Primer on Disaster Preparedness

Dear Colleagues:

It is with the greatest pleasure that I present, on behalf of the Smithsonian Institution, Library of Congress, National Park Service and National Archives and Records Administration, "A Primer on Disaster Preparedness, Management, and Response: Paper- Based Materials." This publication, a unique cooperative effort among our institutions, will also be available in Spanish. The publication has been produced and distributed in commemoration of Arts and Humanities Month and Hispanic Heritage Month, October 1993.

During the past several years the United States has seen many natural and man-made disasters including major fires, hurricanes and floods. The contributors, all preservation or curatorial staff, developed the concept for this project in response to ongoing requests for information about disaster preparedness and recovery. In order to efficiently provide the public with useful information in a period of limited resources, they have com- pletely revised four basic references and combined them into one publication. These articles are free from any copying restric- tions and we encourage you to distribute them as widely as needed.

The compilers have expressed an interest in continued collabo- ration. I urge you to contact our Preservation Policy and Services Division (NNP), National Archives and Records Adminis- tration, Washington, DC, 20408, to suggest additional topics for consideration. You can also contact them via BITNET at X6A@NIHCU or via the Internet at xga@cu.nih.gov.

Sincerely,