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To help make your MayDay as productive as possible, browse SAA's guide to some of the disaster planning and prevention resources available online from a variety of institutions, organizations, and government agencies. Each resource is annotated for your convenience. The Society of American Archivists does not assume liability or responsibility for the conduct, content, or currency of any site linked or pointed to or from the SAA website. For more information please refer to the SAA Disclaimer.
Articles, Technical Leaflets, Books, Guidelines, FAQs
A large body of written material on disaster planning is available in both print and electronic format. This section links to and annotates some fundamental readings by credible institutions, organizations, and government agencies. For more extensive reading, visit the bibliographies section of this guide.
Tools
Build your toolbox of disaster planning resources here. Find 24/7 hotlines, emergency contact registries, field guides, lists of conservators across the country, ways to search for suppliers by location, and much more.
Disaster Plan Templates
Need help laying out your plan? Browse an array of skeleton plans designed to be customized for practical use. Template complexity varies; you can find an immediately printable pocket response card, a 6-page Word document that you print and fill in, a detailed template intended for institutional use that can be updated and stored online, or something in between.
Example Disaster Plans
Many institutions have published their disaster plans online. Example plans include those tailored to archives, government records, special collections, university collections (as published by archives or library and information studies programs), and various other institutions.
Tutorials, Courses, Primers
Whether you need to instruct staff on emergency procedures or maybe take a course yourself, many opportunities exist to further disaster planning education. Often available free online, both general and topical continuing education is offered by government agencies, academic institutions, non-profit organizations, and more.
Bibliographies for Disaster Information
Contains bibliographies (sometimes annotated) compiled by other institutions, organizations, and government agencies.
Other Resources
Contains links to guides, directories, mailing lists, newsletters, regional preservation groups, and much more.
A large body of written material on disaster planning is available in both print and electronic formats. This section links to and annotates some fundamental readings by credible institutions, organizations, and government agencies. For more extensive reading, visit the bibliographies list and the other resources included in this guide.
Target audience: General population.
Target audience: Anyone maintaining a collection involving photos or videotapes.
Target audience: General population.
Target audience: Library/archives professionals.
Target audience: Records custodians.
Target audience: Librarians and archivists.
Target audience: Those affected by hurricanes or floods.
Target audience: Cultural and arts institutions.
Target audience: Libraries, archives, and museums.
Target audience: Museum professionals.
Target audience: Library/archives professionals.
Target audiences: Libraries and historical organizations.
Target audiences: Museums, libraries, archives, historical organizations, cultural institutions, and private individuals.
Target audience: Individuals and families.
Target audiences: Nonprofit arts centers, archives, conservation and historic preservation organizations, historical societies, historic sites, libraries, museums, theaters, and more.
Target audiences: Advocacy tool among government officials at the federal, state, and local levels.
Target audience: Those affected by hurricanes and floods.
Target audience: Archives community.
Target audience: Georgia and the Southeast.
Target audiences: State and local government archives and records administrators.
Target audience: “History organizations in the United States” that tend to be “small, volunteer led and, often, volunteer staffed.”
Target audience: “Homeowners who have had family heirlooms and other valuables damaged by flooding.”
Target audiences: Governments, private businesses and organizations, and nonprofits.
Build your toolbox of disaster planning resources here. Find 24/7 hotlines, emergency contact registries, field guides, lists of conservators across the country, ways to search for suppliers by location, and much more.
Free. Northeast Document Conservation Center (NEDCC). Advice on how to deal with disaster during a disaster. Does not include onsite assistance. Do not request assistance via email, as that is not monitored 24/7. The number is 978.470.1010.
Free. Created by Conservation OnLine (CoOL), a project of the Preservation Department of Stanford University Libraries and Academic Information Resources. A very comprehensive index of terms accessed by typing the word query into a search box.
Free. Offered by the Next of Kin Registry. Intended for use for daily emergencies and national disasters. “Provides the public a free proactive service to store your emergency contacts, next of kin and vital medical information that would be critical to emergency response agencies.” New feature: Pet registry. Only emergency agencies have access to information. See website for privacy details.
Available through Heritage Preservation. Movable wheel provides fast and reliable information on critical stages of disaster response, plus practical tips for nine types of collections. Special MayDay sale prices (4/15 – 5/31).
Available through Heritage Preservation. Wire-bound, tabbed, 6’’ x 9’’ guide features concise instructions “tailored to the scope of your emergency,” skeleton contact lists that prompt for your specific institution’s contacts, checklists, conservation resources, and an instructional DVD. Special MayDay sale prices (4/15 – 5/31).
