[PADG:1613] CCAHA Disaster Mitigation Series

[CCAHA@xxxxxxxxx]

DISASTER MITIGATION FOR CULTURAL COLLECTIONS
June 25 - 27, 2002

The New York Genealogical & Biographical Society
122 East 58th Street
New York, NY  10022-1939

In response to the events of September 11, many cultural institutions are assessing their ability to respond to an emergency.  In addition to large scale emergencies, institutions should also be prepared to respond to the danger to their collections from roof leaks, pest infestation, mold blooms, theft, and fire.  Disaster mitigation should play a role in any institution's emergency preparedness and planning efforts.

The Conservation Center for Art and Historic Artifacts (CCAHA)'s Disaster Mitigation Workshop Series is designed to help institutions reduce the probability of emergencies they can control, and limit the damage to collections that results from disasters they cannot control.  This series will provide tools for assessing an institution's vulnerability to disaster, evaluating fire prevention and suppression strategies, determining security risks, and assessing health and safety factors related to disaster.

The workshops are intended for staff who are involved in collections care activities or have responsibility for the safety of collections such as librarians, archivists, curators, collections managers, stewards of historic house museums, site and facilities managers, and security and safety staff. 

Although attending the entire series is not required, each workshop supports your institution's vulnerability assessment process and will strengthen its ability to minimize potential dangers to collections and staff.


WORKSHOPS' DESCRIPTIONS

Be Prepared... Conducting a Vulnerability Assessment
June 25, 2002
In this workshop, participants will learn how to conduct a vulnerability analysis and risk assessment so that they will be able to evaluate the types of emergencies that might affect their institution and its collections.  This evaluation will help institutions develop effective strategies to minimize the likelihood of a disaster.  The workshop speakers will also touch on the importance of business continuity for cultural institutions.  A crisis communications expert will address public relations strategies for emergency situations.  Summaries of local and national responses to September 11 as they relate to emergency planing will be also be presented.

Speakers:
Jane Long, Director, Heritage Emergency National Task Force
Dale Gregory, Co-Chair, Museum, Library & Cultural Properties Facility Group of Greater New York City
Dr. Michael Trinkley, Chicora Foundation, Inc.
Dr. Michael Smith, Assistant Professor, Department of Communication, LaSalle University 


Be Prepared... Assessing Health and Safety Risks
June 26, 2002
This workshop will alert participants to the health and safety risks present at the time of an emergency, including air quality, fire safety, electrical hazards, structural instability, chemical and biological hazards (mold, lead, asbestos, contaminated water and soil), pests, and those hazards inherent in collections themselves (arsenic, formaldehyde).  The workshop will also address the psychological stresses faced by those in an emergency and the health and safety issues faced at the time of collection acquisition through presentations by professionals in the library and archives fields.

Speakers:
Monona Rossol, President, Arts, Crafts, and Theater Safety, Inc. (ACTS)
Pam Hackbart-Dean, Southern Labor Archivist, Georgia State University
Katherine K. Dibble, Director of Public Services, Boston Public Library


Be Prepared... Mitigating Fire and Security Risks
June 27, 2002
Critical to the selection of an appropriate fire protection and suppression system, and/or security system is the assessment and analysis of the hazards and risks faced by a collection.  This workshop will focus on the need to review current fire protection and security procedures and systems in historic and cultural institutions.  Another goal of the workshop will be to equip participants with up-to-date information to make informed decisions on fire suppression systems. 

Speakers:
Dr. Jack Watts, Director, Fire Safety Institute
Steven R. Keller, President, Steven R. Keller & Associates, Inc.


The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), and Pew Charitable Trusts provided subsidy for these workshops.  Co-sponsors are Archivists Roundtable of Metropolitan New York, Museum Association of New York, New York Library Club, and Special Libraries Association, New York Chapter.


REGISTRATION FEE: 

                      Non-Member Fee:	CCAHA/Co-Sponsor Member Fee:
1 workshop:	             $ 60.00			$ 50.00
2 workshops:	       $120.00			$100.00
All 3 workshops:	       $170.00			$140.00


Registrations must be postmarked June 14, 2002.


STIPENDS:

Financial assistance of up to $900 will be made to defray travel, lodging, and registration costs for individuals who are interested in attending the entire series.  Consideration will be given to stipend requests for up to $300 (per workshop) for participation in one or two of the workshops, but preference will be given to participation in the entire series.

To be eligible, individuals must work with historic and cultural collections that are available to the public in non-profit institutions with total annual institutional operating budgets of $500,000 or less.  Applications from more than one person at an institution will be considered.

Applications for stipends must be postmarked no later than Friday, May 17, 2002.


For additional stipend information, workshop registration forms, information about CCAHA and its programs and services, please visit our Web site at http://www.ccaha.org 
or contact CCAHA's Preservation Services Office at 215.545.0613 or ccaha@xxxxxxxxx