COSTEP MA

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

There are a great deal of resources to help you plan for monitoring and responding to water leaks that affect your collections. But there aren't so many guides about how to do so effectively when your facility may be closed and when few staff, if any, can periodically walk through and visually monitor collections areas. … Continue reading COVID Collections Care topic: Monitoring and responding to water leaks in closed buildings