Preserving the Collection: Disaster Planning, Response & Recovery

  We're approaching the end of National Preparedness Month. Have you prepared an emergency kit for yourself or your collection? Most of the materials that go in an emergency kit have a long use life, so it's never too early to set up your kits!   Suggestions for your personal emergency kit: https://www.ready.gov/kit https://www.weather.gov/owlie/emergencysupplieskit https://www.redcross.org/get-help/how-to-prepare-for-emergencies/survival-kit-supplies.html Suggestions for your collections emergency kits: https://connectingtocollections.org/collections-emergency-kits/ https://www.doi.gov/sites/doi.gov/files/migrated/museum/upload/DOI-Museum-Emergency-Salvage-Box-supply-list.pdf https://ccaha.org/resources/emergency-supply-kits

This guide by the Image Permanence Institute does a great job of briefly explaining how temperature, relative humidity, dew point, mechanical systems, and collections interact: https://s3.cad.rit.edu/ipi-assets/publications/hvac_reference.pdf

FEMA has released their National Resilience Guidance, which focuses on a collaborative, community-centered approach to strengthen resilience. Starting on September 24, 2024, they will be hosting a series of four webinars to address topics in the NRG. National Resilience Guidance: https://www.fema.gov/sites/default/files/documents/fema_national-resilience-guidance_august2024.pdf NRG synopsis and webinar information:  https://www.fema.gov/emergency-managers/national-preparedness/plan/resilience-guidance

September is National Preparedness Month on Ready.gov, where you will find information on all kinds of disasters, hazards, and how to prepare for them.  

The Performing Arts Readiness project has a great list of past and upcoming free webinars on various emergency preparedness topics: https://performingartsreadiness.org/webinars/

The Preservation Self-Assessment Program is an assessment tool with educational components developed to assist non-specialists in better understanding preservation of the materials in their care. The site contains both the assessment tool and a well-illustrated directory of material types, their description, and associated risks.

We all work with digital files in one form or another - it could be 3D scans of objects in a collection, a digitized book, periodic photographs, or records of documentation or administrative activities. Methods for storing these records are constantly improving these days, often faster than cultural institutions can keep up. The Digital Preservation and Outreach Education Network has a Digital Preservation Resource Guide full of great, free resources that offer guidance on a variety of digital preservation topics.   https://www.dpoe.network/digital-preservation-resource-guide/