STATEMENT_OF_WORK-_Disaster_Salavage_and_Recovery.pdf

Disaster Salvage and Recovery of NLM Collections:

Statement of Work (9/26/2023)

Table of Contents

1. BACKGROUND

Locations

Collections Description

NLM Emergency Response

2. SCOPE

Time and Materials Indefinite-Delivery Requirements Contract

Definitions

Services

Additional notes

3. VENDOR REQUIREMENTS

General Administrative Requirements

General Capability Requirements

Service Requirements

Priority of the tasks and associated time frames

Summary Timetable

Technical Requirements Concerning Emergency Response, Salvage, and Recovery

Actions

Requirements for Rehousing Materials into New Containers

Requirements for Transporting Damaged Materials

Requirements for Retrieval and Packing of Water-Damaged Paper-based Materials

Requirements for Recovery of Bound Volumes (not already stored in boxes)

Requirements for Oversized Print Materials (e.g., posters, broadsides, advertisements) 17

Requirements for Freezing Water-Damaged Materials

Requirements for Vacuum Freeze-Drying Water-Damaged Materials

Requirements for Desiccant or Air-Drying Materials

Condition evaluation testing

Requirements for Sanitization and/or Decontamination of Materials

Requirements for Cleaning of Materials

Requirements for Recovery of Flat Photographic Materials (printed on paper, film, and/or other supports)

Requirements for Recovery of Microfilm Rolls

Requirements for Recovery of Motion Picture Film

Requirements for Recovery of Magnetic Media (videotape, audio tape, etc.) and Optical

Media (CD, DVD, etc.)

Acceptance Criteria

Response

Assessment and salvage planning

Salvage and transportation

Recovery

Return of collections

Specific qualifications and skills for key personnel

4. DELIVERABLES

Services

Products and documentation

Salvage Plan

Inventory of Damaged Materials

Recovery Plan

Written and Photographic Documentation

Weekly Log

Close-out Report

5. TESTING AND QUALITY ASSURANCE

Level of quality and quality standards that must be achieved

Inspection process plus where and when it will take place

6. PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE & DELIVERY SCHEDULE

Period of Performance

Task Orders

7. APPLICABLE DOCUMENTS/INFORMATION

Applicable Standards and Specifications

Government Furnished Data

Vendor Furnished Data

1. BACKGROUND

The National Library of Medicine (NLM) is the biomedical library of record for the United

States. The library has a Congressional mandate to preserve the biomedical literature.

Completed in 1962, NLM is a complex, multi-level facility designed with foot-thick limestone walls surrounding over 50 miles of below-grade shelving and a collapsible roof designed to protect collections from possible Cold War threats.

Locations

NLM is located in Building 38 on the National Institutes of Health (NIH) campus in

Bethesda, Maryland. NLM’s stacks are closed to public access. All three levels below the first floor (in descending order: B1, B2, and B3) are below grade and accessible via stairwells and elevators. In each stairwell, there are 16 steps (8 steps to a landing, 8 more steps to the next floor). In the event of elevator failure or shut-down, removal of material from the lowest level to an above-ground exit level would require manual transport up two levels (a total of 32 steps).

The general collection print materials are stored on over 267,000 linear feet of both stationary open shelving and moveable compact shelving spread over all three floors. In the event of a power failure, shelving can be opened using a key with a battery pack. With appropriate caution and adequate manpower, a shelf can also be pushed aside manually as a last resort to provide emergency aisle access.

The historical collections are separated from general collection storage areas, with access limited to specific NLM staff. Some of the historical collections are stored in mobile compact shelving.

The microfilm second-generation print negative masters and medical films are stored in a dual-chamber climate-controlled vault below ground level. Third-generation duplicates for patron use and inter-library loan are stored separately in compact shelving. NLM has additional collections stored in environmentally controlled storage facilities in Boyers, Pennsylvania, and Baltimore, Maryland, but these locations are beyond the purview of this

SOW.

Collections Description

NLM collections are estimated to contain more than 21,574,272 items.

NLM’s print materials include an estimated 2.95 million bound and unbound printed monographs and journals printed on both coated and uncoated paper, as well as on paper that is brittle due to materials and processes used in its manufacture. Some of these items are oversized. Historical print materials include animal skin-covered books and handwritten manuscripts, first and rare editions of medical books, and books with rare or unique period bindings.

The library’s print collections include many items that would be difficult or impossible to replace in the event they were damaged beyond recovery in a disaster or emergency.

Recovery and salvage of print originals in the event of a disaster or emergency is critical to the library’s mission. By definition, manuscripts are irreplaceable. Rare, historical, and valuable printed medical works are likely to be irreplaceable, or replaceable only at great cost. Replacement copies are also not widely available for many modern medical texts, particularly those in highly specialized areas of research.

The historical prints and photographs collection includes art prints, posters, legacy photographic prints, negatives and slides, and modern manuscript collections, which include mixed media.

