The flooding by the arno river of florence damaged the precious and specialised collections in many public and private libraries. Including the national library. Library technicians came from all corners of europe and america to assist with the salvage. A restoration workshop was set up for treating the dried books and organised into three sections; modern books, old books, and prints. Special washing sinks were constructed for cleaning the paper. New binding techniques were developed. The work continues, and current problems include how and where to store restored material. The next major task is to evaluate the treatment records so statistics can be compiled and conclusions drawn from the experience.