August 21, 2024
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attendees restore frozen books in workshops hosted by the Libraries Preservation Team
Repairing flood-impacted books requires specialist care and collaboration. Discover how.

In May and June, the Dartmouth Libraries’ Preservation Unit hosted a pair of public workshops, co-sponsored by the New England Conservation Association (NECA), and the Vermont Arts & Culture Disaster and Resilience Network (VACDaRN), in the Libraries’ Conservation Lab.

These workshops followed on from the Preservation team’s emergency response to Vermont’s July 2023 severe flooding. It was then that preservation staff assisted in salvaging 32 diaries and other material owned by the Strafford Historical Society at the Justin Morrill Homestead. The floodwaters had encroached upon and created significant damage to the items in storage. 

The salvaged diaries and other material were brought to Dartmouth Libraries for frozen storage in the Conservation Lab. Freezing is an important conservation technique. If wet items can’t be aired and dried out immediately, then freezing them is the only option to stop potential mold growth, which can happen in 72 hours from exposure. It took most of the year to stabilize them and decide on the best approach to treat them. The treatment process is vital in saving these items.

flood-damaged diaries drying out

Not all the items in the Conservation Lab freezer were treated in these workshops. Some of them were sent out for freeze drying. We're grateful to VACDaRN for coordinating and funding this crucial conservation step. Following the freeze drying, we received the items back for cursory cleaning and reshaping before being wrapped in paper for storage and transport. 

Led by Katarina Stiller and Johanna Pinney, with assistance from Deborah Howe, the two-part workshop addressed the conservation needs of the damaged diaries post-freezing. The first workshop focused on thawing, drying, and reshaping the diaries. The second workshop provided participants the opportunity to perform basic conservation repairs to stabilize them. The sessions brought together approximately 15 museum and library professionals from three different states and, as a result, provided an opportunity for regional networking. Participants also learned valuable salvage techniques, while simultaneously providing conservation treatment to local cultural heritage organizations that might not have access to this expertise otherwise.

In a true collaborative, community effort, we can now handle and read these indispensable historical materials without fear of causing further damage. 

Deborah Howe
water-damaged diaries

Our Preservation Unit was able to do this work because

  • they are well-trained in disaster recovery procedures for cultural heritage collections 
  • their highly technical knowledge supports them in their essential role of conserving the Libraries’ vast research collections. 

From repairing the spines and backings of 18th century volumes and the meticulous art of unsticking pages to rehabilitating mixed-media artist books, our conservators are always nimble and responsive. They are ready to tackle a myriad of problems so that Dartmouth’s (and the Upper Valley’s) collections are here to use well into the future. 

We look forward to returning the diaries and other items to the Strafford Historical Society once they find a safe and secure location. 

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