Several thousand rare books and other items belonging to the Redwood Library in Newport, RI suffered damage in December when a fire broke out in a building adjacent to a storage facility where the materials were temporarily housed. On Friday, the Providence Journal reports, several members of the American Institute for the Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works (in the area for the organization's annual meeting), visited the library to examine and assess the damaged objects as part of an "Angels Project" to provide free conservatorial appraisal.
Redwood Library (the nation's oldest continuous lending library, founded in 1747) will use the appraisals to assist them in seeking bids from conservators to perform necessary repairs.