Free. Presented by American Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works (AIC). Web-based national search allows for narrow or expanded search based on specialty, type of material, type of conservation advice needed (eg, surveys, consultation, duplication-copying, disaster planning, exhibit consultation), and geographic area.
Free. Published by Heritage Emergency National Task Force. Institutions in different regions of the country that offer technical assistance and salvaging information over the phone and/or via email.
Free. Maintained by the Disaster Mitigation Planning Assistance website, a joint project of the Michigan State University Libraries, the Center for Great Lakes Culture, and the California Preservation Program. Comprehensive search tool that searches for experts, services, or supplies by location (narrowed by state or expanded nationally). Contributions of new information or vendors are encouraged to expand database.
Available through Heritage Preservation. A Product of the Heritage Emergency National Task Force's "Lessons Applied" initiative to develop practical applications for the lessons learned from Hurricane Katrina. Poster measures 17'' x 26''.
Need help laying out your plan? Browse an array of skeleton plans designed to be customized for practical use. Template complexity varies - you can find an immediately printable pocket response card, a 6-page Word document that you print and fill in, a detailed template intended for institutional use that can be updated and stored online, or something in between.
Free. Generated by Amigos Preservation Service. An 8-page, formatted, immediately printable (pdf) skeleton disaster plan with prompts for lists of supplies, important phone numbers, storage locations, insurance policy information, and more that should be pulled together for a workable disaster plan.
Free. Prepared by the Northeast Document Conservation Center (NEDCC) and the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners (MBLC). Online disaster planning tool intended for “small and medium-sized institutions that do not have in-house preservation staff.” This is a detailed template to customize the main parts of a plan to the needs of your institution/archives. Demo available, as well as “Normal” and “Lite” options. Can be completed and updated online with print and email delivery options.
Free. Created by the California Preservation Program. Adapted from Inland Empire Libraries Disaster Network Response (IELDNR). The first quarter of the 55-page document contains guidelines and survey material, and the rest of the document is a template of the actual plan with blanks to fill in. Available as pdf, rtf/Word, or Web document. Information is not stored online.
Free. Created by the Council of State Archivists (CoSA). Follow the PReP template to transcribe the most critical information from your repository’s disaster plan in a 1-page, 2-sided Word document, then fold it to the size of a credit card, insert it in a protective PReP envelope, and carry it in your wallet. Originally designed for state archives, but readily adaptable for use by private repositories, museums, and other cultural institutions. The California Preservation Program has developed a version for collections.
Free. Created by the Society of American Archivists (SAA). A basic document containing template and guideline material, this 6-page downloadable Word file is designed to encourage archivists and other cultural heritage professionals to take personal and professional responsibility for doing something simple for MayDay.
Many institutions have published their disaster plans online. Example plans include those tailored to archives, government records, special collections, university collections (as published by archives or library and information studies programs), and various other institutions.
Disaster Planning: Example Disaster Recovery Plan
(http://www.tsl.state.tx.us/slrm/disaster/recovery_plan.pdf)
Texas State Library and Archives
Virginia Military Institute Preston Library, VMI Archives, and Institute Records Disaster Plan
(http://www1.vmi.edu/ARCHIVES/disaster.html)
Virginia Military Institute Archives
Disaster Manuals / Handbooks
(http://www.statearchivists.org/arc/states/res_vitalrecords.htm)
Presented by Council of State Archivists. Manuals generated by state or local government institutions for the handling of vital records before, during, and after disasters (AL, CA, DE, FL, GA, HI, NV, OR, PA, TN, VA, WA).
Emergency Plan for British Virgin Islands Government Records and Archives
(http://www.bviddm.com/document-center/Emergency%20Plan%20for%20Records%20and%20Archives.pdf)
Archives and Records Managment Unit, Deputy Governor's Office, British Virgin Islands
A Disaster Recovery Plan for the Australian National Herbarium
(http://www.anbg.gov.au/cpbr/disaster-plan/)
Australian National Botanic Gardens
Business Continuity Planning
(http://www.mais.umich.edu/projects/drbc_methodology.html)
University of Michigan – Ann Arbor
Collection Disaster Plan
(http://www.library.vcu.edu/preservation/disasterplan.pdf)
Virginia Commonwealth University Libraries
Disaster Plans
(http://researchguides.library.syr.edu/content.php?pid=34915&sid=275074)
Syracuse University. Disaster plans for print, nonprint, and audio materials. Also includes an emergency supply list and a resource guide.
