From: Peter Kurilecz <[log in to unmask]>
Date: September 3, 2011 7:44:22 AM EDT
Subject: Texas historical court documents in peril, panel says

We have installed two vaults for the Texas State Library as well as a vault in Houston for Harris County so there has been proactive efforts over the years to protect their most valuable and historic records.

Peter's RAIN article:
http://bit.ly/nZDxC6

Texas has a head start in that things in that they are a century younger in terms of developing their historical collections.  But Texans have used smart archive management to store the most precious records in vaults in museums and their own archival vaults.

But at the county level, there is not yet the appreciation you see in Massachusetts, New York and Connecticut where they promote protecting records with Grants that allow the State to oversee some of the methods used to protect historical documents and artifacts.

Vaults that are built using concrete with no design capability to control air movement, temperature and humidity lead to rapid decay. The extreme heat and droughts in Texas may cause these vaults to dry out in Summer and then develop void, cracks and opening in which moisture enters the vaults during the wet seasons.

I will always remember visiting El Dorado Texas in the dry west Texas plains and upon pulling into the center of town seeing a huge lake next to the bank.  I asked the banker "How much rain do you receive here annually?" And he replied "About 14" but you should have been here yesterday when we got it!"

We experienced that here in the last two weeks and if you watch articles about decay of records, mold and flood damage in archives will be in the news over the next year. The path of Irene was unique in the slow moving path it took through such heavily populated areas.

Unfortunately, some of our 13 colonies were the most heavily impacted and that is where are many of the oldest and very precious documents reside. 

My suggestion is for Archivists and Town Clerks to seek out private donations to protect their towns historical and precious records. Corporations with huge savings can often be influenced to contribute a donation to the Town where their donation is noted with a plaque on the vault door as the benefactor that funded historical preservation.

Hugh Smith
FIRELOCK Fireproof Modular Vaults
[log in to unmask]
(610)  756-4440    Fax (610)  756-4134
WWW.FIRELOCK.COM


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