[PADG:2315] Disaster Mitigation Workshops in San Francisco

["ccaha" <ccaha@xxxxxxxxx>]

CCAHA'S WORKSHOP SERIES
"DISASTER MITIGATION FOR CULTURAL COLLECTIONS"
April 19-21, 2004
San Francisco, CA

Collecting institutions have a responsibility to ensure that their collections are preserved for future generations.  The importance of this mission can sometimes get lost in the shuffle of day-to-day tasks.  However, an unanticipated disaster can quickly remind us how vulnerable these collections are to damage.

Disaster planning prepares institutions to respond quickly to emergencies.  Disaster mitigation, or the ability to identify risks and halt some emergencies from happening, should always play a key role in an institution's emergency preparedness and planning effort.  In addition to large-scale emergencies, institutions should also be aware of the danger to their collections from roof leaks, pest infestation, mold blooms, theft, and fire.  

The Conservation Center for Art and Historic Artifact's disaster mitigation workshop series will provide tools for assessing an institution's vulnerability to disaster; evaluating fire prevention, detection, and suppression strategies; determining security risks; 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.  They are appropriate for librarians, archivists, curators, collections managers, stewards of historic house museums, site and facilities managers, and security and safety staff.

Each workshop will cover a significantly different topic applicable to most collecting institutions.  Individually, the workshops will provide valuable information, but the full value of the series will be best obtained by attending all three workshops.  Through their examination of key issues, these workshops work together to offer a framework for the development of effective and comprehensive disaster mitigation strategies.

The National Endowment for the Humanities and the California Preservation Program have provided subsidies for this workshop.  The sponsors of this series are the Conservation Center for Art and Historic Artifacts (CCAHA) and the California Preservation Program (CPP).  



WORKSHOPS' DESCRIPTIONS

Assessing Vulnerability and Identifying Risks
Monday, April 19, 2004
In this workshop, participants will learn how to conduct a vulnerability analysis and risk assessment to evaluate the types of emergencies that might affect their institution and its collections.  This evaluation will help institutions develop effective strategies to minimize the likelihood of a disaster.  A crisis communications expert will address public relations strategies for emergency situations.  
Speakers:
Julie Page, Preservation Librarian, University of California, San Diego and AIC/FAIC Emergency Response for Cultural Institutions Trainer
Dr. Michael Smith, Assistant Professor, Department of Communication, LaSalle University 


Fire Safety, Detection, and Suppression
Tuesday, April 20, 2004
The assessment and analysis of the hazards and risks faced by an institution are critical to the selection of an appropriate fire protection and suppression system.  This workshop will focus on the need to review current fire protection procedures and systems in historic and cultural institutions.  The workshop will equip participants with the up-to-date information needed to make informed decisions about fire suppression systems.

Speakers:
Dr. Jack Watts, Director, Fire Safety Institute
Nicholas Artim, Director, Fire Safety Network


Understanding Health, Safety and Security Risks
Wednesday, April 21, 2004
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).  Cultural institutions also face risks to their staff and collections if they do not have the proper security procedures and systems in place.  The workshop will provide participants with tools to evaluate their security risks.

Speakers:
Monona Rossol, President, Arts, Crafts, and Theater Safety, Inc. (ACTS)
Wilbur C. Faulk, Executive Vice President, Cultural Property Protection Division, Contemporary Services Corporation 


Workshops Time & Location: 

8:30 A.M. Registration and Coffee 
9:00 A.M. - 4:30 P.M. Workshop 

San Francisco Museum of Modern Art
Wattis Theater
151 Third Street
(between Mission and Howard Street)
San Francisco, CA
http://www.sfmoma.org 


REGISTRATION FEE: 

1 workshop:         $ 90.00
2 workshops:        $170.00
All 3 workshops     $240.00


Registrations must be postmarked April 5, 2004.



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



Located in Philadelphia, the Conservation Center for Art and Historic Artifacts (CCAHA) is a non-profit regional conservation laboratory that serves the Mid-Atlantic area's museums, libraries and historic sites, as well as corporations and private individuals.  CCAHA specializes in the treatment of works of art and artifacts on paper, such as prints, maps, posters, historic wallpaper, photographs, rare books, scrapbooks, manuscripts, parchment, and papyrus.  The Conservation Center also offers on-site consultation services, educational programs and seminars, internships, and emergency conservation services.


The California Preservation Program (CPP), an initiative of the California State Library, is supported by IMLS through LSTA funding.  The mission of the program is to assist information agencies of all types and sizes with: identifying and preserving important archival and library materials in California to ensure continuing public access; developing and providing a broad program of education and training in preservation; developing and implementing preservation programs; and promoting cooperative and coordinated statewide preservation efforts.  The CPP supports the California Preservation Clearinghouse (cpc.stanford.edu), an online information resource for the staff of libraries, archives, and other cultural institutions.