Museum and Archives Disaster Response and Recovery

Thoughtful preparation for an emergency or disaster is one of the most important steps that a cultural institution can take to safeguard collections. This two-part program will increase knowledge through lecture and hands-on salvage of a simulated disaster.

Participants attending the in-person program must attend the webinar.  You are welcome to just attend the webinar.

In Part I (webinar), the instructor will introduce some of the basics, including the incident command system, personal safety, response steps, and some general salvage techniques. Discussion of a sample scenario will help establish the mindset for salvage and response work required in Part II.

In Part II (in-person), In a mock disaster simulation, participants will use the incident command system while learning to salvage a variety of materials, including artifacts, paper, photographs, and books. Personal safety, initial site assessment, object triage and tracking, and post-disaster debriefing will also be addressed during the workshop.  Limit: 25 participants.

Program includes: for each participant a pdf of resources, worksheets, bibliographies, and technical bulletins
Speaker: Maddie Cooper, Preventive Conservator, Conservation Center of Art and Historic Artifacts, Philadelphia, PA.