Disaster Planning for Archives and Museums: How to Create a Usable Plan

Disaster planning is a core responsibility for archives and museums. This session introduces how to create a disaster plan that is clear, realistic, and tailored to your collections. We walk through the four stages of emergency management (mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery) and show how to apply them to archival and museum environments. You will learn how to: • Identify risks to collections and facilities • Outline roles and communication procedures • Set salvage priorities for archival and museum materials • Organize emergency supplies and response tools • Create a disaster plan that is easy to update and use This session is designed for archivists, museum staff, librarians, collections managers, and anyone responsible for preservation and cultural heritage care. It focuses on practical planning that supports long-term access, sustainability, and resilience in archives and museums. Resources: FEMA Risk Management https://www.fema.gov/emergency-manage... https://www.fema.gov/flood-maps/tools... Society of American Archivists: https://www.amigos.org/sites/default/... https://www2.archivists.org/initiativ... Additional Resources: https://www.getty.edu/conservation/pu... https://www.fema.gov/sites/default/fi... https://apps.apple.com/us/app/emergen... https://www.ica.org/app/uploads/2024/... https://calpreservation.org/wp-conten... https://google.github.io/building-sec... #archives #archivist #libraryarchives Keywords: archives, museum collections, disaster planning, emergency preparedness, cultural heritage preservation, collection care, salvage priorities, archival management, museum operations, emergency response for museums, preservation planning