The library’s media collections include 70,000 reels of polyester and acetate microforms and over 15,000 film, video, and audio items, which include acetate and polyester motion picture film, obsolete magnetic tape formats, and a variety of digital formats, some of which are irreplaceable.

NLM’s collection policy is ever changing and new types of materials may be added to this list. The Program Manager and COR will update the Vendor if new material types are added to the collection.

This SOW does not include the salvage or recovery of data drives or digital storage devices outside of the collection.

NLM Emergency Response

NLM staff is tasked with assuring long-term, uninterrupted access to the intellectual content of the NLM's collections, either in original or reformatted form. This task is accomplished in part by NLM’s Collections Emergency Response Team (CERTeam), led by the CERTeam

Lead, who has broad responsibility for coordinating collection salvage and recovery operations.

NLM has a need for salvage and recovery services (provided by the Vendor) of NLM collections when the library is confronted with a disaster or emergency that affects or has affected its collections and the magnitude of the disaster or emergency outstrips the resources and ability of NLM to respond effectively. The majority of emergencies will be water-induced events with water affecting collections either from indoor (e.g., plumbing or sprinkler system) or outside (e.g., roof leak) sources, but this contract covers all disaster scenarios including more catastrophic events such as earthquakes, fires, floods, major biological infestations due to disasters (e.g., mold, insect, and/or vermin infestations), acts of terrorism, and similar catastrophes.

2. SCOPE

Time and Materials Indefinite-Delivery Requirements Contract

This contract will be a Time and Materials Indefinite-Delivery Requirements. The scope of work of this Statement of Work is to define requirements and guidelines for requested emergency response services and agency- specific needs in support of awarding Task Orders based on the requirements identified in the SOW.

Definitions

By definition, emergency salvage and recovery services will be required on an irregular basis.

In this contract, NLM refers to salvage as those activities that remove materials from the site of a disaster or emergency and stabilize them for subsequent recovery efforts. Salvage activities may include removal from emergency area, inventory of salvaged materials, packing, and/or transport to a facility where wet items can be kept frozen until appropriate recovery actions can be undertaken. Recovery is defined as those activities that enable the material to be returned to a dry, clean, usable condition with no evidence of active mold growth. Recovery activities include the use of appropriate methods of air-drying, freezing, and vacuum freeze-drying. Recovery activities are not to be confused with options a conservator might consider when drafting a treatment plan to restore a damaged item to a condition similar in appearance and performance to its condition prior to being damaged.

Services

The services that the Vendor is expected to provide include, but are not limited to:

• Prompt, 24/7 response to NLM request for services;

• Assistance with on-site assessment of NLM collections in the affected area and, if requested by NLM, assistance with assessment of NLM materials stored off-site;

• Assistance with development of a Salvage Plan and a Recovery Plan for NLM materials involved in a disaster or emergency;

• Provision of staff, supplies, vehicles, and other resources needed to perform the tasks described in the Salvage and Recovery Plans;

• Assistance with the removal of wet NLM materials from the affected area;

• Assistance with the removal of dry NLM materials from the affected area to protect them from damage;

• Assistance with packing of wet materials;

• Assistance with salvage and recovery of NLM collection materials including one or more of the following:

o monographs and bound or loose issues of journals printed on non-coated or coated paper, including items printed on brittle paper o historical collection print materials (including bound vellum, parchment, and leather volumes) o flat paper objects and works of art (e.g., broadsides, advertisements, posters) o historical manuscripts and personal papers o historical photographic negatives and prints o acetate or polyester 16mm, 35mm, and other format motion picture films o silver gelatin print masters and silver, diazo, or vesicular microform o CDs, DVDs, and legacy diskette storage o ¾” U-Matic, VHS, Betacam SP, or other magnetic tape formats;

• Assistance with palletizing and shrink-wrapping containers of packed wet books;

• Assistance with packing, palletizing, and shrink-wrapping of wet non-print materials;

• Safe, secure transport of shrink-wrapped pallets of wet books to a freezer facility that meets with NLM’s prior approval;

• Safe, secure transport of wet non-print materials to recovery site;

• Safe, secure storage of all NLM materials at recovery site;

• Inventory of all items removed from NLM;

• At Vendor’s site, as needed, assist NLM with triage for recovery activities;

• Item-level and/or container-level tracking of whereabouts of all items removed from

NLM;

• Ongoing reporting of progress on the recovery of NLM materials;

• Prompt reporting of problems to NLM;

• Safe, secure return of NLM materials to the Library.

Planning and conducting these services will be done in constant and close consultation with the NLM Program Manager, NLM COR, or designee. The Program Manager, COR, or designee will be the contact for all communication related to the contract or any Task Order;

the COR or designee will collaborate with other NLM staff as needed.

Key representatives from the Vendor agree to meet with NLM representatives within one month after the contract award for a kickoff meeting. Task orders will be issued following this meeting to arrange for annual site visits and response to events that require salvage and recovery.

Additional notes

• Recovery services can be requested separately from emergency response and salvage services if NLM staff is able to perform the response and salvage internally. In that case, NLM may contact the vendor after collection materials have been stabilized.

