Disaster Preparedness Planning
Knowing how to prepare and best respond to an emergency situation is key for proper collections care. Water damage due to flooding and severe weather, fire, and earthquakes all pose potential risk to buildings and collections. Below is a list of organizations that provide valuable assistance and on-line resources for disaster planning and response.
The American Institute for Conservation: Caring For Your Treasures
http://www.conservation-us.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=Page.ViewPage&PageID=497
AIC's Caring For Your Treasures organizes its conservation brochures by object type and provides disaster assistance and disaster planning tips for a wide range of objects and materials.
Conservation Center for Art and Historic Artifacts: Disaster Assistance
http://www.ccaha.org/services/disaster-assistance
CCAHA's website includes a downloadable pdf version of the "Mid-Atlantic Resource Guide for Disaster Preparedness," a valuable resource for any house museum or historic site. The site also includes on-line Technical Bulletins devoted to disaster recovery.
CoOL: Disaster Preparedness and Response
http://palimpsest.stanford.edu/bytopic/disasters/
CoOL offers an extensive list of resources on preparedness and recovery strategies from organizations across the country, disaster plans, case studies, documents, tips and bibliographical references.
Council of State Archives' Emergency Preparedness Initiative: Pocket Response Plan (PReP)
http://www.statearchivists.org/prepare/framework/prep.htm
PReP is a template created by the Council of State Archives to help organizations prepare for potential disaster situations. Follow the website's Guide for Implementing the Framework for Emergency Response to get started creating an emergency plan for your institution.
dPlan: The Online Disaster Planning Tool
www.dplan.org
dPlan is an on-line template prepared by the Northeast Document Conservation Center and the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners to help organizations create an effective disaster prevention and response plan.
FEMA: Saving Photographs After the Flood
http://www.fema.gov/hazard/flood/spixs.shtm
FEMA's website offers tips on the preservation of water-damaged photographs.
The Heritage Emergency National Task Force
http://www.heritagepreservation.org/PROGRAMS/TASKFER.HTM
The Heritage Emergency National Task Force website includes tips, instructions and links for emergency preservation resources.
Image Permanence Institute: A Consumer Guide for the Recovery of Water-Damaged Traditional and Digital Prints
http://www.imagepermanenceinstitute.org/shtml_sub/waterdamage.pdf
The Image Permanence Institute's A Consumer Guide for the Recovery of Water-Damaged Traditional and Digital Prints is an excellent resource for anyone needing assistance in print preservation.
Library of Congress: Emergency Drying Procedures for Water Damaged Collections
http://www.loc.gov/preserv/emerg/dry.html
The Library of Congress provides preservation procedures for collections exposed to water-damage.
LYRASIS: Disaster Assistance
http://www.lyrasis.org/Preservation/Disaster%20Resources/Disaster%20Assistance.aspx
The LYRASIS website includes an emergency response checklist, disaster recovery resources and disaster planning and prevention information.
The Minnesota Historical Society: Emergency Response
http://www.mnhs.org/preserve/conservation/emergency.html
The Minnesota Historical Society website includes links to pdf documents regarding emergency salvage procedures for a variety of object types and materials. The website also includes a disaster salvage tip sheet, a re-entry check list, an emergency call list form, an initial situation report, and an emergency preparedness plan.
The Northeast Document Conservation Center: Disaster Assistance Resources
http://www.nedcc.org/services/disaster.php
NEDCC offers disaster assistance, resources and tools for institutions with damaged paper-based collections.
National Park Service: Primer on Preparedness, Management and Response
http://www.nps.gov/history/museum/publications/primer/primintro.html
NPS's website provides guidance for planning and salvaging damaged paper objects.
NPS: Conserve-O-Grams
http://www.nps.gov/history/museum/publications/conserveogram/cons_toc.html
The National Park Service's Conserve-O-Grams are downloadable leaflets that touch upon various aspects of collection care.
The National Trust for Historic Preservation: Gulf Coast Recovery
http://www.preservationnation.org/issues/gulf-coast-recovery/
The National Trust provides an on-line forum for issues regarding post-Katrina hurricane recovery in the Gulf Coast. The website includes resources for homeowners, current events and news, recovery success stories, and a blog devoted to New Orleans.
The National Trust for Historic Preservation: Disaster Preparedness Publications
http://www.preservationbooks.org/Bookstore.asp?category_id=3
The National Trust also publishes books regarding disaster preparedness, which can be purchased through their website. Topics include earthquake-hazard reduction, fire safety, and flood damage.
Southeastern Library Network (SOLINET): Disaster Assistance
http://www.solinet.net/Preservation/Disaster%20Resources/Disaster%20Assistance.aspx
SOLINET's website includes an emergency response checklist, disaster recovery resources, and disaster planning and prevention information.
Syracuse University's Master of Science in Library and Information Science program - "How Libraries Can Prepare for Natural Disasters and Preserve History"
https://onlinegrad.syracuse.edu/blog/emergency-preparedness/
This resource discusses the roles libraries play in community historic preservation with statistics on the sources of damage to collections at cultural institutions. It also outlines steps librarians and individuals should take to prepare for disasters and provides a list of external recovery resources.
