VOLUME 12

NO.42005

TUCKED AWAY IN DES MOINES, Iowais a small but remarkable collec-tion of books and manuscripts

that includes illuminated manuscripts,incunabula, rare Bibles, nineteenth centurypublishers’ bindings, fine printings andbindings from the Arts and Crafts era andfirst editions of many important writers ofthe early twentieth century. This collec-tion comprises only a small part of the sub-stantial collections of art, textiles and his-toric artifacts that adorn the walls andshelves of Salisbury House, a historic homebuilt in the 1920s by Carl and Edith Weeks.This past summer, I had the opportunity towork as a summer intern at SalisburyHouse to not only provide some much-needed basic preservation care for the bookand manuscript collection but also to assistin designing and implementing a plan toprotect the collections during ongoingmajor renovations to the historic building.

The Tudor-style design of SalisburyHouse was inspired by King’s House inSalisbury, England, a building that had

delighted Carl and Edith Weeks duringtheir travels overseas. Many of the materialsused in the construction of the houseincluding the decorative wood paneling inthe library were brought to Des Moinesfrom England and date from the sixteenthand seventeenth centuries. The Weeks’ pas-sion for art and literature is evident in thecollections found throughout the house.

From 1954 until the mid-1990s,Salisbury House served a practical use as

Archival Products

NEWSA Summer at Salisbury House: The Protection of aSmall Library During Renovations by Andrea Knowlton

The Tudor-styledesign ofSalisbury Housewas inspired byKing’s House inSalisbury,England, abuilding thathad delightedCarl and EdithWeeks duringtheir travelsoverseas.

Shelves in the library prior to packing.

the headquarters of the Iowa StateEducation Association. It was event-ually realized that the resourcesrequired to maintain the historicbuilding, grounds and vast collec-tions necessitated an organizationthat could focus all of its energy andresources towards the preservation ofthe home and its collections. With aneye towards these goals, SalisburyHouse Foundation was formed in1993 to purchase the site and estab-lish a museum.

In the spring of 2005, theSalisbury House Foundation receiveda grant for interior renovations to thebuilding including updating all of the wiring, plumbing and HVAC sys-tems. By the time I arrived at SalisburyHouse in June to begin my six-weekinternship, renovations were wellunderway. As workers drilled intosheetrock, brick and mortar to accessthe pipes and wiring behind thewalls, dust filled the lower hallwaysand corridors. Although constructionwas still far-removed from the libraryitself, I knew the books and manu-scripts would need to be well-protected—and fast—to prevent damage fromthe dust and particulate movingthroughout the building.

Construction projects in thelibrary were to involve not only theremoval of most of the wood panel-ing both behind and adjacent to the bookshelves in order to allowaccess to the interior walls, but alsothe removal of fluorescent light fix-tures added above each shelving unitin the latter-half of the twentieth cen-tury. In order to accommodate theconstruction and protect the collec-tion, we determined that all 3,000books would have to be moved outof the library into temporary storage.

Moving all of the books out of thelibrary presented many challenges.The shelf order of the books wouldhave to be carefully documented andfragile books would require specialhandling and protection to preventfurther damage. The Salisbury Housestaff had selected a room on-site forstoring the books during renovationsin the library, limiting the potentialfor loss or damage that might resultduring a move to off-site storage. Theroom had fairly stable environmentalconditions due to its location in thebuilding and the construction of theheavy rock walls. We hoped that thisstability would help to protect thebooks from potential damage fromfluctuations in temperature andhumidity while the cooling system in the building was off during renovations.

At this time, we sought the adviceof Gary Frost, conservator at theUniversity of Iowa libraries, to devel-op a detailed plan for packing, mov-ing and storing the collection. Garyrecommended using standard fileboxes with handles and lift-off lids tostore and protect the majority of thebooks for the duration of the renova-tions. The relatively small size of the

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LBS AdoptsFamilyEvacuated toDes Moines

More than one million2005 hurricane sur-

vivors are scattered across theUnited States. One of those fam-ilies who found their way to DesMoines has now settled into theirnew home. LBS helped themfind a place to live and has com-mitted to assisting the family bycontributing for a year towardtheir rent and monthly expenses.LBS employees responded byentirely furnishing and equippingthe family’s new home by contri-butions. Some of the extras—like bikes, toys, gift cards andcomputers were an added bonusfor them.

