Herding Cats: Collaborating with Multiple Organizations in Preservation and Disaster Planning

1. “Connecting to Collections: Improving Collections Care Through Statewide Collaboration” Society of American Archivists Annual Meeting San Diego, CA August 9, 2012 Herding Cats: Collaborating with Multiple Organizations in Preservation and Disaster Planning

2. Introduction • 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

3. Collaborative Activities • 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

4. Collaborative Activities • 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)

5. Collaborative Activities • 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

6. Meta-Leadership • 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

7. Meta-Leadership

8. Meta-Leadership

9. Where does C2C fit into all this activity? • 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

10. Where does C2C fit into all this activity? • 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

11. Where does C2C fit into all this activity? • 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

12. Where does C2C fit into all this activity? • 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

13. Where does C2C fit into all this activity? • Follow-up activities (cont’d) • Currently examining ways to provide basic archival administration and records management training to municipal clerks in the near future

14. Lessons Learned • 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!)

15. Lessons Learned • Spread awareness of the group and our mission • Recruit additional organizations towork with us • Keeping the momentum going • Initially there is lot of enthusiasm, then it fades

16. Lessons Learned • 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

17. Lessons Learned • 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

18. Command and Control Structure

19. Cementing Relationships • 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

20. Monson Tornado, June 1, 2011

21. Monson Tornado, June 1, 2011 • 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

22. Hurricane/Tropical Storm Irene, August 28, 2011 • 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

23. Hurricane/Tropical Storm Irene, August 28, 2011 • 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

24. Hurricane/Tropical Storm Irene, August 28, 2011 • 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

25. Hurricane/Tropical Storm Irene, August 28, 2011 • 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

26. Hurricane/Tropical Storm Irene, August 28, 2011 • 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

27. Conclusions • 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

28. Conclusions • 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)

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

30. Conclusions • 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!”

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