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New Guide Helps Cultural Institutions Cope When Disaster Strikes
Multimedia Field Guide to Emergency Response published by Heritage
Preservation

WASHINGTON, DC - Every year, hundreds of museums, libraries, archives,
and historic sites across the country experience emergencies large and
small. In most cases, staff and volunteers are unprepared. The new Field
Guide to Emergency Response explains clearly and simply the steps to
take in the first few hours of a disaster, enabling even those with no
prior training to save collections without endangering themselves. 

The Field Guide to Emergency Response distills the expertise of
conservation professionals who have responded to disasters such as
Hurricane Katrina and the recent flooding in the Northeast. Its
interactive nature makes it unique. In addition to an easy-to-follow
handbook, a companion DVD illustrates salvage techniques for typical
problems like mud, mold, and soot. The DVD can be used on-site in a
laptop or vehicle player, as well as for preparedness training. Also
included are information panels that can be customized before disaster
strikes, as well as helpful checklists such as a Disaster Supplies
Shopping List organized by type of store.

"The Heritage Health Index found that 80 percent of cultural
institutions lack an emergency plan with staff trained to carry it out,"
said Heritage Preservation President Lawrence Reger. "The Field Guide to
Emergency Response will help those institutions get through an emergency
and then better prepare for the next one."

The National Endowment for the Humanities funded the development of the
Field Guide and the distribution of 5,000 free copies to nonprofit
institutions in early August, before the peak of hurricane season. NEH
Chairman Bruce Cole noted that small institutions in Gulf Coast states
will be among the primary beneficiaries of the complimentary
distribution. He added, "The Field Guide to Emergency Response is a
significant and timely new tool for educators, archivists, and curators.
Books, records, manuscripts, art, and cultural artifacts remain at risk
from emergencies. For institutions with important collections, the Field
Guide provides staff with information to protect treasures under their
care."

The Field Guide to Emergency Response follows Heritage Preservation's
successful Emergency Response and Salvage Wheel, which has become the
gold standard for practical salvage advice for collections. The handy
slide chart is found in more than 40 countries and has been translated
into six languages. Both publications were produced in support of the
Heritage Emergency National Task Force, which Heritage Preservation
co-sponsors with the Federal Emergency Management Agency.  To learn
more, visit www.heritageemergency.org.

The Field Guide has already won fans among early reviewers: "Every
museum administrator should have a Field Guide handy at all times," said
Jack Nokes, Executive Director, Texas Association of Museums. Randy
Silverman, Preservation Librarian, University of Utah Marriott Library,
said, "This straightforward primer is an invaluable tool for emergency
planners and responders, small collecting institutions, and the public.
The Field Guide is a real life saver!"

The Field Guide is available for $29.95; it can be purchased with the
Wheel for a special price of $34.95. Both are available at Heritage
Preservation's secure online Bookstore at
www.heritagepreservation.org/catalog/ or by calling toll-free
888-388-6789.

For over 30 years, Heritage Preservation has been the national,
nonprofit advocate for the proper care of all cultural heritage-in
museums, libraries, homes, and town squares. For more information, visit
www.heritagepreservation.org.

The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) is an independent
federal agency created in 1965. It is the largest funder of humanities
programs in the United States. For more information, visit www.neh.gov.
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