Preserving the Collection: Disaster Planning, Response & Recovery

What is the risk of fire to heritage sites? What are the main causes? What can be done to mitigate the risk of fire? This webinar by ICCROM provides data about fire around the world and practical mitigation strategies.   Heritage and Pandemics: My museum is on fire!: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F7B3dvswfns&t=693s

  Climate change is a slow, but looming threat over collections. As the climate changes, so too do the dangers that can affect a collection. This article analyzes the Ithaka S+R’s 2022 Art Museum Director Survey to understand the current experience.  https://sr.ithaka.org/publications/how-have-art-museums-been-impacted-by-climate-change/  

How does climate change affect cultural institutions, and what can be done to prepare? PROTECCT-GLAM (Providing Risk of The Environment’s Changing Climate Threats for Galleries, Libraries, Archives & Museums), funded by IMLS in 2023 for a three year project, seeks to answer these questions by combining the expertise of varying fields. News release: https://www.lsu.edu/mediacenter/news/2023/01/climate-change-impacts-museums-galleries.php Project website: https://www.edbenoit.com/protecct-glam  

  Don't forget to register for our next webinar, Managing the Mustiness: Mold Control and Collections Emergency Response, by Tara Kennedy. It will be held Tuesday, August 15 at 3:30 CST. Registration is required, but free.    Event details and registration link: https://www.txcera.org/

  Many of these wildfire resources compiled by NEDCC staff and a Train-the-Trainer cohort are aimed at institutions in or near California, but there are many links that can be beneficial to any individual or institution with a fire-damaged collection - particularly the sections on health and human safety, and collections recovery. https://public-media.secure.si.edu/filer/41/aa/41aa0e72-5b93-440e-bd08-77c1f6353208/2021-wildfire-resources.pdf

  In June 2021, TX-CERA and the Texas Heritage Commission partnered to present two webinars on obtaining insurance and filing a claim. These two webinars, along with many other excellent webinars on emergency situations for cultural heritage facilities, are hosted on the THC website: https://www.thc.texas.gov/preserve/projects-and-programs/museum-services/webinars Disaster Planning: Obtaining Insurance and Managing Risk ( https://register.gotowebinar.com/recording/577742099056822019 ) Disaster Response: Insurance Claims and Collections Recovery ( https://register.gotowebinar.com/recording/7390431593632665872 )

  It's always good to look at success stories. This publication by ICCROM, "Success Stories from the Alliance for Cultural First Aid, Peace and Resilience Project", is a collection of the results from programs aimed at protecting, preserving, and providing first aid to cultural heritage in at-risk areas. https://www.iccrom.org/sites/default/files/publications/2022-12/en_03_asoc3_far_interactive_version_iccrom_2022_web_compressed.pdf