How-To Guide: Saving Cultural Institutions’ Collections During a Disaster

Field Guide to Emergency Response: A Vital Tool for Cultural Institutions, produced by Heritage Preservation and financed by the National Endowment for the Humanities, provides instructions on preserving and storing artifacts, artworks, manuscripts, and other valuable collections during a disaster—moderate, major, or catastrophic. The guide defines 10 emergency “response team” roles, such as health and safety coordinator and salvage coordinator, and the responsibilities delegated to each. It describes what problems to expect, and lists supplies, resources, and further reading. A form to help assess damages, a disaster-supplies shopping list, and an informational DVD are included.

Publisher: Heritage Preservation, 1012 14th Street, N.W., Suite 1200, Washington, D.C. 20005; (202) 233-0800; fax (202) 233-0807; http://www.heritagepreservation.org; 58 pages; $24.95 for members; $29.95 for nonmembers.