The mother has started hernew job at a day care center andis attending nursing classes atnight. A 13-year-old son and 11-year-old daughter are enrolled inmiddle school. A 7-year-olddaughter, who needed to stay inLouisiana for health reasons, hasjoined her family in Des Moinesalso attends elementary school.The family dog, cared for by aDes Moines area animal shelter,has also joined the family nowthat they are settled into theirnew home. Other family membershave come to Des Moines to liveas well. The family plans to stayin Des Moines and have expressedtheir gratitude for all that peoplehere have done for them.

A custom housing constructed for a parchmentmanuscript with a large wax pendant seal.

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boxes, which measure approximately 12"wide by 15" long and 10" deep, wouldhelp to limit the weight of each box whilestill accommodating most book sizes. Forlarge folios and other oversized volumes,Gary recommended packing the books flatin textile boxes. Gary also suggested pur-chasing polyethylene bags for books withdetached boards or other loose pieces andbond paper to wrap books with red rot, del-icate finishes or dust jackets.

Although it is unclear whether the cur-rent organization of the books in thelibrary is that of Carl Weeks or a laterarrangement by the Iowa State EducationAssociation, we decided that maintainingthe shelf order of the books was a top pri-

ority. The books in the collection, however,have not been catalogued and organized asin a traditional library, so the order on theshelf could easily have been lost withoutcareful documentation. Each individualshelf on each of the sixteen shelving unitswas assigned a numerical code following asystem used in the existing inventory of thecollection. This code was used to label eachbox of books so we would immediatelyknow from which shelf they had beenremoved. In addition, each shelf was pho-tographed with a digital camera to docu-ment the exact order of the books.

Following Gary Frost’s recommend-ations, most of the books were packed ontheir tails or spines in shelf order. Largerbooks were stacked flat in the boxes withsheets of B-flute archival corrugated boardlayered between books for added protec-tion and support. Clean crumpled newsprintwas placed around the books to preventstrain on the bindings due to tipping ormotion as the boxes were moved. As thebooks were packed, each box was labeledto indicate the shelf number and the totalnumber of volumes in the box. In additionto the numerical labels, shelf documenta-tion photos were printed and attached toeach box so the books could be quicklyidentified and located as needed while instorage. The boxes were carried downstairsone-by-one and stacked three-high on 2x4rails. The 2x4s were intended to providespace between the floor and boxes to mini-mize damage in case of seeping water. In all,the move required 295 boxes, 230 lbs ofnewsprint and untold amounts of tenderloving care.

Once renovations are completed laterthis year, the books will be removed fromstorage and reshelved in the library. Ourcareful documentation should allow thebooks to be accurately returned to theiroriginal shelving order. As the volumes arereinstalled, basic preservation maintenance

A S U M M E R A T S A L I S B U R Y H O U S E – c o n t i n u e d

A damaged binding requiring special handling and protec-tion when packing.

An eighteenth century Spanish limp vellum binding requir-ing careful handling and protection when packing.

LBS Participates in MaterialDistribution forHurricaneAffectedInstitutions.For archival institutionsaffected by the hurri-canes the past months,Archival Products ispleased to offer oursupport and ability todonate materials.Supplies have beensent to a staging areain Mississippi to be dis-tributed as needed toarchival institutions inMississippi, Alabamaand Louisiana.

LBS Adopts aSecond FamilyThe support to our firstLBS adopted familywas so successful thatwe decided to adopt asecond family that con-sists of a mother andher 10-year-old sonwho has recentlymoved into an apart-ment. Both bedroomsand kitchen items havebeen fully furnished.Other items are stillbeing collected but will be supplied soon.Both are very appre-ciative of the generousassistance.

will be performed as needed. The bookshave received little use in the past ten yearsand consequently a heavy layer of dust hassettled on the shelves and volumes. Manyof the books, especially nineteenth centurybindings, exhibit typical damage such asbroken caps and detached boards. Theheads will be carefully brushed or vacuumedas appropriate, minor repairs will be carriedout as possible and protective enclosuressuch as polyester jackets, four-flap wrap-pers, and drop-spine boxes will be con-structed or purchased.

Once the books had been safely movedfrom the library, I was able to focus theremainder of my time at Salisbury Houseon the manuscript collection. With verylittle time available, my goal was to assurethat all documents had a minimum level of protection until a complete assessmentof the collection can be performed. Thecollection, which includes manuscripts dat-ing from the twelfth to mid-twentieth cen-turies, is housed in a single metal flat-filecabinet with four-inch-deep drawers. Mostof the manuscripts are mounted to card-stock, encapsulated in Mylar and stored inthree-ring binders; however, many fragileand valuable items had been left loose inthe metal drawers.