• In addition to the salvage, recovery, and cleaning of collection materials, the cleaning of storage furniture (e.g., shelving, map cases, gasketed cabinets) and furniture (e.g., reading room tables, book carts) is within the scope of this contract.

• Information technology recovery and site restoration service is outside the scope of this contract; however, services rendered by the Vendor may include the recovery of affected tangible digital media (e.g., CDs, DVDs, digital videotape) from NLM collections.

3. VENDOR REQUIREMENTS

General Administrative Requirements

The Vendor shall manage the total work effort associated with the required services to meet all objectives. Such management includes but is not limited to planning, scheduling, cost projecting and accounting, establishing and maintaining documentation and records, report preparation, and quality control.

The Vendor shall implement all necessary work control procedures to ensure timely accomplishment of work, as well as to permit tracking and reporting work in progress. The

Vendor shall plan and schedule work to ensure material, labor, equipment, and supplies are available to meet the work requirements within the specified time limits and in conformance with the quality standards established by NLM.

The Vendor shall establish and maintain an internal, comprehensive Quality Control (QC) program. The QC program shall provide an effective means of identifying and correcting problems throughout the entire scope of operations. The Vendor’s failure to implement and maintain its QC program effectively through the duration of rendering services may result in other appropriate action by the Contracting Officer (CO) including deductions from invoices or a decision not place task orders. The QC program will apply to all services rendered:

• Accurate documentation of work processes, procedures, and output measures;

• A systematic procedure for assessing compliance with performance objectives and standards defined in the Task Order;

• Accurate documentation of quality inspections conducted throughout the execution of work;

• Assessment-driven corrective action and process adjustments as appropriate.

The Vendor shall be responsible for assigning sufficient personnel to the performance of this contract to ensure timely completion of all requirements.

The Vendor shall obtain all required permits, licenses, certifications, and authorizations to perform work under this contract and comply with all applicable federal, state, and local laws and regulations. The Vendor shall provide evidence of such permits and licenses to the

Contracting Officer (CO) or Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR) at any time at the request of the CO or COR.

The Vendor shall make all the necessary arrangements through the COR, NLM Program

Manager, or designee, as necessary to obtain access to buildings, facilities, and other work areas, and when required, to arrange for them to be opened and closed by available NLM staff.

The Vendor shall develop and maintain a safety program to promote safety, ensure accident prevention, provide incentive to work safely, and reduce potential for personnel or property damage.

The Vendor shall provide a copy of their safety plan and provisions for their staff’s PPE

(Personal Protective Equipment).

General Capability Requirements

The Vendor can be reached 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year to respond to a call for services.

In case of an emergency event that affects the collections, the Vendor shall respond to a call for emergency response services by the NLM and send a trained and experienced representative to assess the affected collections and advise on a plan of action for the salvage of the collections while a Task Order is processed within 1 hour of notification by NLM.

The Vendor shall enact emergency salvage and recovery services scaled to the size of the emergency no later than 24 hours of initial notification by the NLM, assuming an approved

Salvage Plan and Task Order is in place. The Vendor shall provide all required identification and documentation for any Vendor staff, vehicles, and drivers involved in the salvage operation, and follow all NIH and NLM protocols while on site.

The Vendor shall have adequate numbers of trained staff with the skills and experience to assess, salvage, and recover collections of different types of media of varying value suffering from different types of damage.

The Vendor shall have scalable capability and resources (e.g., facilities, manpower, management, equipment, supplies, transport, freezers, and logistics) to manage all types of emergencies that may affect NLM collections regardless of size. In case of large-scale disaster, the Vendor shall have the ability to manage the salvage, and/or recovery of collection materials that could add up to thousands of items.

The Vendor shall have the experience, qualifications, and expertise to provide professional and standard methods for mold remediation and other decontamination of collection materials.

The Vendor shall have the experience, qualifications, and expertise to provide professional and standard methods for handling, stabilizing, packing, labeling, tracking, transporting, and treating the full range of library materials in disaster situations.

The Vendor shall have adequate numbers of trained staff with the skills and experience to assess and sanitize (i.e., clean, disinfect, kill mold, and remove rust and other stains) designated storage furniture including shelving, map cases, and gasketed cabinets.

The Vendor shall have adequate numbers of trained and qualified staff with the skills and expertise to manage emergency response and collection salvage and recovery projects including management, supervision, training, administration, and facilitating communications.

The Vendor shall use climate-controlled, secure facilities. The Vendor is responsible for all aspects of security for NLM materials in storage. The security of the Vendor premises shall be ensured by either 24-hour guard or constantly monitored electronic surveillance.

When specified by NLM, materials shall be packed, shipped, and stored in protective totes and pallets (or other containers subsequently specified by NLM) that are clearly marked according to a numbering and tracking scheme approved by NLM.

Service Requirements

As part of emergency response, the Vendor shall:

• Respond to a disaster scene as soon as possible but no later than within 24 hours of being contacted by NLM’s designated representative.

