Preserving the Collection: Disaster Planning, Response & Recovery

The Preservation Glossary, created by The Conservation Center for Art & Historic Artifacts (CCAHA) in partnership with Archives for Black Lives in Philadelphia, is a fantastic resource to have on hand. It is an illustrated guide to common types of damage you may see in your collection, and common materials used in storage and display, as well as for salvage.   Preservation Glossary: https://ccaha.org/sites/default/files/attachments/2022-05/Preservation%20Glossary%20-%20Full%20Final.pdf

Mold and pest infestations are problems that can occur suddenly, as a result of a major event such as flooding or a burst pipe, or slowly enough that a large portion of your collection may be affected before you notice. These two videos by the Western Australian Museum discuss mold, infestations, and some solutions for treating these situations, with a focus on freezing. Mould: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uC_xlCeNsS4 Freezing Objects: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JSFmC6-K5nA

While it is an older source, the Smithsonian Institution Staff Disaster Preparedness Procedures provides a great framework for how staff should protect themselves in a variety of situations. Preserving life is always a priority in a disaster. Once people are safe, then collections can be considered.   Smithsonian Institution Staff Disaster Preparedness Procedures (1993): https://www.archives.gov/preservation/emergency-prep/disaster-prep-procedures.html  

    Last Friday, TX-CERA held a wet salvage workshop at Texas A&M Univeristy. This hands-on workshop was the practical portion of a 7-week training course for our new and returning Texas Heritage Responders. Attendees got to put their class time to use, salvaging a variety of waterlogged materials in the morning, then brainstorming through several disaster scenarios in the afternoon. Thank you to everyone who participated. Texas heritage is in excellent hands!   We want to give a big thank you to our sponsors for helping to support the workshop and stock our amazing go-bags: FAIC, Abatix, Belfor, McCarthy Equip, The Projects Group, and Texas A&M University Libraries.  

While emergencies may take the situation out of your hands, a plan to monitor and control pests (integrated pest management, or IPM) can help prevent infestations. These videos by the Western Australian Museum and the Museum of the Rockies discuss simple steps that museums and archives can undertake to monitor pest activity. Museumpests.net remains a fantastic resource for identification and solutions to infestations.   Starting an IPM Program: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Op3MeGPNYpo   An IPM Success Story: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OsynX3IfmiQ