1 April 2012 |
Contact: Jenny Wiley |
PREPARE FOR MAYDAY 2012
Cultural institutions take simple
steps to prepare for emergencies
WASHINGTON, DC—Libraries, museums, archives, historical societies, and preservation organizations across the country will set aside May 1, 2012, to participate in MayDay, a national effort to prepare for disasters.
Promoted by Heritage Preservation and other members of the Heritage Emergency National Task Force, MayDay encourages cultural organizations to take one simple step to protect the art, artifacts, records, books, and historic sites they hold in trust.
Any organization can participate in MayDay. Last year, staff at the Newport Restoration Foundation in Newport, Rhode Island, hosted a dialog between 50 keepers of cultural resources that focused on emergency preparedness. In Texas, the Wolf Creek Heritage Museum instructed museum staff and volunteers on how to operate their fire extinguishers.
Heritage Preservation is collecting examples of creative but practical measures like these to share online. Any cultural institution submitting a brief description of 2012 MayDay plans or accomplishments by May 31, 2012, will be entered in a drawing for disaster supplies donated by Gaylord Brothers.
Heritage Preservation will also offer its award-winning Field Guide to Emergency Response and Emergency Response and Salvage Wheel at special MayDay prices from April 1 through May 31. Visit the MayDay Web site to access the sale publications, project ideas, information on prizes, and the MayDay logo.
Activities hosted by Heritage Preservation for MayDay 2012 are sponsored by Rapid Refile, offering document recovery and emergency planning services throughout the nation.
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The Society of American Archivists (SAA) created the MayDay initiative in 2006 and promoted the idea to its members and allied organizations. The following year, the Heritage Emergency National Task Force and SAA expanded the concept to include all kinds of collecting institutions and historic preservation interests. www.archivists.org
The Heritage Emergency National Task Force is making disaster preparedness and response a higher priority for cultural heritage organizations across the country. The Task Force—an initiative of Heritage Preservation and the Federal Emergency Management Agency—is a partnership of 41 national service organizations and government agencies. www.heritageemergency.org
Heritage Preservation is a national non-profit organization dedicated to preserving the cultural heritage of the United States. By identifying risks, developing innovative programs, and providing broad public access to expert advice, Heritage Preservation assists museums, libraries, archives, historic preservation and other organizations, as well as individuals, in caring for our endangered heritage. www.heritagepreservation.org
