Destroyed books being restored in Japan

When an unforeseen disaster occurs, files, hardware and entire storefront locations can be destroyed. Such was the case in Japan in 2011, after a devastating tsunami washed away entire offices, often taking important documents with it.

According to the Japan Daily Press, many of books and files in the Rikuzentakata Municipal Library were washed away during the event, resulting in the loss of informative materials and historically significant data. However, 121 volumes of an old series titled the "Yoshida Family Documents" were recovered, and the National Diet Library has begun the process of restoring the pages.

The books show the genealogy of the local family, as well as neighboring citizens dating back to the 18th century. The news provider explained that workers at the library will use special machines to remove mold from the soggy pages and patch together torn areas.

After the volumes are restored, administrators should think about taking on a digitization project. Moving to an electronic document management system is often lucrative after a natural disaster has occurred. This can ensure the data is saved and can be accessed again if the primary source is irreparably damaged or lost in the future.

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