Moving these items into protectivehousings was one of my top priorities thissummer. I found that I could fit Centuryboxes two-deep in the existing metal cabi-net, so I selected these clamshell style boxesin several sizes. Most items were placeddirectly in 10- or 20-pt custom file folderscut to fit perfectly inside the Centuryboxes. Light-weight acid-free paper folderswere also used to separate multiple manu-script items within the file folders as neces-sary. Using pre-cut folders and Centuryboxes allowed me to quickly provide high-quality protective housings to fit in thecompact space. A few items, such as a six-teenth century English manuscript with a

41⁄2 inch pendant wax seal, required morecomplex housings constructed from 20-ptsandstone archival board and B-flutearchival corrugated board. In addition,Academy folders from Archival Productswere selected for several prized items in thecollection so they can be consulted and dis-played without removing them from the housing.

With the help of the amazing SalisburyHouse staff, Gary Frost and a generous

donation of materials from Archival Prod-ucts, I was able to put in place several pre-ventive measures that will protect theWeeks’ family book and manuscript collec-tions during renovations and beyond.Much work remains to be done. It ishoped that with the ongoing cooperationof the Salisbury House Foundation, GaryFrost, Archival Products and future studentinterns, a long and safe future for the col-lections can be assured.

Andrea Knowlton was a summer intern at the SalisburyHouse, Des Moines, Iowa, in 2005. She is currently a gradu-ate student at the Kilgarlin Center, University ofTexas–Austin. She can be contacted ataknow@ischool.utexas.edu.

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A S U M M E R A T S A L I S B U R Y H O U S E – c o n t i n u e d

Andrea Knowlton at theSalisbury House Library.

Labeled boxes stacked on 2x4s in the storage room.

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The Universityof Illinois atUrbana–Champaign(UIUC) facesany number ofpotential disas-ter situations.Tornadoes andsevere stormsrage across theMidwest on anannual basis.

In the Hot Seat: Using Local Resourcesfor Innovative Disaster Trainingby Thomas H. Teper

Introduction

DESPITE THE CONTINUING evolu-tion of library preservation, dis-aster preparedness remains one

of the most elementary aspects of anypreservation and conservation program. Itis also one of the programmatic elementsmost easily ignored by a library’s staff andpatrons. The feeling that “it can’t happenhere” prevails and increases likelihood of aninstitution neglecting its obligations to pre-pare for the worst. The basic need to pre-pare a facility and its personnel for disasterresponse remains a major concern.

The University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign (UIUC) faces any number ofpotential disaster situations. Tornadoes andsevere storms rage across the Midwest onan annual basis. The institution sits reason-ably close to the New Madrid fault and theaging facilities housing the bulk of theLibrary’s collections are susceptible to anynumber of age-related disasters. Moreover,given that the Main Library covers500,000 square feet of floor space, the riskof accidental or purposefully set firesdestroying portions of the collectionremains a threat.

As the Library’s Emergency Responseand Security Task Force completed a newDisaster and Emergency Response Manualin 2004, the need for staff training becameapparent. This work fell to the Library’sPreservation Committee. As discussionsabout the training developed, it becameobvious that the library’s personnel as awhole remained unprepared. Many mem-bers of the disaster response team lackedbasic familiarity with larger issues of disas-ter response, let alone familiarity with theplan. While everyone agreed on the needfor training, the exact format remained

undetermined until a PreservationCommittee member mentioned the IllinoisFire Services Institute, a unit on UIUC’scampus.

The Illinois Fire Services InstituteLike most states, Illinois supports a fireacademy for training or certification of firstresponders in firefighting, emergency med-ical response, fire investigation and preven-tion, hazardous materials, rescue operationsand homeland security. Headquartered atthe UIUC’s campus, the Illinois FireServices Institute (IFSI) fulfills this role inIllinois through classroom education,hands-on training and distance educationcourses. The IFSI campus includes anadministrative building with classroomspaces, a firehouse, a fire tower for simulat-ing high rescues, several bunker-like burnsites for simulated fires, parked train carsfor hazardous materials response training,simulated collapsed buildings and a num-ber of other prepared facilities. IFSI’s facul-ty consists of a combination of full-timeand adjunct professionals.