EEP! Handbook
(http://www.library.illinois.edu/prescons/disasterresp/eep_handbook.html)
University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. Employee Emergency Procedures for a large university library system.
Disaster Plans
(http://palimpsest.stanford.edu/bytopic/disasters/plans/)
Presented by Conservation OnLine. A collection of example disaster plans for university libraries, historical societies, archives, and special collections.
Generic Disaster Plan
(http://www.ieldrn.org/sample.htm)
Prepared by Inland Empire Libraries Disaster Response Network (IELDRN). Available in PDF or RTF formats to download, print, and edit.
Sample Disaster Plans
(http://matrix.msu.edu/~disaster/sampleplans.php)
Presented by Disaster Mitigation Planning Assistance, joint project of the Michigan State University Libraries, the Center for Great Lakes Culture, and the California Preservation Program.
Whether you need to instruct staff on emergency procedures or maybe take a course yourself, many opportunities exist to further disaster planning education. Often available free online, both general and topical continuing education is offered by government agencies, academic institutions, non-profit organizations, and more.
Free. Prepared by Heritage Emergency National Task Force. Contains resources to help plan Alliance for Response Forums, work with emergency responders, identify allies in specific communities, and help sustain local disaster networks. Find program templates, essential contacts, project ideas, and funding sources. The Forums are designed to bring emergency responders together with cultural institutions in advance of an emergency so that both groups understand each others’ priorities and methods, establishing important relationships and communication channels.
Free. Presented by the California Preservation Program. Guidelines on how to “provide staff with experience in the implementation of an institution's disaster plan.” Learn how to run a disaster-preparedness workshop for your staff.
Free. A 76-page pdf document by Ann Siebert, Preventive Conservation Section, Library of Congress (LC), and presented by the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA). Explains and illustrates with photographs what happens in a real disaster, why exercise and training is important, and how a good disaster plan runs. Also includes exercises and mock drills.
Free. Full list of self-paced, online courses offered through Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Emergency Management Institute (EMI). “Official enrollment in the courses, scoring of final exams, issuance of certificates, and maintenance of student records is limited to United States (US) residents with a US deliverable postal address.”
Rental is free to members. Presented by the American Association for State and Local History (AASLH). There is a 1 video limit per checkout; material also available for purchase. Lending period is 3 weeks, including shipping time. AASLH provides one-way shipping via USPS, borrower pays cost of return shipping.
One of the ways The International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Resortation of Cultural Property (ICCROM) contributes to conservation training is through courses, held on international and regional platforms. Expenses vary by program. Visit the current ICCROM course list for details.
Led by the Council of State Archivists, this project develops and delivers Web- and CD-based training for state and local governments nationwide. The Intergovernmental Preparedness for Essential Records (IPER) project is made possible by a $2.6 million award from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
Free. Online course offerings highlighted by the Heritage Emergency National Task Force and offered through FEMA. Organized into 4 categories: All Responders, Regional Response, Response Team Leaders, and Additional Courses of Interest.
Off- and online courses organized by Regional Alliance for Preservation (RAP) that cover a variety of preservation topics.
Free. Issued by the Smithsonian Institution, NARA, Library of Congress, and National Park Service (NPS). This is a discussion of “how to plan for, salvage, and care for paper objects in emergencies, such as fire, flood, and earthquake.” Contains handy links organized by the creating institution, then by type of emergency.
Free recording presented by the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), in partnership with Heritage Preservation and the American Association for State and Local History (AASLH) as part of a webinar series based on the national initiative, Connecting to Collections: A Call to Action. Emphasizes public awareness as key starting point for building support from individuals, local government, private sector and first-hand experience as the most effective way to create advocates in the community. Requires creation of user profile to access archive.
Presented by NARA. Learn to protect or mitigate damage to records and to recover essential records in the event of an emergency. Emphasis is on developing a Records Emergency Action Plan and knowing how to activate all aspects of that plan. Includes information and hands-on practice in recovering records damaged in an emergency situation. Targeted at federal employees, but most content also applies to other levels of government.
Presented by NARA. Learn to identify, protect, and make readily available the vital records needed to support the resumption of critical business functions after a disaster, and to establish and administer a vital records program. Targeted at federal employees, but most content also applies to other levels of government and private organizations.
Contains bibliographies (sometimes annotated) compiled by other institutions, organizations, and government agencies.
A linked list of resources addressing disaster planning, collection valuation, collection preservation and recovery, and other topics.
Monographs, articles, videos, case studies, exercises, bibliographies, and more. Annotated, 7 pages, pdf format.
