Preserving the Collection: Disaster Planning, Response & Recovery

  How do drying techniques for book and paper compare? This project investigates 5 drying and 2 sterilization techniques on 18th to 20th century books, determining which techniques caused the least mechanical damage. https://cool.culturalheritage.org/coolaic/sg/bpg/annual/v26/bpga26-18.pdf

 How do paper conservators go about treating mold damage? The Northeast Document Conservation Center has an excellent blog post about the conservation of South Carolina’s constitutions. https://www.nedcc.org/about/nedcc-stories/sc2

  To our community in Texas and Louisiana, we hope you are safe. If you have any questions, the TX-CERA hotline is being monitored (669)237-2243 , and we have resources available online at txcera.org. Here are a couple of links to help get started: https://www.fema.gov/sites/default/files/2020-06/Flood_FIMA_Fact_Sheet_advice_salvaging.pdf?fbclid=IwAR1i5lz0kbnPScET7F-KbrczzuXCyc23F8boCs0ScmWt_-twy5daADoLSXE https://www.fema.gov/sites/default/files/2020-05/SalvagingFamilyValuables_sept2018.pdf?fbclid=IwAR2NO6j-I1G4tOgsgxMzJGq5qHlWhnuiYMTC2hnMCIVsJQ1Dy_xR98b52dE As you return to your institutions, remember that your safety comes first. Be sure to have PPE ready to wear and keep an eye out for pests that may have been brought in by flooding.

 Mold is a danger to collections and to people. Don’t forget to take care of yourself while you take care of your collections.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5nbAa0ekcXM

What challenges does your museum face in an emergency situation? Water? Fire? Preparing for a disaster by developing plan that any staff member can access and work through is a great way to get ahead of the stress emergencies bring. The Smithsonian Institution has collected some great links to get you started. https://culturalrescue.si.edu/hentf/resources/planning-preparedness-and-mitigation-resources/