Join museums around the country in setting aside time in the month of May to do at least one thing to improve your museum’s disaster preparedness. MayDay is a national effort promoted by AAM and other members of the Heritage Emergency National Task Force to encourage disaster planning in cultural organizations of all types.

Need ideas?

If you have a disaster plan, update the phone numbers for staff, emergency responders and conservators.

If you don’t have a plan, make a timeline for developing one. AAM has online resources to help! And if your museum is a member of AAM, you can access our sample documents to jumpstart your efforts.

Gather your staff and watch one or more of AAM’s recorded webinars focused on disaster planning and recovery.

Identify the three biggest risks to your collection or building (such as leaking water pipes, heavy snow or power failure) and outline steps to mitigate them.

Conduct a building evacuation drill and evaluate the results.

Establish a method of identifying objects that are most important to your mission, irreplaceable or most fragile. This will make evacuation simpler when disaster hits.

Get to know your local firefighters and police. Invite them to tour your institution and give pointers on safety and preparedness. Heritage Preservation offers a poster and a podcast with tips for working with emergency responders.

Eliminate hazards such as storage in hallways, blocked fire exits or improper storage of paints or solvents.

Join forces with nearby institutions and agree to assist each other in a disaster.

Take a look at the SCDAH Facebook page, which features preservation tips and stories. http://www.facebook.com/pages/South-Carolina-Department-of-Archives-and-History/118232443651.

The National Trust for Historic Preservation has additional information about Preservation Month at http://www.preservationnation.org/take-action/preservation-month/

The bootcamp is designed for archivists who may use computers on a regular basis at work, but find the underlying technology unfamiliar territory.  The bootcamp will give you a new perspective on technology, to give you a basic understanding of what’s going on behind the scenes.  It won’t turn you into a system administrator or webmaster, but you will be able to talk to technologists with greater fluency.  You’ll have a better sense of what you need to know to become more proficient and the confidence to continue to learn on your own.

Saturday, 28 July 2012
9:00 am – 4:00 pm
Hughes Main Library, Greenville, SC

Cost: $40.00

Click here for more information (including laptop requirements) and the registration form. Register quickly! Space is limited to 12 participants.

Heritage Preservation’s Emergency Response and Salvage Wheel is now available free of charge on the iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad as the

“ERS: Emergency Response and Salvage” app.

Long known as the authoritative resource for salvaging artifacts after a disaster, the Wheel has been used by museums, libraries, and archives around the world. This new app makes the Wheel’s invaluable guidance accessible to anyone who is in need of practical advice for saving collections in the first 48 hours after disaster strikes.

 Apple users can download this free app from the App Store. Simply search for “ERS: Emergency Response and Salvage.” To download, your device must run iOS 5.1 or later. Complete technical requirements are available on the ERS page at the App Store.

ERS provides the same reliable content found in the original Wheel. The app outlines critical stages of disaster response and provides practical salvage tips for nine types of collections, from photographs to natural history specimens. ERS can help users protect precious collections and significant records, access reliable information instantly, and save damaged objects. The app was created in partnership with the National Center for Preservation Technology and Training.

 The original slide-chart Wheel was created by Heritage Preservation, a national non-profit organization dedicated to preserving the cultural heritage of the United States. It has been translated into more than five languages and distributed internationally in more than 40 countries. The original Emergency Response and Salvage Wheel, sponsored by BELFOR, is still available for purchase. Visit the Bookstore at www.heritagepreservation.org.

Thursday April 26, 2012

10:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.

Crawford Conservation Studio

Craig A. Crawford founded Crawford Conservation, Inc. in 2000 near Swansea, South Carolina, specializing in the conservation of easel and wall paintings.  He is a USC graduate and spent five years as an apprentice and three years as an Associate Conservator with the former Head of Painting Conservation at the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery and the National Museum of American Art.  He has conserved wall paintings in both the National Capitol and the Department of Interior. After moving back to SC, he has conserved easel and wall paintings for museums and private clients throughout the southeast. He is a Professional Associate of the American Institute of Conservation.

This workshop will be divided into two parts.  The morning lecture will focus on ways in which to examine a painting, the preparation of a condition report, and tips on appropriate storage for paintings.  After a lunch break, the afternoon session will be a hands-on examination of several paintings (including UV lights and microscopes) and the completion of an actual condition report.  The last segment will be a discussion of the various reports.

We will have a half hour break for lunch, which will be provided.  The cost for the workshop is only $10, which covers the cost of lunch. A vegetarian option is available. If you have any dietary restrictions, please contact DebbieLee Landi.

Space is limited to 25 people so please RSVP to DebbieLee Landi soon.  Please make checks payable to PALMCOP and send your check to DebbieLee by April 16.

Registration form below.

Directions to follow from Craig Crawford at a later date.

Registration Form

Works of Art – Crawford Workshop

April 26, 2012

Name:_____________________________Institution:__________________________________

Address:_______________________________________________

______________________________________________________

Telephone:___________________________

Email:____________________________________________________

Registration Fee $10 only for PALMCOP members  (lunch included) due by April 16, 2012

Registration Fee $20 only for PALMCOP non-members  (lunch included) due by April 16, 2012

Amount enclosed: $___________________________________

Send completed form with check payable to PALMCOP to:

PALMCOP

206B James B. Duke Library

Furman University

3300 Poinsett Highway

Greenville, SC 29613-4100

864-294-2714
Any questions contact DebbieLee Landi  debbielee.landi@furman.edu

Read the details here.