The American Institute for Conservation: Caring For Your Treasures
http://www.conservation-us.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=Page.ViewPage&PageID=497
AIC's Caring For Your Treasures organizes its conservation brochures by object type and provides disaster assistance and disaster planning tips for a wide range of objects and materials.
Conservation Center for Art and Historic Artifacts: Disaster Assistance
http://www.ccaha.org/services/disaster-assistance
CCAHA's website includes a downloadable pdf version of the "Mid-Atlantic Resource Guide for Disaster Preparedness," a valuable resource for any house museum or historic site. The site also includes on-line Technical Bulletins devoted to disaster recovery.
CoOL: Disaster Preparedness and Response
http://palimpsest.stanford.edu/bytopic/disasters/
CoOL offers an extensive list of resources on preparedness and recovery strategies from organizations across the country, disaster plans, case studies, documents, tips and bibliographical references.
Council of State Archives' Emergency Preparedness Initiative: Pocket Response Plan (PReP)
http://www.statearchivists.org/prepare/framework/prep.htm
PReP is a template created by the Council of State Archives to help organizations prepare for potential disaster situations. Follow the website's Guide for Implementing the Framework for Emergency Response to get started creating an emergency plan for your institution.
dPlan: The Online Disaster Planning Tool
www.dplan.org
dPlan is an on-line template prepared by the Northeast Document Conservation Center and the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners to help organizations create an effective disaster prevention and response plan.
FEMA: Saving Photographs After the Flood
http://www.fema.gov/hazard/flood/spixs.shtm
FEMA's website offers tips on the preservation of water-damaged photographs.
The Heritage Emergency National Task Force
http://www.heritagepreservation.org/PROGRAMS/TASKFER.HTM
The Heritage Emergency National Task Force website includes tips, instructions and links for emergency preservation resources.
Image Permanence Institute: A Consumer Guide for the Recovery of Water-Damaged Traditional and Digital Prints
http://www.imagepermanenceinstitute.org/shtml_sub/waterdamage.pdf
The Image Permanence Institute's A Consumer Guide for the Recovery of Water-Damaged Traditional and Digital Prints is an excellent resource for anyone needing assistance in print preservation.
Library of Congress: Emergency Drying Procedures for Water Damaged Collections
http://www.loc.gov/preserv/emerg/dry.html
The Library of Congress provides preservation procedures for collections exposed to water-damage.
LYRASIS: Disaster Assistance
http://www.lyrasis.org/Preservation/Disaster%20Resources/Disaster%20Assistance.aspx
The LYRASIS website includes an emergency response checklist, disaster recovery resources and disaster planning and prevention information.
The Minnesota Historical Society: Emergency Response
http://www.mnhs.org/preserve/conservation/emergency.html
The Minnesota Historical Society website includes links to pdf documents regarding emergency salvage procedures for a variety of object types and materials. The website also includes a disaster salvage tip sheet, a re-entry check list, an emergency call list form, an initial situation report, and an emergency preparedness plan.
The Northeast Document Conservation Center: Disaster Assistance Resources
http://www.nedcc.org/services/disaster.php
NEDCC offers disaster assistance, resources and tools for institutions with damaged paper-based collections.
National Park Service: Primer on Preparedness, Management and Response
http://www.nps.gov/history/museum/publications/primer/primintro.html
NPS's website provides guidance for planning and salvaging damaged paper objects.
NPS: Conserve-O-Grams
http://www.nps.gov/history/museum/publications/conserveogram/cons_toc.html
The National Park Service's Conserve-O-Grams are downloadable leaflets that touch upon various aspects of collection care.
The National Trust for Historic Preservation: Gulf Coast Recovery
http://www.preservationnation.org/issues/gulf-coast-recovery/
The National Trust provides an on-line forum for issues regarding post-Katrina hurricane recovery in the Gulf Coast. The website includes resources for homeowners, current events and news, recovery success stories, and a blog devoted to New Orleans.
The National Trust for Historic Preservation: Disaster Preparedness Publications
http://www.preservationbooks.org/Bookstore.asp?category_id=3
The National Trust also publishes books regarding disaster preparedness, which can be purchased through their website. Topics include earthquake-hazard reduction, fire safety, and flood damage.
Southeastern Library Network (SOLINET): Disaster Assistance
http://www.solinet.net/Preservation/Disaster%20Resources/Disaster%20Assistance.aspx
SOLINET's website includes an emergency response checklist, disaster recovery resources, and disaster planning and prevention information.
Syracuse University's Master of Science in Library and Information Science program - "How Libraries Can Prepare for Natural Disasters and Preserve History"
https://onlinegrad.syracuse.edu/blog/emergency-preparedness/
This resource discusses the roles libraries play in community historic preservation with statistics on the sources of damage to collections at cultural institutions. It also outlines steps librarians and individuals should take to prepare for disasters and provides a list of external recovery resources.
Saving Your Family Treasures after Superstorm Sandy
Thank you to our colleagues in Connecticut for sharing these excellent recommendations with us!