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In early July, Hurricane Beryl, the first hurricane of the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season, rapidly strengthened to a Category 5 storm and continued to dump rain across the country for days after making landfall. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) predicts a ninth consecutive above-average season, driven by near-record heat in the Atlantic Ocean.

Institutions located on the Atlantic or Gulf coasts are vulnerable to these storms, but even remnants of hurricanes can cause major rain and flooding inland. Here are ten tips to help prepare your collections against…

All collecting institutions should have some basic emergency supplies to deal with inevitable incidents such as roof leaks, burst pipes, fires, and storm damage. A reasonable question to ask is, how many supplies to have on hand? From the Conservation Center for Art & Historic Artifacts’ Emergency Supply Kits resource:

“Until an actual emergency, it can be difficult to determine how many supplies to have on hand. Based on the size and type of the collection, institutions should have…

The deadline for our summer Planning & Assessment Services application round is just three weeks from today! If you and your organization have been thinking about applying, there's still enough time to prepare a strong application.

Provided to NYS collecting organizations at no cost, each DHPSNY service pairs accepted organizations with our experts to discuss current practices and set recommendations and goals specific to your capacity and needs. Final reports can be utilized to obtain funding, increase the accessibility and use of your collections, and more. 

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This year's DHPSNY Antiracism Programming takes inspiration from two key resources: the AASLH Making History at 250 Field Guide and the New York State 250th Field Guide. Our guiding question: How do we make our collecting organizations interdisciplinary and representative of the realities of our many New York histories?

Written by DHPSNY Dialogue co-facillitaor Aria Camaione-Lind, Principal & CEO, Aria Strategies LLC…

Navigating library and archival standards can feel daunting, but with DHPSNY, expert guidance is at your fingertips! Rooted in the foundational principle of meeting organizations where they are, DHPSNY Planning & Assessment Services connect accepted institutions with our specialists to evaluate current preservation practices, establish tailored recommendations and goals, and craft actionable plans aligned with your unique capacity and needs.

Why Apply for DHPSNY Services?…

Dear DHPSNY Community,

DHPSNY is continually evaluating our services to ensure we are meeting the needs of collecting institutions across New York State.

We have developed this short survey for you to share your thoughts, concerns, and emerging needs with us directly. We estimate it will take about 20 minutes to complete. Your responses will help inform the delivery and development of our programs and services moving forward!

Please complete the survey by Tuesday, June 18, 2024.…

Nestled amidst the tranquil landscapes of Bethel, New York, lies a time capsule of the 1960s, echoing the spirit of a generation that dared to dream. Bethel Woods Center for the Arts, home to the iconic Museum at Bethel Woods, stands as a testament to both the enduring legacy of the Woodstock Music & Art Fair of 1969 and the profound power of a young museum and small staff to safeguard, interpret, and…

Dew point is a term we occasionally hear on the weather report, but did you know it's a critical measurement for storing and exhibiting collections? In this recent DHPSNY webinar, Kelly Krish, Preventive Conservation and Sustainability Consultant, covered the basics of understanding dew point and how it relates to relative humidity in a collections environment.

Click here to view the recording.
Click here to download the slideshow. …

We concluded our spring 2024 Planning & Assessment Services application review period earlier this season, and we're pleased to announce that our independent field reviewers have selected eight collecting institutions to receive DHPSNY services.

We commend the following organizations for their dedication to enhancing their preservation programs and practices and look forward to beginning site visits in the coming weeks:

Strategic Planning Assistance
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In this recent DHPSNY webinar, staff from the Reher Center for Immigrant Culture and History spoke about their experience in creating the Hudson Valley Immigrant Oral History Project and resulting exhibition, Taking Root: Immigrant Stories of the Hudson Valley. This presentation covered challenges posed throughout the project, how it evolved over time, and what it was like working with various partners such as Kingston Library, Ulster Literacy Association, and the Culinary Institute of America. This program was part of the DHPSNY "What Did You Do? Stories from the Field" webinar…