MayDay: Do One Thing for Emergency Preparedness

Sudden disaster can have devastating effects on collections in institutions and homes. Each year, archives, libraries, museums, and arts and historic preservation organizations set aside May 1 to participate in MayDay, an initiative from Heritage Preservation to protect cultural heritage from disasters. Taking one simple step now to protect your building and materials can make all the difference. Last year institutions updated disaster plans, held fire extinguisher training, and met with their local emergency responders.

To find out more about the MayDay movement, and to find ideas, share news, send in your story, and even win a prize, visit the Heritage Preservation website at www.heritagepreservation.org. Their resources will help you do one thing for emergency preparedness on MayDay.

The New Jersey State Library, with funding from the IMLS, will join in the MayDay initiative by sending each public library in the state the Heritage Preservation Disaster combo that consists of the Emergency Response and Salvage Wheel and the Field Guide to Emergency Response. These provide clear, practical advice for emergency response because what actually happens in a disaster may be different from what you expect. These hands-on tools will help you protect your collections and significant records, find reliable information instantly, and save damaged items you thought were lost forever. Look for these materials to arrive at your library sometime in the next month.

The New Jersey State Library is also including a poster from Heritage Preservation with tips on working with emergency responders so that you will know how their systems and practices work, and how to help them keep your staff and collections safe.

For further information on disaster planning and response visit www.njstatelib.org/Preservation or contact Michele Stricker at mstricker@PROTECTED.

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