Publication: N.Y. Times

UCLA Expert: Chela Metzger: Head, Preservation & Conservation Department, UCLA Powell Library

Synopsis: In 2018, UCLA was in talks to receive a donor’s book collection, later destroyed in the Woolsey fire. The following year, the Getty fire sent up thick, black plumes of smoke that threatened to filter into UCLA’s libraries and damage the fragile materials housed inside.

UCLA News: “We were lucky” that day, Metzger recalled. Acidic smoke and greasy soot are grave concerns for any conservator, but in this case, the winds held them at bay.

Read more at N.Y. Times.