Most of the time, information work relies on thorough, thoughtful planning and quiet, consistent, persistent effort. Sometimes, however, information professionals need to respond very quickly and effectively to emergency situations, in order to save important information. Planning and preparedness remain vital, but rapid response is crucial. 

On Tuesday, October 25, 2022, John Thomas (“T”) Woodruff III died after being ill for several years. He was the son of Catherine (“Cass”) and David Brand Woodruff, an exemplary juvenile justice officer in Greene County, and the grandson of Lydia and John T. Woodruff, a leading local entrepreneur during the first half of the 20th century. 

On the following Tuesday morning, November 1, 2022, the home in which T had been living caught fire, causing major interior damage to the structure and its contents. Because T, as the final surviving member of the family line, held significant family documents, photos, mementos, military patches and insignia, and pieces of furniture, much of the contents of the home received some damage from smoke, heat, and water. 

Within a few hours after the fire had been extinguished, information professionals from the Missouri State University Libraries and the Springfield Research Center of the State Historical Society of Missouri were on-site, rescuing the information materials and minimizing the damage. Tracie Gieselman-France from Special Collections & Archives within the MSU Libraries and Haley Frizzle-Green from the State Historical Society undertook the prompt, painstaking work to mitigate damage to these primary source materials. Nearly all of the materials were saved with minimal damage. 

Congratulations to everyone involved in this rescue process.