DON’T PANIC! : AN ARCHIVIST’S GUIDE TO EMERGENCY RESPONSELessons from the Smithsonian Institution to apply to your collections

Small or large…

First floor interior, Gulfport-Harrison County Public Library, Gulfport Mississippi: 27 September 2005 ©AASLH Mississippi Team 1

Florence Flood of 1966

Photographs by David Lees

Florence Flood of 1966

Smithsonian Disasters

Photograph by Alexander Gardner http://sirismm.si.edu/siahistory/imagedb/mah-37082.jpg

Smithsonian Disasters

Numerous other emergencies have affected collections including: Fire Flood Theft Vandalism Building issues Storms

Museum Support Center, post August 23, 2011

Earthquakes

Smithsonian Libraries

What you do to prepare is the same as the Smithsonian Institution

Preparedness At Home (FEMA Emergency Preparedness Checklist http://www.fema.gov/pdf/library/epc.pdf)

Preparedness Elements of an Institutional Emergency Plan

Develop an emergency plan Prepare a disaster/emergency plan that covers people and collections

Call Your EmergencyManagement Officeor American Red CrossChapter; Do a Home Hazard Hunt

Perform a risk assessment with key institutional groups

Telephone numbers of local authorities; Radio for listening to emergency announcements

Have a communication plan

Evacuation Plan Prepare a first response action list that includes your emergency response team

Telephone numbers of friends, family members and other important contacts; Addresses locally and out of town

Organize emergency contact information for all staff (including volunteers and interns)

* Recovery issues

* Establish salvage priorities

Prepare a DisasterSupplies Kit; Prepare an Emergency Car Kit

Create collections disaster supply kits

* Understand your insurance coverage and funding options

* Establish collaborative relationships

* Train staff in response and recovery

Know what’s most important Always have a salvage priorities list prior

to an emergency THEN

Any material threatened with imminent damage or destruction

Wet material lying on floor or on the top shelves

Wet or damp material on lower shelves Wet or damp material on upper shelves

Wheaton College Fine Arts Library

Salvage Techniques for Books: Air Dry

Salvage Techniques for Books: Air Dry

Photographs courtesy Jessica Lapinsky

Salvage Techniques for Books: Freeze

Books will be heavy and will swell; mold growth is possible; cockling bleeding and staining will occur.

Salvage Techniques for Books: What to Expect

The Flood at Colorado State University

Salvage Techniques for Paper: Air Drying

Salvage Techniques for Paper: Freezing

Walk-In Freezer for emergencies, pest management, and collections storage, April 2011, Photo courtesy Nora Lockshin.

Salvage Techniques for Paper:What to Expect

Old mends may release Cockling, bleeding, staining Wet paper will be fragile – use

supports

Salvage Techniques for Photographs: Freeze and/or Air Dry

Salvage Techniques for Audio and Video Tapes, Magnetic Media, and Computer Discs

Rinse and Air DrySend to specialists in media recoveryKeep a back up of materials

Salvage Tips to Remember

Be Safe If you can, freeze to buy time Ask for help – have a contact list of conservators Objects will never look the same

Vacuum Freeze Dried folders and photographs, April 2011.

Disaster plan and recovery resources

American Institute for Conservation – Water Salvage tips and checklists American Library Association’s Disaster Response – An extensive

bibliography with information on all areas of disaster response, from vandalism to earthquakes.

Federal Emergency Management Agency Emergency Checklist - A straightforward planning guide for families and communities

Heritage Preservation’s Resources for Emergency Planning and Preparedness– Tools to help any institution plan and prepare for all types of emergencies.

Heritage Preservation’s Emergency Response and Salvage Wheel and Field Guide– A more comprehensive tool that complements the “Salvage at a Glance”poster

Mid-Atlantic Resource Guide for Disaster Preparedness– A comprehensive guide of vendors and resources for disasters in the mid-Atlantic, as well as useful information and links to regional centers for conservation nationwide.

The Western Association for Art Conservation’s “Salvage at a Glance” poster– A simple print guide providing handling, packing, and drying methods for different materials, by type.

Smithsonian Archives The Bigger Picture blog

Thank You!

SIA’s emergency response team

Jessica Lapinsky, summer fellow in emergency preparedness

Sarah Stauderman, Smithsonian Institution Archives