1. “Connecting to Collections: Improving Collections Care Through Statewide Collaboration” Society of American Archivists Annual Meeting San Diego, CA August 9, 2012 1

2.  Set the groundwork for collaboration over time  Include everyone: ▪ Organizations, groups of people, and agencies ▪ Cultural community ▪ Emergency managers ▪ Government agencies (municipal, county, state) ▪ Non-governmental organizations 2

3.  Alliance for Response, COSTEP MA, C2C, IPER, COSTEP NE  All served as “umbrellas” for diverse groups  Similar goals, different approaches ▪ The ability of a group of institutions and/or a community to prepare for, respond to, and survive a disaster ▪ Continuity of government and operations ▪ Survival and functionality of cultural resources 3

4.  Awareness  Work with each other and not at cross-purposes ▪ Include a variety of organizational types ▪ Libraries, ▪ Archives, ▪ Municipal Offices, ▪ Museums, ▪ State Agencies, ▪ Historical Societies, ▪ Other cultural resources, ▪ Emergency Management Directors (EMDs) 4

5.  The scene of a disaster is NOT the place to exchange business cards.  Identify and work with the key players early on  Crucial to being able to access your institution and collections following a disaster  In Massachusetts, the key players have been:  MBLC, MA, NEDCC, MEMA, FEMA 5

6.  Basic concept: we all tend to work in our own vertical silos  We need to break out of our silos and work with others from different silos  Collaboration across boundaries and differences ▪ Geographic, political, administrative, and cultural ▪ Each state is different, so everyone needs to focus on what will work in his or her state 6

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9.  Massachusetts preservation survey (2010) built on the knowledge, questions, and audiences of previous surveys  Built on the knowledge, questions, and audiences of previous surveys  Targeted libraries (academic, public, and special), archives, museums, historical societies, historic sites, and municipal offices  Survey was developed with input from multiple types of institutions 9

10.  Survey categories included:  Institutional information, staffing, funding for preservation, collection profile, the building, the environment, fire protection, light, emergency preparedness, security, exhibitions, preservation planning, preservation activities, and training 10

11.  The results:  Helped determine the approach of our C2C Implementation grant proposal  Showed that many areas need attention in spite of two decades of statewide preservation activity  Served as an education tool for those who participated  Moved disaster preparedness to the fore for immediate attention 11

12.  Follow-up activities  Three-year FEMA Hazard Mitigation Grant Program grant awarded in October 2011 ($165,209)  Working with the legislature to establish a special legislative commission to examine the preservation and storage needs of municipal records in the Commonwealth 12

13.  Follow-up activities (cont’d)  Currently examining ways to provide basic archival administration and records management training to municipal clerks in the near future 13

14.  Meta-leadership and other activities involve collaboration within and outside of our groups  Examples ▪ IPER -> the MBLC, Massachusetts Archives, and Municipal Clerks ▪ COSTEP MA –> libraries, archives, municipal clerks, preservation administrators, academics, museums, FEMA, MEMA, NPS, DOI, etc.  Involves nurturing relationships with all types of organizations and institutions (Never easy!) 14

15.  Spread awareness of the group and our mission  Recruit additional organizations to work with us  Keeping the momentum going  Initially there is lot of enthusiasm, then it fades 15

16.  EMDs can be a challenge  Their primary focus is on 1) saving lives, 2) health and safety, and 3) returning things back to normal ▪ Cultural resources are not necessarily on their radar screen  Work closely with them and the cultural resources in their communities ▪ Without adding to their already hectic schedules and work load 16

17.  Provide them with our requirements in the event of a disaster… ▪ Cultural Resources Inventory Form  … as well as what we can provide the community (e.g. meeting rooms, internet access, etc.) ▪ Develop a Command and Control Structure within the cultural community to assist in the event of an emergency or disaster 17

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19.  Working with multiple organizations eases the way in the event of a disaster  Ensures that multiple perspectives are considered  Provides assistance in risk assessment and mitigation planning for cultural resources  Municipal mitigation plans focus on the macro  Cultural institutions’ risk assessment and mitigation plans MUST focus on the micro 19

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21.  Previous collaboration allowed for quick response  MBLC was on scene 36 hours after the tornado to check on the status of the library ▪ Identified problem with town hall and records ▪ Contacted the MA who had staff on site 72 hours later to work with the town re its municipal records ▪ Worked with Preservation Massachusetts and the Massachusetts Historical Commission as well as MEMA when addressing historical structures 21

22.  Massachusetts went into Preparation H (Hurricane) mode  MBLC sent out weather alerts from NWS and MEMA daily to cultural institutions in MA as the hurricane approached 22

23.  Much of the communication was on steps to be taken ahead of the storm  Weather updates and storm track information  Clearing gutters and drain pipes, moving materials off the floor, out of basements, and away from windows  Making connections with the EMD and cultural entities in town 23

24.  Sustained minimal damage in MA  Two libraries with water infiltration and no wet materials ▪ Preparation H or just dumb luck? ▪ We’ll never know, but early and continual contacts and information never hurts 24

25.  In New York, the State Archives staff advised records custodians to move their records when possible  Resulted in averting damage or destruction to many local records  Provided information on preparing for and responding to disasters on their website 25

26.  New York State Archives (cont’d)  Had two staff in the state’s Emergency Operations Center (EOC) for weeks  Had a dozen people in the field at various times ▪ Could meet people at their facility ▪ Provided online advice ▪ Assessed the extent of damage that records suffered  Staff in at the Archives directed field staff to most affected areas 26

27.  Building a base for either collaborative preservation or disaster planning is NEVER easy  For cultural resources, collaboration is CRUCIAL ▪ Help each other ▪ Work with emergency managers ▪ Work across institutional lines 27

28.  Cultural Resources might not see the value in preparing ▪ “It will not happen to us.” ▪ “I do not have the time or the staff to do preservation or disaster planning.” ▪ “I do not know where to begin.” ▪ “My collections are not those that need preservation.” (e.g. public library collections) 28

29.  Achieving sustainability involves continual nurturing and drive to reinforce the message  Preservation Survey got a lot of attention  Presentations at conferences 29

30.  Collaboration is the “Name of the Game.”  Without it, little can be accomplished!  With it, much can be achieved!  Remember “Perseverance and commitment go hand-in-hand!” 30

31. Gregor Trinkaus-Randall, MALS, CA, FSAA, FSA Scot Preservation Specialist President of the Society of American Archivists, 2011-2012 Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners (617) 725-1860 x 236 gregor.trinkaus-randall@state.ma.us www.mass.gov/mblc 31