Disaster bins containing protective clothing, entry equipment, cleaning and packing materials and damage recording equipment can be placed in strategic areas around the building. Recovery involves the implementation of a program to restore the disaster site and the damaged materials. Recovery also includes the replacement of treated material in the refurbished site and a full analysis of the disaster in order to improve the disaster plan. In order to assist with the recovery phase it is important to keep comprehensive records of the important material in your collection. The other information it is useful having on file are the names, addresses and contact phone numbers of conservators who deal with library and archive material.
Major institutions are also usually able to provide some assistance.
Water and smoke damage will probably be the major cause of a disaster involving fire. In a flood there may be oil, dirt or mud deposits associated with the water. In either case handling wet volumes must be done with care. It is likely that glues will have swollen and consequently weakened. Leather bindings are likely to have absorbed water and pressure from fingers may leave everlasting imprints on fugitive dyes or leathers.