Preserving the Collection: Disaster Planning, Response & Recovery

What should you do when you're faced with a serious weather event? This page provided by the Texas Historical Commission provides great general advice and resources for institutions and individuals. https://www.thc.texas.gov/public/upload/preserve/museums/files/Be_Prepared_for_a_hurricane.pdf

This video by the National Collections Program provides a great comparison of different long-term drying methods that can be used when a collection gets wet.They do this both by looking at a study of drying methods as well as using case studies.   https://video.ibm.com/playlist/660167/video/132362997

  Good references with easy-to-follow instructions and pictures are a great resource to have on hand in an emergency situation, whether you've had to salvage a collection before, or you're new to the situation. The Emergency Response & Salvage Wheel and the Field Guide to Emergency Response are great purchases for personal use or to keep in your building's salvage kit. In addition, AIC/FAIC have a list of supplementary sources and videos for the Field Guide.   Salvage wheel: https://store.culturalheritage.org/site/index.php?app=ecom&ns=prodshow&ref=FAIC-1   Field Guide: https://store.culturalheritage.org/site/index.php?app=ecom&ns=prodshow&ref=FAIC-2   Field Guide supplements: https://www.culturalheritage.org/resources/emergencies/disaster-response-recovery/fieldguide

This paper by Katherine Petersen draws on established models for disaster preparedness and recovery, as well as input from Texas museum professionals to make recommendations for Texas institutions. https://digital.library.txstate.edu/bitstream/handle/10877/3554/fulltext.pdf

  We're at the beginning of hurricane season, so it's a great time to make sure you're prepared. The National Weather Service has fantastic resources to help you prepare for stormy weather and keep you safe. https://www.weather.gov/safety/hurricane-plan