50 anni e li (di)mostriamo tutti

Abstract

On the 50th anniversary of the dramatic flood that struck the National Library of Florence in November 1966, the author – who was there during those days – reconstructs the events, emphasizing how volunteers and specialists come from all the world to save a unique heritage; but the anniversary is also the opportunity to highlight the critical issues and problems that continue to plague the historical libraries in Italy, especially regarding prevention and restoration. Moreover, the florentine experience is the occasion for the author to provide some guidance to process library materials affected by natural disasters and how to deal with the emergency.