Under Construction:Preservation Concerns During Construction and Renovation

LYRASIS Preservation ServicesFunded in part by a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities, Division of

Preservation and Access.

Unit 1

• Education and training: full-day workshops, live online and self-paced classes.

• Information and referral: call us with your preservation questions!

• Loan services: we have environmental monitoring equipment available for loan.

• Publications: preservation publications downloadable for free.

• Disaster assistance: we are available 24/7 to assist you.

• Consulting: personalized assistance for your specific needs.

• For more information: www.lyrasis.org/preservation

LYRASIS Preservation Services

Class Resource Page• A resource page has been created

this class. It is located at: http://delicious.com/eduserv/under.construction

• This will contain all the links included in this self paced class and more!

Welcome

• New construction, whether to a new building or renovation to an already existing structure, can allow for upgrades to fire protection and suppression systems, protection from water leaks (via roof, windows, basement floods, piping), upgrades to your heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems and more.

Welcome• … but rarely does a

construction/renovation project happen without some damage to collections. This class will help to minimize that damage by effective planning before, during, and after the construction process.

Learning Outcomes• Examine the ways to work with contractors to

minimize risk to your materials during construction projects

• Review and understand the plusses and minuses of moving collections during renovation, as well as identify ways to protect the materials during a move.

• Mitigate risk to protect building and collections during construction.

• Investigate post-construction activities that will help ensure a smooth transition into your newly renovated or created space.

Introduction• Unit 1

– Planning– Staffing– Working with a contractor– Supervising the Worksite– Reducing Risk– Disaster Preparedness

• Unit 2– To Move or Not to Move?– Who is Responsible?– Internal vs. External Movers– Temporary Storage– Preparing to Move Collections

This class is broken into 5 Units

Introduction• Unit 3

– Preparing Materials for Moving– Protecting Collection in Situ– Protecting Buildings and Collections– Collection Dangers

• Unit 4– Interruptions in service– Communication– Security– Accidents

• Unit 5– Potentially Harmful Construction Materials– Reducing the Harm– Post Construction– Cleaning the Buildings

Unit 1– Planning– Staffing– Working with a contractor– Supervising the Worksite– Reducing Risk– Disaster Preparedness

Planning a Construction Project• Start early: It is essential that you begin

early in the process to consider potential threats to your building and collections during the construction process. You should not underestimate the administrative challenges it organizing a construction or renovation project.

Planning a Construction Project• Maintain good communications: Your ability to

clearly define and distribute responsibilities across your organization and your willingness to openly communicate progress as well as setbacks to staff and users will determine the success of your project.

• Some of the worst damage to institutions during building and renovation comes not from damage to collections, but from staff turnover related to frustration or from diminished user satisfaction based on problems with services.

Planning a Construction Project• Consult with risk managers, staff, and legal

counsel: Consultation with a qualified risk manager at the beginning of your project will help to ensure that the appropriate decisions are made at the appropriate time.

• Work with a variety of staff, from administration to facilities personnel, to departments affected by the construction – make sure that representatives from all these groups are part of the planning committee.

• Consult with legal counsel to ensure that contracts are worded in such a way as to protect the staff and collections.

Planning a Construction Project• Plan preventative measures: Be

Proactive! The basic elements of a preservation program, including a disaster response plan and pest management program, should be in place before you project begins.

• Ensuring that these basic preventative measures have been address prior to construction will allow you to deal effectively with problems that invariably arise from moving collections and renovating existing facilities.

Planning a Construction Project• Ann Hamilton has created a planning

checklist that can be adapted for any institution planning a renovation or addition.

• Titled Creating Today’s ARC Takes More Than 40 Days and 40 Nights: a Checklist for a Project With a Renovation and/or and Addition, you can find it at the link below. It is a long PDF, and Ann’s article starts at page 28 of this document.

• http://www.lyrasis.org/LYRASIS%20Digital/Documents/Preservation%20PDFs/Under_Construction_all_pages.pdf

Guidelines for Archival Facilities

• Archival facilities sometimes have construction requirements unique to records facilities. To learn more about areas to consider when planning a construction project for archival and special collections facilities, some links are provided on the following slide.