The members of the PALMCOP board were saddened to hear of Ruth’s passing.  We have worked closely with her on many projects and appreciate her enthusiasm and dedication in service to the members of our preservationist community.  PALMCOP is a non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation of South Carolina’s documentary heritage, and its membership consists of individuals and institutions from across the state, representing archives, libraries, museums, historical societies.

We will truly miss her as we plan our workshops and annual meetings.  In recognition of the valuable contributions and her dedication to our mission to provide its membership with assistance in conserving and preserving their collections the PALMCOP board has voted unanimously to name the annual meeting scholarship in honor of our esteemed colleague Vivian Ruth Kilgallon.

 The goal of the Ruth Munn Kilgallon Scholarship is to promote PALMCOP members’ participation in the organization’s annual conference by assisting with conference attendance costs.  Applicants are asked to submit a one-page essay of 500 words or fewer describing their career goals and anticipated benefit for attending the conference, and one letter of recommendation.  Last year’s recipient was Jennifer Moss, Assistant Curator for the Oconee Heritage Center in Walhalla, South Carolina. 

 We look forward to helping our state’s heritage keepers conserve and preserve South Carolina’s rich history through PALMCOP workshops and conferences, and through the Ruth Munn Kilgallon Scholarship.

All PALMCOP members are eligible for this scholarship. Look for an announcement as our annual meeting date approaches in Fall 2012.

Click here to find out more and to register.

On April 30th of 2012 the Foundation of the American Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works is holding a workshop at Drayton Hall in Charleston, South Carolina. For over 30 years, the Foundation of the American Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works has been supporting conservation education, research, and outreach activities that increase understanding of our global cultural heritage. The American Institute for Conservation Collections Emergency Response Team (AIC-CERT) has deployed experts to assist institutions affected by major floods in the Midwest (2008), Hurricane Ike in Texas (2008), the Haiti earthquake (2010-2011), and in Vermont (2011). This workshop is intended for those who work in collecting institutions to prepare for emergency situations.

FAIC Emergency Planning and Mitigation Strategies for Historic Sites

Monday, April 30, 2012

Drayton Hall, Charleston, South Carolina

9:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.

Registration fee:  $25 (includes lunch and refreshment breaks)

http://www.conservation-us.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=page.viewpage&pageid=1613

Instructors:  Mary Jo Davis and a local AIC-CERT member

This one-day workshop will cover practical ways that you can prepare your museum for future emergencies.  Whether you are at risk for a flood, hurricane, earthquake, or a leaking roof, there are important steps you can take now, through planning and mitigation strategies, to protect your collections and buildings.  Anyone responsible for stewardship of collections in a museum, library, archive, or historic site should attend.

A lead trainer from the American Institute for Conservation Collections Emergency Response Team (AIC-CERT) and an AIC-CERT team member from your region will lead presentations, discussions, and interactive exercises to help you build knowledge and tools to prepare for emergencies.

Small institutions will gain valuable knowledge of disaster preparedness and response and will also establish a relationship with a regional AIC-CERT team member before an incident occurs. The program will include an overview of risk assessment and mitigation, emergency planning, and salvage of damaged materials.

Topics will include

Risk Assessment and Mitigation, Emergency Planning, Conducting a Response, Drying Techniques, Setting Salvage Priorities

and Locating and Using Emergency Resources

Contact achoudhury@conservation-us.org for more information.

Abigail Choudhury

Development & Education Associate

Foundation of the American Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works

1156 15th St, Suite 320

Washington, DC 20005

202-661-8070

202-452-9328 (fax)

achoudhury@conservation-us.org

Thursday April 26, 2012

10:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.

Crawford Conservation Studio

Craig A. Crawford founded Crawford Conservation, Inc. in 2000 near Swansea, South Carolina, specializing in the conservation of easel and wall paintings.  He is a USC graduate and spent five years as an apprentice and three years as an Associate Conservator with the former Head of Painting Conservation at the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery and the National Museum of American Art.  He has conserved wall paintings in both the National Capitol and the Department of Interior. After moving back to SC, he has conserved easel and wall paintings for museums and private clients throughout the southeast. He is a Professional Associate of the American Institute of Conservation.

This workshop will be divided into two parts.  The morning lecture will focus on ways in which to examine a painting, the preparation of a condition report, and tips on appropriate storage for paintings.  After a lunch break, the afternoon session will be a hands-on examination of several paintings (including UV lights and microscopes) and the completion of an actual condition report.  The last segment will be a discussion of the various reports.

We will have a half hour break for lunch, which will be provided.  The cost for the workshop is only $10, which covers the cost of lunch. A vegetarian option is available. If you have any dietary restrictions, please contact Robert Ryals.

Space is limited to 25 people so please RSVP to Robert Ryals soon.  Please make checks payable to PALMCOP and send your check to Robert Ryals, PALMCOP’s Vice Chair by April 13.

Registration form below.

Directions to follow from Craig Crawford at a later date.

Registration Form

Works of Art – Crawford Workshop

April 26, 2012

Name:_____________________________Institution:__________________________________

Address:_______________________________________________

______________________________________________________

Telephone:___________________________

Email:____________________________________________________

Registration Fee $10 (lunch included) due by April 13, 2012

Amount enclosed: $___________________________________

Send completed form with check payable to PALMCOP to:

PALMCOP

c/o Robert Ryals

Louise Pettus Archives and Special Collections

Winthrop University

701 Oakland Avenue

Rock Hill, SC  29733
Any questions contact Robert Ryals ryalsr@winthrop.edu or DebbieLee Landi  debbielee.landi@furman.edu