The professional organization for conservators in Australia presents brochures, offers guidance, and gives resources for salvaging material damaged by fire, flood, and mold.
In providing "a link between the general advice offered by disaster planning manuals and the specific actions that must be taken when disaster strikes," this printable resource contains six sections (Emergency Networks, Evaluating Disaster Recovery Services & Products, National/Regional Disaster Recovery Services & Supplies, Locating Local Disaster Recovery Services & Products, Disaster Planning Literature, List of Abbreviations) to help tap into outside resources.
A bibliography of books, conference proceedings, articles, government publications, and Internet resources. Not annotated.
The Council's hompage presents fundamental conservation related information provided by the professional conservator's association, Australian Institute for the Conservation of Cultural Material (AICCM). Contains tips and annotated resources, especially those related to brushfire disasters.
Created by CoSA. At the core of CoSA’s EPI is a framework for improving records-related preparedness in the states. It includes an assessment tool for measuring readiness in archival repositories as well as state and local governments; the Pocket Response Plan (PReP); and a toolkit intended to provide ready access to preparedness and response resources.
Guidelines, technical leaflets, newsletter articles, and advice available from state archives on a range of preparedness and recovery topics. Focuses vary among states. Some concentrate on state and local governments, others on assistance to individuals and private collections. Organized alphabetically by state and intended for archives and records administration at state and local government levels.
One of the most comprehensive resources on disaster planning, CoOL provides links to a wide variety of resources on most aspects of disaster planning, addressing most types of institutions. All information is easily followed through links, and all information is free.
An Australian government initiative, this program was "established by cultural and scientific collecting institutions in Canberra to improve disaster preparedness and provide local mutual assistance in the event of emergencies affecting public collections. DISACT sponsors disaster recovery training, conducts quarterly DISACT Network meetings, and has a website resource." Blue Shield Australia also regards this program as a model for collaboration when it come to 'partnering' with a heritage organization to prepare for a disaster. Offers training (in Australia), example disaster plans, tips, primers, resources, contact lists, and more.
"Additional sources for disaster planning information that are available on the Web." Annotated with direct links.
Offers tips for family heirlooms, safety guidelines, lists of organizations that can help, checklists of essential records, recovery guides, financial and employment assistance, and federal assistance.
An alphabetical, linked index of a variety of disaster resources organized by the preparing institution.
Available within the 18.9 MB PDF of Part I of the Handbook, this is a general Bibliography of Chapter 10: Emergency Planning. Features articles, monographs, proceedings, newsletters and leaflets, bibliographies, and websites.
Partially annotated, this list supplements the entire NEDCC website, whose mission is “to improve the conservation efforts of libraries, archives, historical organizations, museums, and other repositories; to provide the highest quality services to institutions without in-house conservation facilities or those that seek specialized expertise; and to provide leadership in the preservation and conservation fields.”
Features articles, monographs, videos, and websites with direct links to material available free on the Internet.
Contains links to guides, directories, mailing lists, newsletters, regional preservation groups, and much more.
Prepared by CoOL. Includes guides, directories, mailing lists, online exhibits, reports, specialized resources, and more.
Created by Regional Alliance for Preservation (RAP). A linked list of institutions affiliated with RAP and specializing in conservation and preservation. Listed by region.
The British Library Preservation Advisory Center's first annual forum, which focused on development of skills needed to care for today's collecitons and content and on developing those skills with limited resources. Includes links to audio presentations and PDF documents on preservation, training, partnerships, volunteers, and more.
These two sub-sections of the larger Connecting to Collections: A Call to Action Guide to Online Resources (companion to the IMLS Connecting to Collections Bookshelf) point to trusted resources specifically relating to disaster preparation and response.
Launched in late 2010, this Heritage Preservation initiative is designed to advance emergency preparedness for tribal cultural heritage. The free website incudes a report, an online inventory of disaster resources, and preparedness discussion questions for tribal gatherings, workshops, or staff meetings.
Created by Heritage Preservation and Heritage Emergency National Task Force. A linked list of regional conservation and preservation organizations available to offer free technical assistance and information to cultural institutions and the public throughout the United States about salvaging their collections and family treasures.
Presented by the Society of American Archivists (SAA) Preservation Section. An annotated list of general preservation links, cooperative and regional preservation groups, and preservation newsletters.
Created by the California Preservation Program. Features disaster training, training for staff and student workers, educating the public, technical information, ongoing training programs.
Presented by the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA). Features many layers of information, such as guidelines on maintenance and storage, preservation and disaster recovery, conservation, technical practice, and more.
Last updated on: March 16, 2011