• Provide expert consultation on site to assess the condition of the collections and work with the NLM COR, Program Manager, or designee to determine the type and amount of salvage effort required as soon as the affected site is accessible (i.e., safe and secure).

• Provide all trained labor, experienced supervision, approved material and supplies, and agreed-upon equipment needed for clean-up and transportation in response to emergency calls at the NLM within 24 hours of receiving approval to begin work.

• Upon granted access, start immediately with the documentation of the condition of the emergency site and condition of the collections.

• Working with the previously agreed-upon preservation best practices and procedures and policies in place for the systematic, non-damaging removal of library materials from the site, as discussed in the kickoff meeting and in NLM-provided documentation, provide specific recommendations for the appropriate removal techniques to be employed at the site being worked upon.

As part of stabilizing collection material, the Vendor shall:

• Provide professional advice on the most practical and efficient options for the salvage and recovery of the collections and storage systems within 24 hours of being on site.

o After consultation with, and prior approval by the COR, Program Manager, or designee, commence the services needed to accomplish the salvage and recovery of collection materials and restore affected collections storage systems to a safe, sanitary, and functional condition following a disaster within 24 hours of being approved to begin work.

• Collaborate with the COR, Program Manager, or designee to create a Salvage Plan documenting salvage priorities based on a variety of factors (including type and extent of damage, type of material, rarity and/or importance of material), and outlining the methods to be used for retrieving, stabilizing, packing, and transporting designated damaged materials.

o Written at the time of an emergency event, the Salvage Plan contains the summarized condition assessment of damaged collections, proposal for the safe and secure salvage (including stabilization, documentation, tracking, and transportation) of the collections, proposed salvage schedule, and a detailed associated cost estimate. The plan must also include details of proposed procedures, equipment, tools and supplies to be used, and the qualification(s) of the supervisor and staff who will complete the work along with labor and materials costs. The plan should also outline the available facilities, transportation vehicles, and transportation conveyances (such as carts). Upon approval, this document will form the basis for work conducted as part of the Task Order funding the salvage activities.

• Remove and stabilize materials in a timely manner to eliminate or at least minimize the risk of further damage to the collections.

• To the extent possible, identify and inventory all affected materials and keep materials organized. Consistently track all collection materials as they are repacked, transported, stabilized, treated, and returned to NLM, ensuring the ability to locate an item at any point in time of salvage and recovery activities. In order to assist with this effort, and if necessary, the Vendor will be provided with a wireless barcode scanner or a barcode scanner that plugs into a USB port on a Vendor-provided laptop to scan barcodes, as well as specific directions for items without barcodes. If an attempt to compile a complete inventory becomes impractical due to the magnitude or urgency of a disaster or emergency, the Vendor shall review inventory options with the COR, Program

Manager, or designee prior to packing.

• Provide all labor, material, and equipment for the safe and secure salvage and transportation including dry cargo transport trucks or freezer trucks as needed, as well as packing supplies, pallets, and materials needed to secure palletized containers.

Provide the exact destination (full street address) of any Vendor vehicle used to transport material before departing the site.

• Provide secure freezer storage for the damaged materials in the event all available appropriate drying equipment is in use, or if the amount of material exceeds the

Vendor’s drying capacity.

As part of recovering collection material, the Vendor shall:

• Collaborate with the COR, Program Manager, or designee to create a Recovery Plan before the recovery operations begin. This document should contain a description of the estimated quantity, value category, and type of affected collection items, the comprehensive condition assessment of damaged collections, proposal for the safe and secure recovery of the collections, treatment proposals and documentation, rehousing and labeling plans, proposed recovery schedule, tracking system, proposed return schedule, and a detailed associated cost estimate.

o The plan must also include details of proposed procedures, equipment, tools and supplies to be used and the qualification(s) of the supervisor and staff who will complete the work along with labor and materials costs. This document will provide the basis for the SOW of Task Orders funding the recovery services provided by the Vendor.

• Be equipped to provide specialized cleaning services as required to manage mold remediation, smoke and soot removal, and deodorization. Prior to using any chemicals or solvents on NLM collection materials, the Vendor will communicate with the COR, Program Manager, or designee to ensure chemicals or solvents are approved for use.

• Be equipped to dry, in a controlled and closely monitored manner, varying quantities of material exposed to varying amounts of moisture using drying methods such as desiccant, air-drying, or vacuum freeze-drying to determine when materials have reached normal equilibrium, and to ensure that all items are completely dry without exposure to the risk of over-drying.

• Monitor and separate materials during the drying process to ensure that they dry completely without sticking together.

• Be able to provide services including, but not limited to:

o Sanitization and/or decontamination of records and cleaning of items including the cleaning of mold, mildew, soot, or sewage.

