Disaster Planning Management

Everyone hopes a disaster will not strike their organization, but if it does preparedness can mean all the difference in the world in protecting human health and safety and salvaging beloved objects. 

Though situations rarely go according to plan, familiarizing yourself, colleagues, and volunteers with appropriate responses can help mentally prepare everyone and prevent panic and fear from interfering with your organization’s response. 

Developing a Disaster Plan, Emergency Preparedness & Management

• American Alliance of Museums: Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Response Plan
• American Institute for Conservation of Historic & Artistic Works (AIC)
  • “Disaster Response & Recovery Guides”
  • “Field Guide to Emergency Response”
• Connecting to Collections, Florida Museum Association: “Emergency Supplies and Equipment”
• Conservation Center for Art and Historic Artifacts: “Emergency Planning”
• Library of Congress
  • “Disaster Planning References”
  • “Emergency Management”
• National Park Service
  • “An Emergency Cart For Salvaging Water-Damaged Objects”
  • “Be Prepared: Develop a Museum Emergency Operations Plan”
  • Museum Handbook: Chapter 10 – “Emergency Planning”
  • “Museum Staff Emergency Procedures: A Sample Emergency ‘Flip Chart’”
  • “Museum Staff Emergency Procedures: A Sample Emergency Telephone List”
• Northeast Document Conservation Center
  • “dPlan™: Online Disaster Planning Tool”
  • “Emergency Preparedness”
  • “Preservation Leaflets”
• State Historical Society of Iowa: “Disaster Planning Basics” (Questions to consider when creating your plan, tips for communication and documentation, and sample forms.)

Health and Safety Issues

• American Industrial Hygiene Association: Health and Safety Issues in Natural Disasters
• National Park Service: “Health and Safety Hazards Arising From Floods”
• National Park Service: “Hazardous Materials in your Collection”

Response and Salvage

• American Institute for Conservation of Historic & Artistic Works (AIC): Emergency Response & Salvage Wheel
• Conservation Center for Art & Historic Artifacts
  • “Disaster Recovery: Salvaging Art on Paper”
  • “Disaster Recovery: Salvaging Books”
  • “Disaster Recovery: Salvaging Photograph Collections”
• Iowa Conservation and Preservation Consortium (ICPC): Iowa Museums, Archives, and Libraries Emergency Response Team (IMALERT)
• Library of Congress: “What to do if Your Collections Get Wet”
• National Archives: “Salvage Guidelines”
• National Park Service:
  • “Salvage At A Glance, Part I: Paper Based Collections”
  • “Salvage At A Glance, Part II: Non-Paper Based Archival Collections”
  • “Salvage At A Glance Part III: Object Collections”
  • “Salvage At A Glance Part IV: Natural History Collections”
  • “Salvage At A Glance Part V: Textiles”
  • “Salvage Of Water-Damaged Collections: Salvage At A Glance”
• International Centre for the Study of Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property: “Emergency Evacuation of Cultural Heritage”
• Western Association for Art Conservation: “Salvage at a Glance,” includes information on salvaging a variety of artifact types.

Funding Assistance

• National Endowment for the Humanities Grants
  • “Preservation Assistance Grants for Smaller Institutions”
  • “Preservation and Access Education and Training”