Partnering for SuccessAlthough initially met with some hesitanceby Preservation Committee members, thepossibility of working with IFSI was quickly

Barry Wagner of the Illinois Fire Services Institute discuss-es fire dynamics in front of open windows of the burn site.Fuel for the test fires is visible in the background.

embraced as the training possibilities wereconsidered. Working with IFSI’s librarian,the committee arranged for several meet-ings to present the Library’s needs to IFSI’sadministration and tour the facilities. Mostimportantly, these meetings provided anopportunity to size one another up, evalu-ate the potential collaboration and deter-mine if the project would prove worth-while. Within a short time, all agreed thatthe potential benefits outweighed theLibrary’s limited budget for this exercise.The Library received support to develop aninnovative training program and IFSIwould get the opportunity to explore apotential avenue for expanding its mission.

The Classroom TrainingLibrary members and IFSI quickly settledon a schedule that would include class-room training and hands-on exercises.Limiting attendees to those named withinthe Library’s disaster plan, the trainingbegan with a classroom session focusing onlibrary disaster preparedness and response,followed by a presentation by a divisionfire chief that serves the campus. His pres-entation focused on a first responder’s roleduring an emergency with heavy emphasison saving lives over property and the bene-fit accrued by developing and sustainingopen lines of communication with firstresponders prior to an emergency.

After this discussion, participants receivedboxed lunches and viewed a computer-

generated walk-through of a Fire DynamicSimulation of the 2003 Cook CountyAdministration Building produced by theNational Institute of Standards andTechnology (NIST). The model dynami-cally illustrated the space in question andincluded separate time-lapse demonstra-tions of the spread of fire and smokethrough the un-sprinkled site. It then modeled the spread of fire and smoke inthe same facility if automatic sprinklerswere present.

After lunch, a display of the Library’sdisaster response supplies and fire fightingequipment provided participants with anopportunity to acquaint themselves withthe tools of the trade and organizers achance to finalize preparations for theafternoon’s controlled burn and recoveryexercise.

The Controlled BurnThe controlled burn focused on illustratingthree points—the destructive force of afire, the results of extinguishing a fire withfire hoses and the preventative role ofsprinkler systems. Conveniently, it alsoprovided materials for the afternoon’s finalexercise—a recovery exercise and discus-sion of the difficulty of salvaging materials.Located within a bunker-like structuredesigned so that observers outside thebuilding could watch a developing fire, the controlled burn provided an opportu-nity to see how a fire spread, to feel the

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Working withIFSI’s librarian,the committeearranged forseveral meetingsto present theLibrary’s needsto IFSI’sadministrationand tour thefacilities

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A member of IFSI uses a flare to ignite fuel for the test burns. Materials salvaged from the burn exercise await further care.

intensity of a relatively “cool” fire and toparticipate in the recovery of materialsfrom a burn situation.

Facilities personnel from IFSI set up twoshelving units ten feet apart with thirtybooks on each of their six shelves. A “grill”was then placed five feet in front of eachshelf and piled with a combination ofwooden pallets and straw. Finally, a sprin-kler stand was placed in front of one grill.Equipped with a fusible link, the sprinklerwould react once the elevated temperaturetriggered it, extinguishing one fire whilepermitting the other to burn freely for aperiod of twenty minutes. This periodroughly calculated to approximate the esti-mated time needed from the time a callwas received until first responders located afire within the deepest portions of the cam-pus’ Main Library.

The Controlled Burn’s ResultsThe most anticipated portion of the day,the controlled burn, provided an opportu-nity few experience. Yet, it was alsodependent upon the most contingencies.Given the cool temperatures and cleanli-ness of a fire composed of pallets and straw,would the materials burn as expected? Ifthey did catch fire, would there be any-thing left to salvage after twenty minutes offree burning? What type of smoke damagewould result? Moreover, how long would ittake to cool the space to enable the salvageexercise to begin?

To obviate some of these concerns, twoPreservation Committee members spent aday at IFSI prior to the day of training topre-burn some items. Intended as a precau-tionary exercise, the pre-burning ensuredthat some materials in a variety of condi-tions remained for the follow-up discus-sions about on-the-spot priority setting andthe salvage exercise. These materials werethen placed inside the burn site at a safedistance from the demonstration set forthat day.

