Responding when disaster strikes your historical documents

This is a little bit off of my usual topics, but it directly relates to the challenges we all face when trying to  preserve history, particularly delicate historical documents, during disasters such as flooding.

A few days ago, on May 1, the National Archives and Records Administration put out the material below, as part of efforts worldwide to preserve historic documents and guard against disasters that can wipe out irreplaceable artifacts.

If you're a history buff, here are some brief tips about responding if disaster strikes your collection:

MayDay encourages us to take one simple step to protect the holdings under our care. This year, Preservation Programs has created signs to hang in the stacks that list the First Four things you need to do if you see that records are at risk.  

Although these signs are designed specifically for the National Archives, the concept holds true for any institution. The main things to remember are:

• Safety First!

• Report the incident (Exactly who to report it to will depend on your situation).

• Do not move wet records. It’s safer for you and the records to wait until the situation has been stabilized.

If the event is large enough, call a reputable recovery vendor who has experience working with document recovery.  

Here at NARA, we take records emergencies seriously, and we all have a role to play in protecting the nation’s records against damage from emergencies. This is why all of our facilities have records emergency plans that are updated annually.

There's lots more to be done, of course. But creating a plan for your collections includes figuring out some basics such as who you would reach out to if disaster struck. That alone can be invaluable in the chaos after a disaster hits.

What have you done to protect your collections? What should others do? Do you have preservation specialists you would suggest other collectors consider?