Handling Water-damaged and Potentially Bio-hazardous Library Materials

Scope: This procedure includes library materials that exhibit:

• water damage
• mold or mildew
• damage from apparent human fluids

Safety precautions: Use care (and gloves) at all times when handling wet, moldy or similarly-damaged materials. Disposable gloves and plastic zip-lock-type bags are available from the Collection Maintenance Division (x2-0342), room 6055 Ackerman Library.

 

               

Mold-damaged volume

 

Procedures for library personnel:

1. Enclose volumes and other materials identified as water-damaged or with potential bio-hazard (human fluids, active mold, etc.) in a plastic bag or similar wrapper. If possible, mark the nature of the damage on the outside of the wrapper.

2. Update the item's OSCAR status to "r" and add a staff note to read "Damaged materials to Collection Maintenance Division mm-dd-yy [initials and location]." Include a printout with the wrapped materials.

3. Deliver the items to the Collection Maintenance Division in room 6055 Ackerman Library as soon as possible after they have been identified. If items cannot be delivered on the same day as they are discovered, it may be advisable that the affected volumes be refrigerated or frozen until they can be delivered.

4. Inform Collection Maintenance personnel by sending an e-mail message to Sally Muster (mailto:muster.1@osu.edu) or phoning x2-0342.

Procedures used by Collection Maintenance Division personnel:

• If necessary, place the affected materials in the departmental freezer.
• Forward information (call number, author, title) about each item to the Brittle Books Unit to gather routine search-for-replacement information.
• Include all information from this search on a Preservation Search Form (monograph or serial), and store with the damaged items.
• Inform the Preservation Officer about damaged materials awaiting review.
• Carry out the directive from the Preservation Officer and/or appropriate subject specialist related to replacement, rebinding, reformatting, or other disposition.

Return To Collection Maintenance

WebContent\Water_damage_bio-hazard_2006-10-06.doc

 

Comments and suggestions may be forwarded to the Preservation Officer.

Content by Wes Boomgaarden, boomgaarden.1@osu.edu

Updated by Andrew Hang, Preservation Webmaster, June 28, 2007.

Date last revised: January 8, 2007.