Guidelines for Archival Facilities

• Publications made available by the Society of American Archivists.– Archival and Special Collections Facilities:

Guidelines for Archivists, Librarians, Architects, and Engineers by Michele F. Pacifico and Thomas P. Wilsted. Order information available at: http://saa.archivists.org/store/archival-and-special-collections-facilities-guidelines/1355/

– Planning New and Remodeled Archival Facilities by Thomas Wilsted. Order information available at: http://saa.archivists.org/store/planning-new-and-remodeled-archival-facilities/187/

– General guidelines for university and college archival facilities available here: http://www2.archivists.org/groups/college-and-university-archives-section/guidelines-for-college-and-university-archives

Staffing a Construction Project The decision to use institution staff or outside contractors depends on the amount, quality and type of work being performed.

Staffing a Construction Project• Minor construction,

such as painting, repairing walls, or changing locks, can usually be performed by facilities or maintenance staff. These projects are usually inexpensive, and occur quickly.

Staffing a Construction Project• More specialized projects, like installation of

fire suppression equipment, often requires expertise beyond that belonging to someone at your institution. If you bring in an outside specialist, you will need to consider some security issues.

*Make sure to supervise anyone working in areas with valuable material and check out references from other cultural institutions.*

Staffing a Construction Project• Major renovations will definitely require an

outside contractor. Not only will you have to incorporate security issues mentioned previously, but you will have a much winder range of concerns that will need to be addresses. We will be examining these issues throughout the rest if the class.

Working with a Contractor• Understanding the contractor’s liability: In

general, the contractor takes on the responsibility for construction sites, including liability for injury or damage, However, you must read the contract very carefully – if it spells out specific instructions regarding the degree of protection and you sign off on these protections, then the institution itself may be partially liable in the event of a disaster.

Working with a Contractor • You may want to specify:

• Welding safety procedures: Having a second person on hand or requiring that all welding be completed by noon so that hot spots have cooled before the end of the workday.

• Number & type of fire extinguishers present: Depending on materials construction will be around.

• Responsibility for clean-up: At the end of the work and well as in the event of a disaster. It the contractor is responsible, they may hire someone who does not have experience working with collection materials.

Working with a Contractor • You may want to specify:

• Responsibility for salvage & restoration: Be sure the contract stipulates who is responsible for salvage (personnel, freezing and drying collections, dehumidification of space, etc.) and restoration activities (microfilming, binding, photocopying, and conservation) as well as who makes the decisions regarding actions needed.

**If the contractor is responsible for paying for such activities, they may choose the cheapest method instead of the method most appropriate for the long-term benefits of the collections.**

Working with a Contractor • Once you understand what the contractor is and

is not responsible for, your institution may need to purchase additional insurance to cover the liabilities outside the contractor’s obligations. Be sure to take the additional expense in to account when determining the budget for construction costs.

Worksite Supervisor Regardless of the scope of you construction project, it is a good idea to have a worksite supervisor. This person could be a facilities staff person or a representative from within the archives, library or museum, like a curator.

• Whoever you choose should be someone who has a vested interest in keeping the collections safe.

• This person should review plans for construction, conduct inspections, and ensure security at the site.

Worksite Supervisor • They should ensure each step of the construction,

and have the authority to stop any activities that pose a danger to people or collections.

• They should also have the authority to take over a site in an emergency to make repairs.

• If this person is a curator or other staff rather than someone with more experience supervising such projects, you may also want to hire a full-time inspector to supervise safety issues.

Supervising the WorksiteOne of the best ways to protect your collections is to regularly conduct worksite inspections.• Get to know the contractor and educate her or

him about the importance of protecting collections – once people understand the value of the collection, they often will proceed with more care. Many contractors may want to cut corners, figuring it is cheaper to clean up than to pay for preventative measures, but since our institutions contain irreplaceable items the standard procedures do not apply.

Supervising the Worksite• It is important to clarify expectations regarding the site:

how often and what should be cleaned; how should it be left at the end of the day; the use of food, drinks, and tobacco. Follow through to ensure that workers are meeting expectations. Especially as time goes on, you need to reiterate what the requirements are.

• It is also a good idea to provide care and handling training in case contractors have to move materials in the course of the construction process or because of a disaster. It is much easier to train in advance than when you are in the middle of cleaning up after a pipe burst.

• Finally, inspect the worksite on weekends or after storms to ensure that the area is secured and that water has not entered the construction area.

