After spending a few days in New Orleans for NACo’s Annual Conference in July, just days after the country celebrated its 250th anniversary, we were reminded of Kofile’s deep connection to a city that has become synonymous with resilience.
Nearly two decades after Hurricane Katrina, the lasting impact of the storm is still felt across the region. Among the many devastating losses were irreplaceable public records and archival collections, including damage sustained by the Orleans Parish archives. Those events became an important catalyst for one of Kofile’s most innovative preservation solutions: the Disaster Safe Binder® (DSB).
In the aftermath of Katrina, archivists and records custodians faced unprecedented challenges. Extended power outages, extreme humidity, and widespread mold growth created conditions that threatened records documenting the history, property rights, and civic memory of entire communities. Prolonged periods of 100% relative humidity and weeks without electricity contributed significantly to the damage. Those hard-earned lessons inspired a new approach to records protection.
Kofile responded by developing the Disaster Safe Binder (“DSB”), a patented preservation technology designed to function as a portable vault for records of enduring value. Engineered to help protect documents from water, fire, humidity, atmospheric pollutants, ultraviolet light, impact, and other environmental threats, the DSB was created specifically to address vulnerabilities exposed by real-world disaster scenarios and daily elements.
The DSB reflects a broader tradition of innovation at Kofile. Our company history combines more than a century of preservation craftsmanship with a commitment to developing practical solutions for modern records challenges. The Disaster-Safe Document Binder patent, issued in 2018, stands as a tangible example of how Kofile transforms lessons learned in the field into technologies that help government agencies better protect the records entrusted to their care.
The DSB represents more than a product; it represents preparedness, resilience, and stewardship. It demonstrates how preserving history requires more than storing records; it requires anticipating risks, learning from the past, and investing in innovative solutions before disaster strikes.
The story of the DSB is ultimately an #AmericaPreserves parable about protecting documentary heritage, ensuring that when future challenges arise, the records that tell our collective story remain safe, accessible, and preserved for generations to come.
