[PADG:1781] Disaster Mitigation for Cultural Collections

[CCAHA@xxxxxxxxx]

CCAHA?S DISASTER MITIGATION FOR CULTURAL COLLECTIONS
November 5-7, 2002

Chemical Heritage Foundation
315 Chestnut Street
Philadelphia, PA 19106

Collecting institutions have a responsibility to ensure that their collections are preserved for future generations.  The importance of this mission can sometimes get lost in the shuffle of day-to-day tasks.  However, an unanticipated disaster can quickly remind us how vulnerable these collections are to damage.

Disaster planning insures that institutions are prepared to respond quickly to emergencies.  Disaster mitigation, or the ability to identify risks and halt some emergencies from happening, should always play a key role in an institution's emergency preparedness and planning efforts.  In addition to large scale emergencies, institutions should also be aware of the danger to their collections from roof leaks, pest infestation, mold blooms, theft, and fire.  

The Conservation Center for Art and Historic Artifact's (CCAHA's) disaster mitigation workshop series will provide tools for assessing an institution's vulnerability to disaster; evaluating fire prevention, detection, 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.  They are appropriate for 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 will cover a significantly different topic applicable to most collecting institutions.  Individually, the workshops will provide valuable information; as a series, they will provide a framework for the development of effective and comprehensive disaster mitigation strategies.



WORKSHOPS' DESCRIPTIONS

Assessing Vulnerability and Identifying Risks
November 5, 2002
In this workshop, participants will learn how to conduct a vulnerability analysis and risk assessment 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.  A crisis communications expert will address public relations strategies for emergency situations.  Representatives from the Heritage Emergency National Task Force and Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) will present summaries of available resources and programs available to cultural institutions at the time of a disaster.

Speakers:
Julie Page, Preservation Librarian, University of California, San Diego
       and AIC/FAIC Emergency Response for Cultural Institutions Trainer
Dr. Michael Smith, Assistant Professor, Department of Communication, LaSalle University 


Fire Safety, Detection, and Suppression
November 6, 2002
Critical to the selection of an appropriate fire protection and suppression system is the assessment and analysis of the hazards and risks faced by an institution.  This workshop will focus on the need to review current fire protection procedures and systems in historic and cultural institutions.  The workshop will equip participants with the up-to-date information needed to make informed decisions about fire suppression systems.

Speakers:
Dr. Jack Watts, Director, Fire Safety Institute
Nicholas Artim, Director, Fire Safety Network


Understanding Health, Safety and Security Risks
November 7, 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).  Cultural institutions also face risks to their staff and collections if they do not have the proper security procedures and systems in place.  The workshop will provide participants with tools to evaluate their security risks.

Speakers:
Monona Rossol, President, Arts, Crafts, and Theater Safety, Inc. (ACTS)
Steven R. Keller, President, Steven R. Keller & Associates, Inc.



The Claneil Foundation, Independence Foundation, Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), The Pew Charitable Trusts, and The Philadelphia Cultural Fund have provided subsidies for these workshops. 

Co-sponsors are Chemical Heritage Foundation, Delaware Valley Archivists Group, Mid-Atlantic Association of Museums, Museum Council of Philadelphia and the Delaware Valley, PALINET, Philadelphia Area Consortium of Special Collections Libraries, and Tri-State Coalition of Historic Places.


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
  (Save $10.00):       $170.00			$140.00


Registrations must be postmarked October 25, 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 should be sent to CCAHA's Preservation Services Office, and must be postmarked by Monday, September 23, 2002.  Recipients will be notified by October 14, 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