NEW GUIDE HELPS CULTURAL INSTITUTIONS COPE WHEN DISASTER STRIKES

Multimedia Field Guide to Emergency Response published by Heritage Preservation

WASHINGTON, D.C.--Every year, hundreds of museums, libraries, archives, and historic sites across the country experience emergencies large and small. In most cases, staff and volunteers are unprepared. The new Field Guide to Emergency Response explains clearly and simply the steps to take in the first few hours of a disaster, enabling even those with no prior training to save collections without endangering themselves.

The Field Guide to Emergency Response distills the expertise of conservation professionals who have responded to disasters such as Hurricane Katrina and the recent flooding in the Northeast. Its interactive nature makes it unique. In addition to an easy-to-follow handbook, a companion DVD illustrates salvage techniques for typical problems like mud, mold, and soot. The DVD can be used on-site in a laptop or vehicle player, as well as for preparedness training. Also included are information panels that can be customized before disaster strikes, as well as helpful checklists such as a Disaster Supplies Shopping List organized by type of store.

“The Heritage Health Index found that 80 percent of cultural institutions lack an emergency plan with staff trained to carry it out,” said Heritage Preservation President Lawrence Reger. “The Field Guide to Emergency Response will help those institutions get through an emergency and then better prepare for the next one.”

The National Endowment for the Humanities funded the development of the Field Guide and the distribution of 5,000 free copies to nonprofit institutions in early August, before the peak of hurricane season. NEH Chairman Bruce Cole noted that small institutions in Gulf Coast states will be among the primary beneficiaries of the complimentary distribution. He added, “The Field Guide to Emergency Response is a significant and timely new tool for educators, archivists, and curators. Books, records, manuscripts, art, and cultural artifacts remain at risk from emergencies. For institutions with important collections, the Field Guide provides staff with information to protect treasures under their care.”

The Field Guide to Emergency Response follows Heritage Preservation’s successful Emergency Response and Salvage Wheel, which has become the gold standard for practical salvage advice for collections. The handy slide chart is found in more than 40 countries and has been translated into six languages. Both publications were produced in support of the Heritage Emergency National Task Force, which Heritage Preservation co-sponsors with the Federal Emergency Management Agency. To learn more, visit www.heritageemergency.org.

The Field Guide has already won fans among early reviewers: "Every museum administrator should have a Field Guide handy at all times," said Jack Nokes, Executive Director, Texas Association of Museums. Randy Silverman, Preservation Librarian, University of Utah Marriott Library, said, "This straightforward primer is an invaluable tool for emergency planners and responders, small collecting institutions, and the public. The Field Guide is a real life saver!"

The Field Guide is available for $29.95; it can be purchased with the Wheel for a special price of $34.95. Both are available at Heritage Preservation’s secure online Bookstore at www.heritagepreservation.org/catalog/ or by calling toll-free 888-388-6789.

The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) is an independent federal agency created in 1965. It is the largest funder of humanities programs in the United States. For more information, visit www.neh.gov.

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The Heritage Emergency National Task Force is a partnership of 40 government agencies and national service organizations formed in 1995. An initiative of Heritage Preservation and the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the Task Force has helped to protect cultural heritage from the damaging effects of natural disasters and other emergencies. Find valuable disaster resources at the Task Force Web site, www.heritageemergency.org.

For more than 30 years, Heritage Preservation has been the national, nonprofit advocate for the proper care of the objects and sites that embody our history and enrich our lives. Heritage Preservation partners with institutions, organizations, and concerned individuals who care about preserving our past.

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