Preservation in Action at Laupus Health Sciences Library

This year, Preservation Week takes place April 26th through May 2^nd. It is a time to celebrate the methodical work of protecting our historical records. Although this usually takes place behind the scenes, sometimes unfortunate circumstances make it hard to ignore.

Mollie Frazier, Archivist, drying out an item.

Late in the afternoon last week in Laupus Library’s History Collections, I noticed an active leak and an accumulation of water in the closed stacks archives room and immediately began assessing the situation. Assistant Director of Collections and Historical Services Marlena Rose joined me, and together we worked to protect the vulnerable archival materials through the evening. The water appeared to be coming from above our 4^th floor space in the 5th floor mechanical penthouse and may have been related to a temporary HVAC issue that was impacting all of the health sciences campus.

Marlena Rose assessing boxes affected by the leak.

The library’s overnight housekeeper and a lab mechanic from main campus helped assess the situation to help us see what we might need to do to prevent further impacts as it would not be until the next morning that health sciences campus facilities staff would be able to work on this problem. While some of the historic materials were affected, we worked quickly to prevent extensive damage. The following day, health sciences campus facilities staff confirmed the cause and worked to prevent any further potential for damage.

Temporary protection was added to our archival box storage.

These unpredictable occurrences are a powerful reminder that preservation is about more than carefully storing rare materials, it is also about being prepared to respond when the unexpected happens.

Although this unlucky event happened coincidentally just before Preservation Week, it served as a timely reminder of what preservation work can look like in practice as it highlights how stewards of collections work together to safeguard materials for future generations from routine environmental monitoring to emergency response. This work helps ensure that historical collections remain available to support research, teaching, and community engagement.

Drying out a corner of a map

I am grateful for the teamwork and care that made a quick response possible, and especially for Marlena’s willingness to jump in and help address the situation. Preservation is often invisible when it is working well, but moments like these offer a glimpse into the ongoing care required to protect our shared history.