Lynn Smith, C.A.
University of Denver Law Library
DU Library School Student

The quiet in the staff room was broken one morning when someone called out, "Hey, what's this Illinois Digest doing in the freezer?!" It is a question that I hear once or twice a month.

Freezing is a technique used in recovering bug infested and water soaked library materials. The process starts by placing the damaged book in a plastic bag and freezing it at a temperature of -20 Fahrenheit for at least three days. The cold temperature kills insects and larvae. In the case of books damaged by water, vacuum freeze drying removes the harmful water while in the form of ice. The CSU Morgan Library books damaged in last summer's flood in Fort Collins are undergoing freeze drying. Freezing is also helpful to remove foreign objects, such as chewing gum, from book covers. To remove gum, place the book in a sealable plastic bag, freeze, and in a few days the frozen gum should flake off. If it does not flake off, reseal the bag and continue freezing, then try again in a day or two. When the gum is removed, allow the book several hours to thaw before returning it to the stacks.

Basic maintenance is crucial to keep a collection in good condition. Book shelves should not be jammed full and books should always be placed vertically on the shelves. Books resting on the fore edge places unwanted stress on the spine. Keep shelves clean and free of dust, food, and beverages. Another critical piece in basic collection maintenance is to have a disaster plan on hand for emergencies. Whether the crisis is small and isolated, like a moldy book ar two, or major, such as the Fort Collins flood, a plan of action must be on hand so that all staff members know what they should and should not do. The policy should identify recovery priorities and include a list of contacts. In 1972 a fire severely damaged the Temple University Law Library. The library, with no disaster plan, retrieved all damaged materials and sent them to be freeze-dried In the end, the freeze drying process turned out to be far more expensive than replacement of the damaged books.