Preserving the Collection: Disaster Planning, Response & Recovery

Does this week's damp weather have you thinking about mold? This Guide to Tackling Mould is a condensed version of current practices based on the Icon Care of Collections Group 2023 Annual General Meeting 2023: https://www.icon.org.uk/static/d044cccf-4380-48b0-bea6bdc9864b3b56/CCG-Mould-Factsheet.pdf

Taking care of your mental health is always important, especially during an emergency. While we usually only think of the initial impact of a disaster and the triage stage, a crisis may take months or years to resolve and for things to return to normal. This paper, "Managing Mental Health in Cultural Heritage Emergency Response: Occupational Safety and Operational Resilience" by Kennedy and Lockshin provides some background information and tips on how to manage and take care of yourself and others throughout the process: https://repository.si.edu/bitstream/handle/10088/117397/Nora%20Lockshin%20-%20Kennedy_Lockshin-Collections19_02-ManagingMentalHealth_rev_accepted_copy.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y

This lecture series, "Making the Most of Your Assessment", was originally offered in 2019 as a live course, and is now available for free on the AIC/FAIC website as free self-study material. The presenters discuss how to conduct a general preservation assessment, and how to use that assessment to work toward funding goals and creating a preservation plan for your collection. https://learning.culturalheritage.org/products/making-the-most-of-your-assessment#tab-product_tab_overview

This NPR article discusses the research of a group of scientists who studied the long-term effects of wildfire smoke with data from California between 2008-2018. It provides advice for people in high-risk groups, such as pregnant women, children, and people with chronic lung conditions. https://www.npr.org/sections/shots-health-news/2024/07/26/nx-s1-5049828/wildfire-smoke-health-risks-safety-air-quality-index

When temperatures drop, some pests, like rodents, may try to find a way into your nice, warm building, and the effects may not be noticeable right away. Monitoring for pest activity is essential, and if you find yourself in the middle of an infestation, be sure to hire a reputable pest control professional. Museumpests.net has a great page of resources: https://museumpests.net/mice-and-rats/

The 1966 flood of the Arno River had a devastating effect on the city of Florence and its people. It also had a huge and lasting effect on the field of conservation, and on disaster planning and recovery. In 2015, the University of Michigan held a symposium to mark the 50th anniversary of the event, and the proceedings are were published and are currently available to read for free online at the link below. We would like to call particular attention to the section titled "Theme Panel: Disaster Preparedness and Response" which provides an interesting look at the effect of the flood on the development of emergency response. Flood in Florence, 1966: A Fifty-Year Retrospective - https://www.fulcrum.org/concern/monographs/08612q99n

In November 1966, the Arno River flooded, and had a disastrous effect on the city of Florence and its population. Books, paintings, and other significant objects were buried in mud and water for days. The disaster and recovery garnered international support, and had a huge effect on the development of emergency response and the field of conservation in general. Next week, we'll discuss the long-term impact of the flood. Today, we're sharing two videos, one from 1968 about the immediate aftermath of the flood and the process to salvage books and documents; the second video is from 2023, more than 50 years after the event, about the conservation of a specific painting. PBS News Hour: Saving Art After The Florence Flood Arno River 1966 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=81XkmmRquhM University of Utah, J. Willard Marriott Library. The Restoration of Books: Florence, 1968, a film by Roger Hill - https://stream.lib.utah.edu/index.php?c=details&id=284