• Be equipped to recover a range of materials including but not limited to:

o Bound volumes (including rare volumes on parchment, leather, and/or vellum) o Books and other publications incorporating plastics and modern materials o Digital recordings (including CDs, DVDs, and optical discs) o Flat photographic prints, negatives, and direct positives on paper, film glass, and/or other supports o Microfilm rolls and fiche o Motion picture film o Magnetic media (including audio, data, and sound recordings) o Oversized records (including posters) o Papers (including manuscripts, unbound pages, etc.)

o Video recordings (including DVDs, digital recordings, and magnetic media) o Artifacts (including ceramics, glass, paintings, etc) o Audio recordings (including CDs, digital sound, magnetic media, etc.)

• Be able to systematically document all stages of the salvage and recovery activities with a particular focus on treatment activities using both paper-based and, upon request, film-based and dynamic media.

• Use only chemicals, storage supplies, and treatment methods that have been reviewed and approved (and, if necessary, tested) in advance by the NLM COR or designee.

• Replace damaged housing (folders, boxes, mats, and other containers) with new NLM-approved and tested housing including the transfer of all label information from the old container to the new container word-for-word.

• Be able to stabilize, clean and restore shelving, cabinetry and other furniture used for collection storage to a usable condition. Promptly inform the COR or designee if any shelving or cabinetry cannot be adequately restored and should be replaced.

As part of the return of collection material to NLM, the Vendor shall:

• Be able to, when treatment is completed, carefully pack dried materials in order, in appropriate secure, non-damaging containers, and ship/deliver them back to NLM.

• Use barcoding to manage the inventory, tracking, shipping, and shelving process to facilitate tracking and reporting.

• Provide a detailed inventory with clear statements of all item treatments done by the

Vendor on the return of the materials to NLM.

• Work with the COR or designee to restore collection materials to their proper locations for staff and patron use when the storage area and all shelving, cabinetry, and other storage furniture have been returned to working order and the site has been declared safe.

Priority of the tasks and associated time frames

• Pre-event activities o Upon the award of the contract, the Vendor shall meet with the COR, Program

Manager, or designee within one month to discuss NLM’s infrastructure and collections organization, the existing emergency response capabilities, and review disaster scenarios and planned response plans.

o The Vendor and NLM shall agree on a communications plan, agree on salvage and recovery approaches, inventory procedures, supplies and equipment to be used, the various sizes of staff needed for various sizes of disasters, salvage techniques for different types of materials.

o The Vendor and COR or designee shall review quality expectations and determine in advance what remedies are available for any aspect of the recovery work and salvage and recovery protocols, equipment, and materials the NLM considers unsatisfactory.

• Event activities o When a disaster or emergency strikes, time is of the essence. NLM shall immediately initiate the process of creating a Task Order that will provide the funds needed for the services provided by the Vendor.

o The Vendor shall respond to the NLM’s request for services and a Vendor representative shall be on–site as soon as possible but no later than within 24 hours after first contact.

o Depending on the extent of the disaster or emergency, the Vendor shall provide professional advice on the most practical and efficient options for the salvage and, in consultation with the COR, Program Manager, or designee, make a comprehensive damage assessment and draft a Salvage Plan document within 24 hours of being contacted (assuming safe access to the site can be attained for the start of the effort). The Vendor shall be able to provide a Salvage Plan on very short notice, striking a balance between the need for urgently removing affected collection material and doing so in a coordinated and well-thought-out manner.

o After approval of the Salvage Plan by the COR, Program Manager, or designee, the Vendor will start pulling together the resources needed to accomplish the salvage of collection materials.

o Salvage activities will be conducted in collaboration with the COR, Program

Manager, or designee and result in proper packing and transportation of all materials being moved to temporary Vendor facilitated off-site storage location for stabilization or treatment.

o To the extent possible, the Vendor will, in consultation with the COR, Program

Manager, or designee, identify and inventory all materials and keep materials organized during salvage, transportation, and off-site storage by tracking collection material and containers. All materials shall be stored and labeled to ensure that the identity and the original order of each item is maintained, both before and after processing.

▪ After safety and response time, the tracking of collection materials during salvage and recovery is the highest priority.

o The Vendor will provide all supplies (including packing supplies, pallets, and other materials) and equipment (dry cargo transport trucks, freezer trucks, book carts, book trucks, and other equipment) to safely and securely transport the damaged artifacts to an off-site location for stabilization or treatment.

o The Vendor shall provide secure and environmentally controlled working space that facilitates the stabilization and treatment of damaged artifacts and should include secure freezer storage for library/archive materials in the event all available appropriate drying equipment is in use, or if the amount of material exceeds the Vendor’s drying capacity.

o The Vendor shall remove and stabilize materials in a timely manner to eliminate the risk of further damage to the collections. To the extent possible, the salvage of materials should begin within 24 hours of the emergency and should be completed per the schedule outlined in the Salvage Plan.

o To the extent possible, treatment and salvage activities shall be documented thoroughly by both text and images.

o The Vendor, the COR, and other NLM stakeholders including CERTeam members will meet regularly at the recovery site, at NLM, or at the Vendor’s facility.

