So often, when we hear of disasters our hearts are filled with sympathy. However, inside we feel “that will never happen to me.”

A few weeks ago many residents throughout the Cato-Meridian area found themselves reassessing those thoughts as their streets, fields and homes were flooded.

Road construction combined with torrential rains caused a situation from which many of us thought we were exempt. Luckily, the Lang Memorial Library in Cato received only a few inches of water in the basement. Because of prior minor water problems, most items stored there had been elevated at least four inches. When the waters receded, we were left with wet carpets and a few damaged boxes.

We immediately removed the carpets from the building to air dry outside. A wet/dry vacuum and floor squeegee were used to control the water that continued to seep in. Fans were placed throughout the rooms to increase air circulation and discourage mold growth. Lastly, a dehumidifier was used.

However, that was only our first step. Our materials were still not free from danger. Mold and mildew are insidious threats that can destroy books, periodicals and even the walls of the building. To prevent further damage, we had to treat the affected areas with a cleaning agent designed to kill mold and mildew.

After an incident like this, one can see why New York requires public libraries to develop disaster plans. Such documents address minor water damage (books that are dropped in mud puddles, for example) to major events such as floods.

Last year the Finger Lakes Library System hosted a workshop for member libraries to assist them with developing their own plan of action.

A member of the Cornell University conservation department explained its program and discussed ways to create similar plans for other libraries. That workshop proved invaluable for preventing damage both at the library and at home.

After cleaning the library basement, I went home to find six inches of water in my own cellar. When the water was removed, my husband and I were feeling good that many things were in plastic tubs and unharmed. But the next day, I found a cardboard box that was totally saturated. Inside was my husband's family memorabilia. There were letters from his father's trips home to Sicily, documents from his sister's ordination into the ministry, cards from his children and family pictures. My heart sunk, but somewhere in the back of my mind I remembered those tips from our workshop.

I knew that the papers needed immediate attention. Once papers start to dry, they fuse together and can rarely be separated. To save the letters and cards, I carefully (often using tweezers) separated the pages, placed them between paper towels and then microwaved them.

Single-page items were then laid out on flat surfaces to dry. To salvage pamphlets, I strung a few rows of clothesline close together and hung the pages to dry.

I didn't have time to finish all the newspapers that night. In order to prevent further damage, I placed them in the freezer and then thawed each one as I had time to work on it.

Some of our photos had begun to fuse together but luckily most were covered by a plastic coating and could be separated. However, because photographs contain various chemicals a professional should be consulted before trying to separate them. Just remember to keep items wet or frozen until you have spoken with a conservator.

As a result of the recent floods, I learned that being prepared for disasters at home is just as important as being prepared at the library. In fact, many of the historical documents at the library were once family memorabilia.

For more, consult the Cornell University Library's Disaster Plan at http://www.library.cornell.edu/preservation/emergencies.

Libbie Messina is a librarian at Stewart Lang Memorial Library in Cato