Reduce Risk• You can use construction and renovation projects

as opportunities to reduce risk to your collections. When selecting which potential risks to focus on, prioritize based on threat levels, such as geographic location, regional weather patterns, and past problems.

• Improvements made to the building based on these risks will do much to protect and prevent damage to your collections in the future.

Reduce Risk• Well-constructed foundations and roofs

can do much to prevent damage from flooding, heavy rains, or ice dams. Likewise, poorly constructed roofs and foundations leave your collections vulnerable to water damage.

Reduce Risk• Depending on where you live, you may be

susceptible to earthquakes, hurricanes or tornadoes. Construction projects offer a good opportunity to install extra bracing for book shelves or hurricane shutters on windows.

• Fire detection and suppression systems are a key means to protect both human safety and the safety of your collections, Your detection system should be connected to the outside world, since many fires occur when no one is around.

Reduce Risk• Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC)

systems more than 20 years old may need replacing or extensive servicing. Improving your HVAC system is the single most cost-effective means of protecting every item within your collections.

• Ultraviolet light and heat generated by lights can speed up the deterioration process. Whether you are using fluorescent or compact fluorescent bulbs, be sure to purchase UV sleeves or low UV bulbs to protect you collections from UV damage.

Disaster Preparedness• Structural damage, dust, and water

damage are all common results of construction and renovation projects. That is why it is essential to have an up-to-date disaster response plan in place and to have trained staff to implement the plan before a building project begins. If you are moving into a new building, it is important to update your disaster plan to account for the new space.

Disaster Preparedness • It is important to provide your staff with disaster

training on a regular basis, regardless of whether you are implementing a construction project or not. This can be accomplished through table-top exercises, practicing specific types of salvage procedures, or a full-blown mock recovery exercise.

• LYRASIS and other regional preservation education centers have a wide of variety of education opportunities related to disaster training, To see a list of LYRASIS classes, go to the class page here: http://www.lyrasis.org/Pages/Courses.aspx?type=catalog&val=show

Disaster Preparedness• Disaster supplies, such as plastic sheeting and

paper towels, should be placed throughout the institution, especially in places likely to be affected by the renovation.

• An in-house supply checklist for disaster preparedness can be found here: http://www.lyrasis.org/LYRASIS%20Digital/Documents/Preservation%20PDFs/InhouseSup.pdf

Disaster Preparedness• Finally, it’s good to have a prearranged

contract with a disaster recovery vendor. Such an agreement does not require an institution to use them, but it does allow for a more efficient response.

• LYRASIS can assist you in finding an appropriate vendor.

Unit 1 QuizWhat Have You Learned?

Unit 1 Quiz • Question 1: When planning a

construction project, what is not one of the top concerns?– A: Consultation with qualified parties– B: Providing coffee for workers– C: Communication– D: Prevention Planning

Unit 1 Quiz • Question 1: When planning a

construction project, what is not one of the top concerns?– Answer: B: Providing coffee for workers

• Although it would be nice to provide services to keep everyone happy, it should not be prioritized with the other duties listed in Question 1.

Unit 1 Quiz• Question 2: When staffing a construction

project, installation of specialized equipment can often be handled by staff, providing that they research the topic.– True or False?

Unit 1 Quiz• Question 2: When staffing a construction

project, installation of specialized equipment can often be handled by staff, providing that they research the topic.– Answer: False

• Many construction projects will need outside professionally trained staff for particular work, such as installation of fire suppression systems.

Unit 1 Quiz• Question 3: The worksite supervisor

should have the authority to take over a site is an emergency to make repairs.– True or False?

Unit 1 Quiz• Question 3: The worksite supervisor

should have the authority to take over a site is an emergency to make repairs.– Answer: True

• The ideal worksite supervisor should have an investment and interest in keeping collections safe and should have the skill level to make sound decision in case of an emergency.

Unit 1 Quiz • Question 4: What is not one of the

important steps in disaster planning?– A: Education and training– B: Having up-to-date disaster plan– C: Knowing types of mold– D: Keeping an in-house supply stockpile

Unit 1 Quiz • Question 4: What is not one of the

important steps in disaster planning?– Answer: C: Knowing types of mold

• Although being able to identify mold may be important if your institution suffers damage, it is not a primary part of disaster planning.

Thank You!To continue Under

Construction, View Unit 2

Contact us if you have any questions.

LYRASIS Preservation Servicespreservation@lyrasis.org

1-800-999-8558