• Post-event activities o After all designated materials have been stabilized and securely stored, the

Vendor shall work with COR, Program Manager, or designee to draft a Recovery

Plan for the damaged materials and provide professional advice on the most practical and efficient options for the recovery of the collections.

o Depending on the extent of the disaster or emergency, the Vendor shall draft a final Recovery Plan no later than one month after all materials have been stabilized. The plan shall include a time schedule and a detailed cost estimate for the complete recovery, rehousing, labeling, and reshelving of the damaged material.

o NLM shall respond to the draft within one month.

o After approval of the Recovery Plan by the COR, Program Manager, or designee, the Vendor shall start pulling together the resources needed to accomplish the recovery of collection materials by providing sufficient staff, materials, and equipment to start the recovery of stabilized collection material. Treatment activities will be specifically agreed to by NLM in the Task Order.

Summary Timetable

• As soon as possible but no later than within 24 hours of the event: Vendor shall respond to emergency call from NLM.

• As soon as possible but no later than within 36 hours of event (if access to emergency site is possible): Vendor shall review the emergency site, evaluates condition of affected collections, evaluates (further) risk to the collections, and consult with NLM

COR, Program Manager, or designee to determine approach for salvage of collections.

• As soon as possible but no later than within 48 hours of event (if access to emergency site is possible): Vendor shall draft Salvage Plan and, upon NLM approval, commence salvage activities.

• Within one month after completion of salvage of collections: Vendor shall draft

Recovery Plan.

Technical Requirements Concerning Emergency Response, Salvage, and Recovery

Actions

The Vendor shall follow best practices when carrying out emergency response, salvage, and recovery actions, including those listed below. The Vendor shall provide descriptions on how they will ensure the collection is protected, rehoused, or recovered. The Vendor shall follow all instructions of the COR, Program Manager, or designee. All materials and activities must be approved by the COR, Program Manager, or designee before proceeding.

• Rehousing Materials into New Containers

• Transporting Damaged Materials

• Retrieval and Packing of Water-Damaged Paper-based Materials

• Recovery of Bound Volumes (not already stored in boxes)

• Oversized Print Materials (e.g., posters, broadsides, advertisements)

• Freezing Water-Damaged Materials

• Vacuum Freeze-Drying Water-Damaged Materials

• Desiccant or Air-Drying Materials

• Recovery of Flat Photographic Materials (printed on paper, film, and/or other supports)

• Recovery of Microfilm Rolls

• Recovery of Motion Picture Film

• Recovery of Magnetic Media (videotape, audio tape, etc.) and Optical Media (CD, DVD, etc.)

Requirements for Rehousing Materials into New Containers

Wet, frozen, or dry collection materials may be transferred to a new, dry box if approved by the NLM COR or designee. If there is significant damage to the original container, the

Vendor shall provide the COR or designee with a proposed procedure to transfer materials to new containers that have been approved by the COR or designee while maintaining original order. The Vendor shall retain all original documentation and accompanying materials and any label or information written directly on the container. The COR, Program Manager, or designee will provide guidance for transfer of original label and/or identifying information to the new container.

Requirements for Transporting Damaged Materials

The Vendor shall provide transportation that meets all NLM requirements for transporting damaged collection material removed from the facility. The Vendor shall ensure that collection material is not tampered with during transport. Transportation shall comply with all local, state, and federal rules and regulations. The Vendor shall provide documentation including a signed manifest documenting all materials leaving the NLM facility. The contents of each shipping container will be listed on the manifest. The method of shipping must ensure that safety and security is maintained. The Vendor shall provide prompt notification upon receipt of shipment and inventory tracking while in the Vendor’s facility.

The Vendor shall transport shipments by road; rail transport is not permissible. Unless specifically approved otherwise, transportation will be point-to-point with no overnight stays or layovers. A second driver will be required so that the collection materials are continuously accompanied throughout transit. One driver is to remain with the materials at all times. The cargo space of any Vendor vehicle shall be kept locked until arrival at the location indicated in the Salvage or Recovery Plan. Climate-controlled trucks may be required to move materials, with conditions specified by the COR, Program Manager, or designee in the Task

Order.

Trucks should be air-ride rigid-side trailers (no soft-sided trucks). Trucks must be clean of mold, foodstuffs, chemicals, stains from previous use and hazardous materials. Trucks must not leak and there must be no possibility that water can get inside the truck. Trucks shall be equipped with fire extinguishers. Trucks must be dedicated to NLM material shipment only.

The COR or designee may require staff to be present during loading or unloading of containers.

Pallets loaded with materials may not be left unattended, except in an NLM-approved secure area. Pallets loaded with collection material may not be left outdoors, or on a loading dock, or be exposed to rain, heat, or other deleterious elements.

Upon request, the Vendor shall provide copies of drivers’ licenses and proof of insurance for all drivers and vehicles used during an NLM disaster or emergency response, including all transit required as part of the Vendor’s proposed Salvage and Recovery Plans. Persons driving Vendor vehicles shall present all required identification and documentation to NIH

Security at the point of entry onto the NIH campus and park all vehicles where instructed and move vehicles promptly if so directed.

