[PADG:1203] CCAHA Disaster Mitigation Workshop Series

[CCAHA@xxxxxxxxx]

(Please excuse any cross-postings)


DISASTER MITIGATION FOR CULTURAL COLLECTIONS
May 14-16, 2001

The Society of the Cincinnati
Headquarters, Library and Museum
at Anderson House
2118 Massachusetts Avenue, N.W.
Washington, DC 20008  


Disaster mitigation should play a role in any institution's emergency preparedness and planning efforts.  Conservation Center for Art and Historic Artifacts (CCAHA)'s Disaster Mitigation Workshop Series is designed to help institutions reduce the probability of emergencies they can control, and limit the damage to collections that results from disasters they cannot control.  This series will provide tools for assessing an institution's vulnerability to disaster, evaluating fire prevention and suppression strategies, and assessing health and safety factors related to disaster.

The workshops are intended for staff who are involved in collections care activities or have responsibility for the safety of collections such as librarians, archivists, curators, collections managers, stewards of historic house museums, site and facilities managers, and security and safety staff. 

Although attending the entire series is not required, each workshop supports your institution's vulnerability assessment process and will strengthen its ability to minimize potential dangers to collections and staff.


WORKSHOPS' DESCRIPTIONS

Be Prepared... Conducting a Vulnerability Assessment
May 14, 2001
In this workshop, participants will learn how to conduct a vulnerability analysis and risk assessment so that they will be able to evaluate the types of emergencies that might affect their institution and its collections.  This evaluation will help the institution develop effective strategies to minimize the likelihood of a disaster.  The workshop speakers will also touch on the importance of business continuity for cultural institutions.  A crisis communications expert will address public relations strategies for emergency situations. 

Speakers:
Dr. Michael Trinkley, Chicora Foundation, Inc.
Dr. Michael Smith, Assistant Professor, Department of Communication, LaSalle University 


Be Prepared... Fire Protection and Suppression
May 15, 2001
Critical to the selection of an appropriate fire protection and suppression system is the assessment and analysis of the hazards and risks faced by a collection.  This workshop will focus on the need to review current fire protection procedures and systems in historic and cultural institutions.  The goal of the workshop will be to equip participants with up-to-date information to make informed decisions on fire prevention and suppression. 

Speakers:
J. Andrew Wilson, Assistant Director for Fire Protection and Safety, Smithsonian Institution
Nicholas Artim, Director, Fire Safety Network 


Be Prepared... Assessing Health and Safety Risks
May 16, 2001
This workshop will alert participants to the health and safety risks present at the time of an emergency, including air quality, fire safety, electrical hazards, structural instability, chemical and biological hazards (mold, lead, asbestos, contaminated water and soil), pests, and those hazards inherent in collections themselves (arsenic, formaldehyde).  The workshop will also address the psychological stresses faced by those in an emergency and the health and safety issues faced at the time of collection acquisition.

Speakers:
Monona Rossol, President, Arts, Crafts, and Theater Safety, Inc. (ACTS)
Pam Hackbart-Dean, Southern Labor Archivist, Georgia State University
Katherine K. Dibble, Director of Public Services, Boston Public Library


The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), The Pew Charitable Trusts, and the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) have provided subsidy for these workshops.  Co-sponsors are Chesapeake Information and Research Library Alliance (CIRLA); Federal Library and Information Center Committee, Library of Congress (FLICC); Mid-Atlantic Association of Museums (MAAM); the Society of the Cincinnati; Special Libraries Association-Washington, DC Chapter; and Washington Conservation Guild.

REGISTRATION FEE: 

                        Non-Member Fee   CCAHA/Co-Sponsor Member Fee                                                                 
1 workshop:        $ 60.00                                   $ 50.00
2 workshops:      $120.00                                  $100.00
All 3 workshops:  $170.00                                 $140.00
 (Save $10.00):	 

Registration Deadline is May 1, 2001.


STIPENDS:

Financial assistance of up to $900 will be made to defray travel, lodging, and registration costs for individuals who are interested in attending the entire series.  Consideration will be given to stipend requests for up to $300 (per workshop) for participation in one or two of the workshops, but preference will be given to participation in the entire series.

To be eligible, individuals must work with historic and cultural collections that are available to the public in non-profit institutions with total annual institutional operating budgets of $500,000 or less.  Applications from more than one person at an institution will be considered.

Applications for stipends must be postmarked no later than March 26, 2001.


For additional stipend information, workshop registration forms, and information about CCAHA, its programs, and services, please visit our website at http://www.ccaha.org 
or contact CCAHA's Preservation Services Office at 215.545.0613 or ccaha@xxxxxxxxx