The material for the controlled burn wasset up by IFSI’s staff during the last portionof the classroom exercises. As everyoneassembled outside, IFSI staff described theparticulars of fire behavior, answered par-ticipants’ preliminary questions and provideda brief tour of IFSI’s campus. Then, IFSIpersonnel lit the fires. As the fires con-sumed the available fuel and smoke beganto fill the room, discussion among partici-pants turned to specific questions aboutwhat they were witnessing. Of particularinterest to many were the smoke’s layeringeffect and the sudden ignition of theshelved library materials.

Unfortunately, the one major glitch inthe training program occurred during thecontrolled burn. When the sprinkler react-ed, it extinguished both fires. While IFSIstaff reset one fire to permit the materialson that side of the room to cook further,some of the immediate drama was lost. Yet,the results of the burn exercise could nothave been better. Not only did the atten-dees witness the burn, several actually han-dled the fire hoses used to extinguish the fire.

As the room cooled from the near 1200-degree temperatures reached during theburn, the participants entered the space.One of the most shocking portions of thesession was the wall of humidity thatengulfed individuals as they walked intothe still steaming room. While everyoneintellectually recognized that the roomwould be humid, the combination of heat,humidity and smoke generated by a rela-tively clean fire of wood and straw servedto drive home the impact of such a disas-ter. Discussion quickly turned to thelibrary materials—many of which werestill too hot to touch. Armed with theknowledge that it might be hours or evendays before library personnel would be per-mitted into a site after a fire, the oppressivehumidity and heat provided ample oppor-tunity to discuss the ongoing risk of dam-age from mold and moisture.

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One of the shelves after thefires were extinguished. Theheat caused the vertical sup-ports to bow, resulting in col-lapsed shelving. After onlytwenty minutes of burning,materials near the top wereseverely burned while thosenear the bottom were onlywet.

The Fire’s ResultsFalling off shelving bowed by heat andscattered on the floor from the force of thefire hose, the library materials in this exer-cise clearly illustrated a fire’s threat to col-lections. Some, charred beyond all hope,illustrated the difficulty of recovering a collection from such conditions. Whileitems may be bypassed in an initial salvage,the absence of burned off title pages or bar-codes served to demonstrate the difficultyof developing an accurate inventory.Heavier damage on higher shelves clearlyillustrated the fire’s tendency to rise andinspired discussion about fire behavior inthe Library’s antiquated hanging stacks.Melted cassette tape cases unveiled prob-lems of recovery and the costs associatedwith salvaging content from damagedaudio-visual resources. Within the shorttime that passed between extinguishing the fire and re-entering the burn site, evenmaterials with relatively minor damagefrom the fire had signifcantly swollen fromthe moisture.

When the materials cooled enough topermit handling, participants engaged inexercises typical of more common disaster exercises. Discussion about the selectionand evaluation of library materials after a

disaster, handling and packing wet anddamaged materials for freezing or drying,washing materials damaged with a combi-nation of soot and mud and air-drying wetmaterials composed the final portion ofthis exercise. Perhaps the most difficult andthe most rewarding portion of the exercisewas the realization that, in some cases,materials would be damaged beyond allhope of salvage. The potential emotionaltoll associated with seeing one’s ownlibrary—in some cases, one’s life’s work—destroyed became apparent to the atten-dees. While the total items destroyed dur-ing this training process was limited, thetraining’s purpose—familiarizing individu-als with disasters, the amount of laborrequired to move even small numbers ofdamaged material and the potential impactof such an event on a campus’ research and educational programs —was clearlyarticulated.

ConclusionWhile disaster training like this may not bepossible at all institutions, familiarizinglibrary administrators and disaster responseteam members with their disaster plan andthe potential results of an event remainscrucial to the success of an emergencyresponse. The potential for individuals tofreeze or retreat from working with such asituation remains high, no matter how wellacquainted they are with a printed plan.Engaging these individuals within disasterresponse exercises and implementing thedisaster response plan provide crucial first-hand experience to those with little famil-iarity with intricacies of disaster responseand management. It also provides preserva-tion administrators with an opportunity tovet those selected to fill key roles in thelibrary’s disaster plan.

Thomas H. Teper is Head of Preservation at the University ofIllinois at Urbana–Champaign. He can be contacted at tteper@uiuc.edu.

LBS/Archival Products1801 Thompson Ave.P.O. Box 1413Des Moines, Iowa 50305-14131-800-526-5640515-262-3191Fax 888-220-2397custserv@archival.com

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One of the mostshocking portionsof the sessionwas the wall ofhumidity thatengulfed indivi-duals as theywalked into thestill steamingroom.

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