Preserving the Collection: Disaster Planning, Response & Recovery

  Mark your calendars for for October 26-27! There will be a two-day workshop to introduce participants to disaster planning and response techniques in emergency situations. Guest speakers will share how to protect, preserve, and handle art and cultural artifacts in different scenarios, and how to connect to a larger network of emergency management professionals.    Register at: txcera.org/events  

  FAIC's Connecting to Collections Care has recently hosted a trio of very interesting webinars featuring heavy metals in collections - how to identify potential dangers and protect yourself, staff, and visitors.   Care of Tin-Mecury Amalgam Mirrors with presenter Marie Desrochers (July 19, 2023): https://connectingtocollections.org/care_of_tin_mercury_amalgam_mirrors/   Arsenic in Collections with presenter Fran Ritchie (Sept. 6, 2023): https://connectingtocollections.org/arsenic_in_collections/   The Poison Book Project with presenter Dr. Melissa Tedone (Sept. 20, 2023): https://connectingtocollections.org/poison_book_project/

  If you missed our recent webinar, Managing the Mustiness: Mold Control and Collection Emergency Response, featuring Tara Kennedy, you can view it here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1LiWDsaLq9_4PIDQXKVSC9mt2Sv_Ssq-E/view (slides: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1O8Q-i4t4VilwCq5EupcrdXdrgvS5Najt/view )

  Are you familiar with Conserve-o-Grams? These short, focused leaflets published by the National Parks Service focus on preservation, handling, maintenance, and salvage. With just a few pages per topic, they are a fantastic reference for professionals and interested individuals to educate themselves on a variety of preservation topics.   https://www.nps.gov/museum/publications/conserveogram/cons_toc.html#collectionpreservation

Most cultural institutions will have digital records; some may even have digital copies of flat and 3D objects. While it is good practice to have digital records, few methods of storing digital materials can stand the test of time, especially if they are subject to a natural disaster; and there are other dangers unique to digital records. This webinar by ICCROM discusses the dangers and best practices for digital records. Understanding Disaster Risk for Digital Heritage: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tXkK_kciD50&list=PL51-ykGYit26oBNXeUV8fK_uBsZkXLC83&index=31