In the event of vehicle malfunction or accident, the Vendor shall have a contingency plan in place to ensure continued safe transport of NLM materials. The Vendor shall notify the

NLM COR or designee immediately if any vehicle problem that puts NLM materials at risk is reported.

Requirements for Retrieval and Packing of Water-Damaged Paper-based Materials

All collection materials shall be kept within original boxes or enclosures, unless the COR, Program Manager, or designee approves transfer to new boxes or enclosures (e.g., removal of shrink-wrapping from bound volumes, polyester enclosures on items, etc.). Materials must be retained in the same order as received and must not be commingled with any other materials at any time.

Requirements for Recovery of Bound Volumes (not already stored in boxes)

Volumes not already boxed must be packed for transport. Individual volumes must be wrapped in deli wrap prior to boxing to keep individual books from sticking to one another.

No bound volume shall be removed from covers or otherwise disassembled unless specified in advance by the NLM COR or designee. When packing in boxes, pack volumes spine down. Avoid packing very small volumes next to large volumes. All identifying information for the volumes must be retained.

Requirements for Oversized Print Materials (e.g., posters, broadsides, advertisements)

Flat oversized paper-based print materials housed in flat file drawers must be supported for transport and treatment. A top cover must be used to protect the contents of the drawers and excess standing water must be removed if materials are transported inside the drawers. All identifying information must be maintained.

Requirements for Freezing Water-Damaged Materials

NLM collection materials may be frozen on site, in transit, or at the Vendor’s facility. The temperature of the freezing facility must be monitored and documented; the Vendor shall freeze and maintain a temperature at or below 0°F at all times for wet materials. Cycling of the temperature within the freezing facility is unacceptable. The freezer space will be clean, with no evidence of mold, rust, or pest infestation, and be sturdy and stable enough to hold cartons of wet print materials. The bottom shelves will be a minimum 4” above the floor.

Requirements for Vacuum Freeze-Drying Water-Damaged Materials

Using freeze-drying equipment, the Vendor must dry the materials using a 24-hour computer-monitored vacuum freeze-drying process to return the moisture content of water-damaged materials/holdings to single digits (5–8% preferred). Moisture shall be removed from the frozen items by sublimation. During vacuum freeze-drying, materials will be frozen to a temperature of at least -25° F. The Vendor must provide data to the NLM documenting the conditions to which materials have been exposed and the duration of these conditions. At no time may the drying chamber exceed 100° F. The freezer space will be clean, with no evidence of mold, rust, or pest infestation.

Requirements for Desiccant or Air-Drying Materials

Desiccant drying may be ordered by the COR, Program Manager, or designee for drying out the facility, furnishings, or selected materials (e.g., photographic materials). Appropriate conditions and safeguards as determined by the COR or designee must be in place to eliminate the possibility of mold growth during the drying process.

Condition evaluation testing

As requested by the NLM COR, Program Manager, or designees, the Vendor shall perform moisture content measurement, pH testing, ink solubility testing, color stability testing, or other tests of salvaged items, using standardized library and archive conservation materials and methods approved in advance by NLM.

Moisture

The Vendor shall use a calibrated moisture meter to check a sample (minimum 10%) of all items removed from the drying chamber. Moisture content of book paper shall be measured by inserting a probe into the gutter of the book. Moisture content of any composite materials

(cover boards) that are part of the book’s binding structure shall be separately tested.

Sampled items shall have a measurable moisture content “not exceeding 7% by weight” to be considered adequately dry (5–8% acceptable). Call numbers, sample results, and date(s) on which the samples were taken shall be delivered to NLM together with the return shipment of material. Upon return to the Library, NLM will conduct additional sampling.

Requirements for Sanitization and/or Decontamination of Materials

If biological growth and/or residues exist that are potentially harmful to users of collection materials or collection storage systems (furniture, shelving, etc.), the Vendor shall outline methods and materials and/or storage systems for sanitization. With COR, Program

Manager, or designee approval and/or inspection, the Vendor shall sanitize the damaged materials and/or storage systems using the methodology and technology approved by the

COR.

The COR or designee may request that collection materials be placed in NLM-specified containers/boxes, sealed with tape, and the method of sanitization or decontamination identified on the container exterior.

Requirements for Cleaning of Materials

Conditions that require collection material recovery services may include the presence of semi-solid materials, including grease, oils, patches of mold or fungus, semi-solid deposits, and other liquids that can permanently stain materials. The Vendor shall outline the methods and materials for hand-cleaning individual collection materials when necessary due to the presence of one or more of the following types of debris: mold, insect or animal waste, soot or other particulates. The Vendor shall review any cleaning procedure in advance of doing the work with the COR, Program Manager, or designee, who must approve any proposed techniques and materials for removal of these residues. No bleaches, detergents, water-soluble fungicides, or other chemicals or irradiation processes shall be used to clean or disinfect NLM materials.

