The following groups and repositories notified us that they helped to spread the word or participated at some level in MayDay 2010 activities. Thanks for helping to save our archives!
Archival Products
Des Moines, IA
Archival Products, a Division of LBS, tweeted about various activities around the country such as the Library of Congress, heritage preservation, and various state library and museums. The effort provided three reference videos to its web site including “Creation of Preservation Enclosures,” “How to Sew Pamphlet and Music Binders,” and “How to Use Four Flap Enclosures.” Also available were workshop materials.
Blue Shield Australia
Melbourne, Victoria
The 2010 BSA MayDay campaign has been very successful, with information disseminated via e-lists and publications to more than 5,000 individuals and organisations working in the cultural heritage sector. The highlight of this year’s campaign was a very successful symposium at the National Library of Australia in Canberra that BSA co-hosted with DISACT. This event, entitled Disaster Proofing Heritage Collections, attracted over 100 participants and was opened by Senator Kate Lundy and the Director General of the National Library Jan Fullerton. BSA’s new website was launched at this event – you can see it at http://www.blueshieldaustralia.org.au/, and BSA is now also using Facebook to communicate relevant information to the cultural heritage sector (http://www.facebook.com/pages/Blue-Shield-Australia/316266557776?v=wall&ref=search). A number of organisations have contacted BSA to advise us what they did to mark MayDay, and we have been able to distribute prizes provided by two sponsors to some of these MayDay campaign participants. We are pleased with this result and will be looking at ways to build on this in next year’s campaign.
Gaylord Brothers
North Syracuse, NY
[www.gaylord.com]
Heritage Preservation and the Heritage Emergency Task Force
Washington, D.C.
Hill Memorial Library, Special Collections Department at Louisiana State University
Baton Rouge, LA
"On May 26, 2010, the Special Collections Department at Louisiana State University’s Hill Memorial Library will host a day-long 'Retreat to Advance' for employees to work on disaster response and workplace safety in preparation for the 2010 hurricane season. During the first week of September 2008, Hurricane Gustav hit ground becoming the worst storm on record in Baton Rouge's history. Though Gustav was not as devastating as the 2005 storms (Katrina and Rita), it revealed the vulnerabilities of areas within the state previously believed to be relatively secure. Most facilities on LSU's campus remained unaffected, but it helped refocus general university efforts on hazard awareness and emergency preparedness. The retreat followed an unremarkable 2009 storm season. However, 2010 is forecast as an above-average year for intense and frequent storms, so it appears that the timing could not be better to assess policies and procedures and have some idea of what to do in a worst-case scenario. After all, good fortune does not necessarily last forever, particularly in a state as prone to natural disasters and man-made 'accidents' as Louisiana."
"The retreat was part workshop and part overdue maintenance. Employees were divided into work teams following a schedule of sessions that focused on different aspects of emergency response. Though the underlying motivation for the retreat was hurricane preparedness, participants also cleaned work areas and public spaces, identified trash and furniture to be discarded or surplused, and determined the disposition of unidentified collections and materials. At the end of the day the groups reassembled to discuss what they learned, what they accomplished, and what recommendations they had for updating emergency polices and procedures. It gave everyone in Special Collections an opportunity to voice any existing concerns and assume a stake in how the workplace is managed. More importantly, it helped ensure that everyone is on the same page in the unfortunate event that the worst-case scenario plays out."
– Brad Wiles, Manuscript Archivist, Hill Memorial Library
LYRASIS Preservation Services
Atlanta, GA; Philadelphia, PA; Southborough, MA
National Archives and Records Administration
College Park, MD
Oregon Museums Association
Portland, OR
[MayDay 2010 News] [www.oregonmuseums.org]
Richard B. Russell Library for Political Research and Studies at The University of Georgia
Athens, GA
"The library participated in the first annual Asian Pacific Heritage Month Symposium, "WE ARE AMERICA: ASIAN PACIFIC AMERICANS IN THE U.S. SOUTH," at the National Archives branch in Morrow, Georgia. The symposium focused on the experience and history of Asian and Pacific Islanders living in the South and drew representatives from many community organizations. The Russell Library prepared a presentation on keeping history that suggested strategies for families and organizations to collect and protect their records, artifacts, and stories. Jan Levinson and Jill Severn represented the Russell at the event and developed a range of handouts on taking care of scrapbooks, photographs, and film and video. They also distributed the SAA pamphlet on donating organizational records since so many organization leaders were present at the event. The planners of this event intend to make this event the first of many and the Russell Library looks forward to continuing participation."
– Jill Severn, Russell Library
Roger G. Barry Resource Office for Cryospheric Studies
Boulder, CO
Staff of the Roger G. Barry Resource Office for Cryospheric Studies (ROCS) at the National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC) presented, “Water Emergency at ROCS!” at an all-staff meeting. The demonstration illustrated the type of damage that can occur if even a small-water event is not managed correctly. About one inch of water was poured into a plastic tub. Books were placed on the bottom of the tub, and others were placed on a wire basket above the water line. All were lightly sprinkled with water. A lid was placed on the tub and a blanket covered it to keep out light. This set up simulated a room that would remain closed and free of light over a period of days, for example a four-day weekend.
Four days later, the presentation was delivered, and by this time, all of the water had been absorbed by the books and mold formed. At the start of the presentation, a second bucket was poured over dry books. About one inch of water was left in that bucket—demonstrating how quickly the water was absorbed and the difference between rescuing recently wet books and rescuing books that were wet and moldy. Conversation also focused on photographs from the ROCS collection that had previously been involved in some unknown water event and are now stuck together, as well as the need for acting quickly to rescue collections, the various techniques (air drying, freeze drying, etc.) available to rescue wet materials, and emergency grab buckets.
Shelburne Museum
Shelburne, VT
Two members of the Shelburne Museum staff attended a day-long workshop that provided response and salvage training for the Vermont Emergency Response for Cultural Institutions team. One also participated in a two-day Community Emergency Response Team.
Last updated: March 16, 2011