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In an age of technology, where “print” is now proliferated online via web sites, eBooks, and blogs, it’s a wonder the significance that paper still holds in the day-to-day. Technology continues to grow at an increasingly rapid rate, archived books will remain a vitally important aspect of our history, and our future.

The process of restoring water-damaged books can be complicated, time-consuming, and costly, so it is no wonder that institutions such as museums, libraries, and schools are constantly looking for new and effective ways to prevent water damage as well as plans of action if such damage does occur. Rare book rooms are common in most major libraries and bookstores in the country, and some museums and organizations are home to the most valuable, important pieces of literary history. The American Bible Society’s Rare Book Collection contains the first edition of the King James Bible, the Rare Book & Special Collections division of the Library of Congress houses hundreds of first-edition books from throughout American history, and even most colleges and universities have very important rare book collections. When these collections are damaged by water or mold, the institutions that house them not only face a significant financial loss, the world loses a vital part of its history as well.

Smoke damage can be one of the most frustrating pitfalls a business owner or homeowner can face. Damage can be done by either the smoke’s gases or soot, and different types of damage require different cleaning and restoration techniques. Smoke damage is especially difficult to deal with when it has occurred to books, photos, or important paper documents. Before deciding on a restoration technique, however, it is important to determine the type and extent of damage that has occurred.

The rainy season for most parts of the country begins in November and ends in April, and with it comes the risk of heavy flooding. Many people are unaware or apathetic to the risk of a flood in their area, a fact that causes hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of flood damage to home and business owners each year. But with so many insurance companies trying to sell you flood coverage, how do you know what kind of a policy you should invest in, how much you should expect to pay, and the benefits you should expect for your money? It can seem overwhelming, but the first step in feeling confident in your insurance coverage is understanding a little bit about what flood coverage is, what kinds of policies exist, and, most importantly, what coverage fits for your particular flood risk.

When a fire ravages your home or business the losses can be great. You may lose precious family heirlooms, invaluable business documents, photo albums, furniture, and, of course, the building itself. Fortunately, there are a few steps you can take before a fire and immediately following one that can help reduce the costs to you and make the road to recovery a quicker, easier one.