuum freeze dried without binding damage occurring.
- Pack books one layer deep, spine down, in sturdy cartons.
- Pack containers three-quarters full. Fill out extra space with crumpled plain paper to support the books.
- Pack oversize items flat with freezer paper or polyester webbing between items.
- Contact a conservator or preservation specialist about salvage of frozen animal skin bindings.