Month: June 2020

With support from the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Foundation for Advancement in Conservation is hosting a series of 5 virtual hour-long sessions on emergency planning and response in cultural institutions. The exciting sessions include an optional assignment, and are scheduled as follows: Institutional Buy-in with Teresa Myers, Sept 14 Plan Assessment with Samantha … Continue reading FAIC Virtual Online Course in Emergency Planning in Cultural Institutions, Fall 2020

COSTEP MA is excited to announce a new, free program that will provide Massachusetts cultural heritage institutions a chance to test and improve their disaster plans: the COSTEP MA Virtual Tabletop Exercise (TTX). A tabletop exercise presents one (or many) hypothetical scenarios through moderated prompts that simulate the experience of responding to a disaster. The … Continue reading Free disaster planning & response workshop for MA Cultural Institutions – Registration Open!

How long does the virus persist on library/paper-based materials? The first round of highly anticipated research informing that question has been published by REALM Project, testing the following: (1) Hardback book cover (buckram cloth), (2) Softback book cover, (3) Plain paper pages inside a closed book, (4) Plastic book covering (biaxially oriented polyester film), (5) … Continue reading Important IMLS Research Update: Virus Undetectable on Five Highly Circulated Library Materials After Three Days

Loyola University New Orleans - College of Law is hosting a virtual symposium of interest to COSTEP MA subscribers. More information, including registration (free), here: https://law.loyno.edu/student-resources/law-library/symposium-emergency-planning-libraries-archives-july-10-2020. A key COSTEP MA contributor, Becky Geller (Preservation Specialist, Northeast Document Conservation Center (NEDCC)), will be presenting an interesting case study in a panel focused on updating disaster plans. … Continue reading Virtual Symposium on Emergency Planning in Libraries and Archives: July 10, 2020

Find out more about resources related to collections care, cleaning and isolation strategies for collections, lending procedures, disaster and emergency planning in the event of a building closure, financial assistance, and institutional responses during the current public health crisis: https://mblc.state.ma.us/costepma/index.php/cultural-institutions/mitigation/public-health-emergencies/

UPDATE, 6/24/20: VIEW THE RECORDING HERE: https://vimeo.com/429703062 The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has predicted a busy hurricane season for 2020. As institutions begin planning for reopening procedures during the state’s four-phased approach, now is the time to factor in hurricane preparedness. Join COSTEP MA, a statewide network of cultural heritage and emergency management … Continue reading Announcement: Hurricane Season Readiness Webinar, June 16 at 10:30a

Helpful links and content to prepare for the Atlantic Hurricane Season, June 1 - November 30, from Emergency Management and Preparedness professionals and organizations. "Above Normal" Number of Hurricanes expected As referenced in the June 4 Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) Press Release about Hurricane Preparedness, there is an "above normal" number of Hurricanes in … Continue reading Additional Hurricane Season resources

See the following June 4 press release from the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency (MEMA). 2020 Atlantic Hurricane Season Begins Start of Hurricane Season is a Reminder to Prepare FRAMINGHAM – This week marks the official start of the Atlantic Hurricane Season which runs through November 30th. While the majority of tropical storms and hurricanes that have … Continue reading MEMA News: 2020 Atlantic Hurricane Season Begins