If you have had a disaster in your collection or institution call for assistance immediately. Waiting after a water event can initiate the ingress of mold and permanently damage material in your collection. Keep air flowing by purchasing large fans.
If you are located in the Northwest, there is an organization called Western States and Territories Preservation Assistance Service (WESTPAS) that provides workshops on emergency disaster preparedness and operates a 24-hour emergency phone number if assistance is needed during a disaster.
Before a disaster devastates your collection seek advice on creating an emergency plan. Call for guidance and check out these resources below.
- Download helpful technical bulletins provided by the Conservation Center for Art and Historic Artifacts (CCAHA) on recovering photographs and works on paper. http://www.ccaha.org/publications/technical-bulletins
- The Getty has published a guide for writing an emergency plan. It is online and available at http://www.getty.edu/conservation/publications/pdf_publications/emergency_plan.pdf
- The Northeast Document Conservation Center (NEDCC) provides a preservation leaflet that addresses emergency planning. http://www.nedcc.org/resources/leaflets.list.php