Rodney Rowland, Director of Facilities and Environmental Sustainability at Strawbery Banke Museum in Portsmouth, New Hampshire and a presenter during COSTEP MA's recent co-sponsored webinar with the Boston Green Ribbon Commission on climate resiliency, was recently featured on a podcast episode of Resources Radio. The episode, entitled, "Sunken Treasures? Rising Waters and Historic Preservation" goes … Continue reading Resources Radio podcast episode on Climate Resiliency
New England Museum Association (NEMA) Risk Evaluation and Emergency Planning Course
The New England Museum Association (NEMA) is sponsoring an 8-part risk evaluation and emergency planning course in partnership with the Foundation for Advancement in Conservation (FAIC). The 8-part course will incorporate weekly live discussion sessions over Zoom between January 18th and March 8th from 10-11am ET. The registration fee is $125 to attend. More details … Continue reading New England Museum Association (NEMA) Risk Evaluation and Emergency Planning Course
Disaster Planning for Libraries and Cultural Institutions workshop – February 15
The New Jersey Cultural Alliance for Response (NJCAR) and the New Jersey State Library are hosting a free disaster planning workshop on Tuesday, February 15th from 2:00 - 4:00 pm ET. Presenter Ellen Korpar, Emergency Preparedness Consultant, will cover the disaster planning process and what goes into a disaster plan. More information is below: Planning … Continue reading Disaster Planning for Libraries and Cultural Institutions workshop – February 15
FAIC Accepting Applications for 2022 NHR Training
The Foundation for Advancement in Conservation (FAIC) is seeking volunteers to become National Heritage Responders. Interested individuals must be a member of AIC/FAIC to participate and the deadline to apply is December 15, 2021. Announcement below: Are you interested in becoming a National Heritage Responder? We are thrilled to announce that we will be hosting … Continue reading FAIC Accepting Applications for 2022 NHR Training
Announcing 2021 Virtual HEART Week!
The Heritage Emergency Task Force (HENTF), a public-private partnership between the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Smithsonian, has announced that it is virtualizing its annual Heritage Emergency and Response Training (HEART). All events are virtual and free, but require registration. Below is the official notice from HENTF: After careful consideration of the continued … Continue reading Announcing 2021 Virtual HEART Week!
Collections Assessment for Preservation (CAP) Program now accepting applications
From the American Institute for Conservation (AIC)/Foundation for Advancement in Conservation (FAIC) website: "The Collections Assessment for Preservation (CAP) program provides small and mid-sized museums with partial funding toward a general conservation assessment. The assessment is a study of all of the institution's collections, buildings, and building systems, as well as its policies and procedures … Continue reading Collections Assessment for Preservation (CAP) Program now accepting applications
Hurricane readiness: NOAA predicts another active Atlantic hurricane season for 2021
The month of June is fast approaching, and that means we are entering this year's hurricane season for New England and the East Coast. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) published a press release on May 20th outlining everything we need to know about the 2021 Atlantic hurricane season. Be sure to read NOAA's … Continue reading Hurricane readiness: NOAA predicts another active Atlantic hurricane season for 2021
Pandemic Preparedness and Emergency Planning
By Kathy Griffin, Massachusetts Historical Society A couple of weeks ago I “attended” a webinar broadcast under the auspices of the Conservation Center for Art and Historic Artifacts (CCAHA) in Philadelphia (their website is ccaha.org) on “incorporating pandemic preparedness into your emergency plan.” As the person responsible for developing and maintaining our emergency management plan … Continue reading Pandemic Preparedness and Emergency Planning
Incident Command System (ICS) study group: wrap-up
February 2021 was the final month of COSTEP MA's Incident Command System (ICS) study group. Participants met for a one-hour virtual chat hour to pose questions to each other and discuss all things ICS. Below are some final observations from the chat provided by Jim McLoughlin of MEMA’s Training and Exercise Unit. I agree with … Continue reading Incident Command System (ICS) study group: wrap-up
Cultural Heritage Spaces and the Airborne Transmission of COVID-19
In the wake of the pandemic, cultural heritage organizations began researching its effect on collections, our ability to care for them, and the potential for surface contact transmission. The REopening Archives, Libraries, and Museums (REALM) research project launched in May 2020 to test the survival period of active SARS-CoV-2 on common surfaces found in library, … Continue reading Cultural Heritage Spaces and the Airborne Transmission of COVID-19