Having a disaster plan is an important part of collections stewardship for cultural heritage institutions. This two-part course empowers participants to complete the critical stages of becoming more prepared for the unexpected.

Part 1 of 2 guides participants through the prerequisite stage of writing a disaster plan: conducting a comprehensive risk assessment that identifies and evaluates potential threats based on an organization’s region, building, collections, and history.

Part 2 of 2 walks participants through the elements of writing a disaster plan, including forming a response team, creating salvage priorities, putting together a supplies kit, drafting salvage procedures, and making floor plans. Participants will finish this two-part series with a method for risk assessment and a disaster plan template having all the knowledge necessary to move forward with the planning process.

At the end of the series, participants can share their organization’s disaster plan with the instructor for feedback and review.

Participants who are eligible Certified Archivists earn 2 Archival Recertification Credits (ARCs) through the Academy of Certified Archivists.