There are currently five ways to dry wet books and records. All have undergone at least minimal testing under emergency conditions; several have been used extensively. These are described to assist you in making the best choice given your circumstances: cause of damage, level of damage, numbers involved, rarity/scarcity, personnel available, budget available, drying service available. Advice from a conservator or preservation administrator experienced in disaster recovery can be helpful before making the final selection(s). Successful recovery operations have proven that it is less expensive to dry original collections than to replace them, even if they are replaceable. It is important to understand that no drying method restores materials. They will never be in better condition than they are when drying begins. If time must be taken to make critical decisions, books and records should be frozen to reduce physical distortion and biological contamination while decisions are made.