From the BBHC in Cody:
“So you have a disaster plan, but will it work in a real emergency situation?”
That’s the question Randy Silverman raises with area museums, libraries, archives, and similar institutions. Silverman, the Preservation Librarian with the University of Utah Marriott Library, is bringing a workshop about emergency procedures to protect valuable documents, artwork, and other artifacts to the Buffalo Bill Historical Center on Monday, September 13, 9 a.m.–4 p.m. There is no charge for the workshop, which is sponsored by Western States & Territories Preservation Assistance Service (WESTPAS), but registration is required.
According to Silverman, “This workshop will help you assess your vulnerabilities, test your plan using a scenario table top exercise, explore how collaborations can help you respond to a disaster, and build a shared vision for disaster preparedness. It’s better we should find answers now than after a disaster has occurred.”
Those encouraged to attend the workshop include staff member(s) responsible for emergency preparedness, administrators and/or managers responsible for the building and collection, and key members of the emergency/disaster team responsible for decision-making. Requirements for attendance are: a written disaster plan that includes collections response/recovery, a letter of institutional commitment to explore collaboration to optimize preparedness, and a completed three-page vulnerability assessment which is distributed in advance of the workshop.
The workshop also takes place in Montana on Wednesday, September 15 at the Bozeman Public Library and on Friday at the Lewis & Clark Library in Helena. Funding for the project is provided by the National Endowment for the Humanities and co-sponsored by the Montana and Wyoming State Libraries and State Archives.
Even though the meeting is free, pre-registration is required and can now be completed online at http://tiny.cc/ZePOL. The site also provides a schedule of WESTPAS workshops. For more information, contact Buffalo Bill Historical Center Conservator Beverly Perkins at beverlyp@bbhc.org or 307.578.4029. Silverman can be reached at randy.silverman@utah.edu.
Stay current with Historical Center news and activities at http://www.bbhc.org/.
