A truckload of priceless books and seforim were returned to the Central Chabad Library after a specialized process to restore them from water damage sustained in a flash floor this summer.
By Anash.org reporter
A truckload of priceless books and seforim were returned to the Central Chabad Library after a specialized process to restore them from water damage sustained in a flash floor this summer.
During a late-night flash flood six weeks ago, the lower level of the library flooded, damaging a few hundred seforim and books. To preserve and restore the books, they were immediately transported to the Polygon Group, a company that specializes in mitigating and controlling the effects of fire and water.
After painstakingly ensuring that each book would be salvaged, the books arrived back at the library on Sunday. The books were unloaded by chief librarians Rabbi Sholom Dovber Levin and shliach Rabbi Shlomo Cunin, with the help of a group of enthusiastic bochurim and yungeleit.
On their website, the Polygon Group describes the methods they use to use to restore books and documents that had been water damaged.
“The vacuum freeze-drying process is the most efficient and effective method for the drying of wet papers and other documents. Using this method, Polygon technicians can restore water-damaged materials quickly and effectively, reducing back processing time by 20 to 30 percent. During this process, the materials are placed in an airtight chamber into which negative vacuum pressure is induced. As a result, the documents go from the frozen state to being dry without ever becoming re-liquefied. This method is especially beneficial in cases where documents may warp or distort,” they write.
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