Pests
In northern climates there are few pests with an appetite for books. There are
many species of beetle, silverfish and cockroach that can feed on cellulose, but
it is not good eating. Insects are colonisers. If you attack and disrupt the
early colonists by periodically disturbing and dusting your book collection, all
should be well.
Mice can use the paper for bedding if they can find an open edge. Older books
offer some extras for the menu of vermin. Leather, starch paste and other book
binding materials can attract specialised grazers. Look out for the signs and
keep the area clean.
Caution
Books taken from, or stored, in damp surroundings may carry moulds on leather or
textiles. If you have any respiratory trouble, wear a mask. It is common to wear
gloves when handling old books to avoid sweat, which is acidic, marking the
pages.
Disaster recovery
Flood or fire, with the consequent water damage, probably require the services
of a conservator. Any insurance company will have a list of practitioners
skilled in recovering soggy paper documents.
However, your books will benefit enormously from some first aid. You can clean a
wet book gently using a cloth or paper towels before opening it. Do not try to
force apart the pages of a drying book. They will separate as they dry out.
However art paper will dry into a solid mass so the rule for shiny paper is to
separate the sheets while they are wet. Try to separate the sheets and silicone
paper, used for cooking, can be inserted between the pages.
Wherever possible, stand the book upright and slightly open. Remember a
waterlogged book is a heavy and fragile object. Books will need support or they
will bend. When the books become dry to the touch, move them closer together but
only allow the covers to touch when they are dry. Because covers have special
treatment, silicon paper might be required to allow you to provide the book with
support as it begins to shrink back towards its previous size and shape.
It is best to allow books to dry naturally in cool air. A fan can be used to aid
the drying process but this should be used to stir the air and not set to blow
directly onto the books. Use it to enhance circulation, so do not direct it at
the books. Do not let the flow ruffle or disturb the pages. It is a slow
process.
If a domestic fan-heater is used, make sure to set it to blow cold air only.
Warm air
promotes mould growth and water penetration. The temperature should not exceed
20˚C. It is important that the moisture can escape. In some parts of the tropics
you might need a de-humidifier but in most parts of the world opening a window
works fine.
As the book dries, check it for signs of mould growth, which can be wiped away.
Professional restorers use vacuum to 'suck' the moisture out of the
fibres. They sandwich wet paper between sheets of hygroscopic card that locks
in the water.
So...
Do not expect a water-damaged book to return to its original shape. When wetted
paper dries, the strains built in during manufacture are released, causing the
paper to shrink along the direction of any grain when it dries. The dry sheet
will be about .5% smaller.
