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This Records and Archives Management Programme (RAMP) study covers the conservation of archival documents and the application of freeze-drying to the salvage of documents damaged by flood. Following an introductory discussion of the hazards of water, the study presents a broad summary of data on freeze-drying, including the behavior of water-soaked paper; the advantages of stabilization by freezing; descriptions of vacuum freeze-drying and alternate methods of drying; and a comparison of two currently used methods (1) vacuum freeze-drying by sublimation (a dry process) and (2) vacuum-drying by evaporation (a wet process). The history of freeze-drying is described; six case histories illustrating the use of vacuum chambers for the recovery of water-damaged archival and library materials are presented; and examples of the use of vacuum and freeze-drying in eight countries are summarized. Also considered are commercial sources for freezing and drying; the cost of vacuum-drying and freeze-drying; low-cost freezing and drying in an emergency; what freeze-drying will not do; and cooperative approaches to the use of freeze-drying chambers. Finally, 24 imaginary open forum questions and answers related to freeze-drying are presented, and disaster preparedness planning is discussed. The text is supplemented with two figures and two tables, and a 75-item bibliography is provided. (KM)

This study, prepared for UNESCO under its Records and Archives Management Programme (RAMP) in cooperation with the International Council on Archives (ICA), proposes a model curriculum in preservation and restoration of documents for archival agencies in developing countries. It is also intended to promote harmonization of such training with the needs of libraries, documentation, and other information centers. The primary aim of the study is to suggest a training program based upon a curriculum that will provide a scientific approach to both preservation and restoration work with the initial focus on preventive preservation. The curriculum includes activities intended to emphasize self-reliance and the ability to manage, to innovate, and to draw upon the best of other people's experience. The proposed curriculum is two-fold: (1) for specialists, i.e., college graduates who work as supervisors to organize facilities and guide staff where necessary; and (2) for technicians, i.e., non-graduate staff who actually carry out the preservation and restoration work. While different in content emphasis, the curriculum outlined for each group entails 300 hours of training spread over a 12-week period. Appendix A details eight experiments designed to encourage students to work independently which could serve as models for use by training schools. (DMC)