Standards for cleaning will be specified at the time of Task Order issuance depending on the nature of the materials damaged and requirements for use. The Vendor shall clean damaged materials using the methodology and technology approved by the COR, Program Manager, or designee. The Program Manager or designee may observe/approve techniques and treatment results.

Requirements for Recovery of Flat Photographic Materials (printed on paper, film, and/or other supports)

Photographic flat print and film materials shall be handled as paper-based materials, unless a separate task description is prepared by the COR based on identification of particular types of vulnerable photographic media or supports. The Vendor shall not touch the image surface of any NLM photographic print or the emulsion side of any NLM photographic negative.

Noticeably deteriorated nitrate and acetate film is to be kept cold and segregated for examination and consultation with the COR.

At no time will the Vendor use heat for drying photographic materials without prior COR or designee approval and the explicit knowledge and consent of the COR or designee.

The Vendor must retain all identifying or associated information using a system to correctly return identifying information after drying. If photographic items on non-paper or film supports are broken, the Vendor will keep the photographs flat, retain orientation of all parts, and repackage in accordance with COR or designee instructions.

Requirements for Recovery of Microfilm Rolls

The Vendor shall provide the COR or designee with a description of procedures and equipment to be used for recovery of microfilm rolls. The Vendor shall recover microfilm rolls using appropriate industry methods and written procedures approved by the COR. The

Vendor shall not touch the emulsion side of any NLM microfilm reel.

Requirements for Recovery of Motion Picture Film

The Vendor shall provide NLM with a description of procedures and equipment to be used for recovery of motion picture film. The Vendor will recover motion picture film using appropriate industry methods and written procedures approved by the COR, Program

Manager, or designee.

Requirements for Recovery of Magnetic Media (videotape, audio tape, etc.) and Optical

Media (CD, DVD, etc.)

Data from magnetic and optical media are to be recovered using appropriate industry methods and procedures. The Vendor must describe procedures for recovering and copying data from magnetic and optical media. The Vendor must transfer the recovered data to the COR, Program Manager, or designee in the customer-specified format. The Vendor must provide the COR or designee with a description of security procedures and equipment. The Vendor must label the recovered data clearly on individual housing indicating source. The Vendor must not freeze, vacuum freeze-dry, or expose magnetic or optical media to heat.

Acceptance Criteria

Successful performance by the Vendor shall be measured by successfully providing and completing the full range of disaster response, collections salvage, and collections recovery activities, and the ability to return recovered collections all to the satisfaction of the National

Library of Medicine. Success in these activities can be summarized as the following:

Response

Success is measured by timeliness, adequacy, and effectiveness of the response.

Assessment and salvage planning

Success is measured by the creation of a comprehensive, implementable, and adequately detailed Salvage Plan that covers all necessary areas and affected materials in a timely manner.

Salvage and transportation

Success is measured by the documented, safe, and secure salvage and transportation of damaged NLM material.

Recovery

Success is measured by the:

• Completeness and adequacy of documentation so NLM can understand what has been affected and to what degree;

• Ability of the vendor to indicate the status and location of removed items at any one time, ability to track items throughout the recovery process, ability to return items to a high degree of, and the ability to retain the original order in items when stabilized (if circumstances allow);

• Salvage work and treatment work being done by trained and experienced Vendors and being documented following NLM’s guidelines on techniques and materials to be used so that work is reversible and non-damaging;

• Complete recovery of NLM material to the satisfaction of preservation and curatorial staff;

• Complete return of all NLM materials safely back to their original storage locations in appropriate and clearly labeled housing.

Return of collections

Success is measured by the safe return, transportation, and, if requested, reshelving of recovered material.

Specific qualifications and skills for key personnel

The Vendor shall have all staff with the necessary qualifications and skills or shall have a network of vendors in place for additional resources. However, while some parts of the salvage operations may be sub-contracted (for instance, to provide for increased freezer storage space), the coordination and majority of salvage operations are expected to be conducted by the Vendor. All sub-Vendors for treatment or stabilization or housing must be agreed upon by the NLM COR or designee.

4. DELIVERABLES

Services

• Response as soon as possible but no later than within 24 hours after request for services

• Salvage Plan that documents site and collections condition and proposes safe and secure salvage of affected collections

• Inventory of affected materials and salvage of designated damaged collection material to the satisfaction of NLM

• Recovery of designated damaged collection material to the satisfaction of NLM

• Housing materials in new protective containers such as boxes, folders, mats, made out of NLM-approved materials with label information transferred from old damaged housing to new housing

• Cleaning, disinfecting, and decontaminating shelving, cabinetry, and other furniture used for collection storage to NLM’s standards

• Return of the treated materials on a schedule agreed on in advance by the Vendor and

NLM

Products and documentation

Salvage Plan

Written document containing the summarized condition assessment of damaged collections, proposal for the safe and secure salvage (including stabilization, documentation, tracking, and transportation) of the collections, proposed salvage schedule, and a detailed associated cost estimate.

This document is drafted by the Vendor in consultation with the NLM COR, Program

Manager, or designee. Upon approval, this document will be the basis for work conducted as…