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If your institution has experienced flooding, there are a number of organizations and resources that can provide help. For immediate assistance, contact the CCAHA 24/7 Disaster Hotline at (215) 545-0613, the New York State Archives at (518) 474-6926, or Barbara Lilley at the State Library at (518) 486-4864.

Act Swiftly: When a flood occurs, time is of the essence. Respond quickly to minimize the damage:

• Ensure the safety of staff and visitors before attending to collections.
• Turn off electricity to prevent electrical hazards…

We concluded our spring Planning & Assessment Services application round this past March, and the response was amazing! From a competitive pool of applicants, our independent field reviewers selected 15 collecting organizations to receive free Archival Needs Assessments, Preservation Surveys, and Strategic Planning Assistance. We also extend heartfelt congratulations to our new cohort of sites selected for Foundational Planning Assistance.

Click here to read the…

Applications are open for DHPSNY Planning & Assessment Services, and the next submission deadline is Friday, July 7, 2023. Conducted in-person or virtually, each DHPSNY service aims to improve adherence to preservation best practices and can be utilized to obtain additional funding, increase the accessibility and use of your collections, and more.

We are accepting application materials for the following services to be considered for the summer 2023 application review period:

• …

Welcome to our blog series on preservation tips, tailored specifically for collecting institutions dedicated to safeguarding our shared cultural heritage. In this series, we will delve into the essential strategies, best practices, and innovative approaches that institutions and individuals alike can adopt to ensure the long-term preservation of documents, photographs, and other artifacts. We hope this series will provide invaluable insights and practical guidance to help protect and maintain your collections and enhance your preservation efforts.

Today’s post focuses…

This month, in conjunction with DHPSNY, Aria and her co-facilitators explored the relationships between non-Native-led museums, archives and libraries, and contemporary Native makers, artists, academics, and researchers. Aria, Viridiana Garcia Choy, and William Walker used the case study of the Día de los Muertos Program, coordinated by the Cooperstown Graduate Program, the Mexican-American community in Otsego County, and the Village Library of Cooperstown as a concrete example of how to successfully do this work.

The DHPSNY…

Identifying collections materials that are priorities for salvage is an important part of an organization’s emergency preparedness and response plan. Often in an emergency, we cannot save it all, and decisions will have to be made. But how do we go about choosing what items to save first? This can seem like a daunting task, but by establishing guidelines and planning, collection salvage priorities can become not-so-impossible choices. In Not-So-Impossible Choices: Determining Priorities for Collection Salvage, we looked at what makes collections most vulnerable to…

Are you in need of preservation guidance, but aren’t sure where to turn? Or perhaps you simply prefer the personal touch of a conversation? Look no further — DHPSNY has got you covered! 

Starting this month, DHPSNY will be providing a convenient solution for New York State-based collecting organizations seeking preservation-related assistance. Whether you have burning questions or require expert advice, this program aims to connect you with our dedicated team of professionals to help assist with your preservation efforts.

The inaugural session of our remote…

We're excited to announce that applications are open for DHPSNY Planning & Assessment Services, and the next submission deadline is Friday, July 7, 2023! Conducted in-person or virtually, each DHPSNY service aims to improve adherence to preservation best practices and can be utilized to obtain additional funding, increase the accessibility and use of your collections, and more.

We are accepting application materials for the following services to be considered for the summer 2023 application…

“What is a basic inventory?,” “What collections management system is recommended?,” “How do we choose a data logger?,” “Who can help?” 

Preservation Week 2023 is here and we want to help you and your institution better preserve your collections. If you have a preservation question and don’t know where to turn, here are some resources that can help:

• The FAIC Connecting to Collections forum is monitored by conservators and is great for technical questions.
• ESLN’s…

MayDay, an annual grassroots effort dedicated to preserving archives and cultural heritage collections during times of emergency, is underway! Its genesis can be traced back to the Heritage Health Index report, which was published in 2005 following hurricanes Katrina, Rita, and Wilma, and revealed that only a few institutions had implemented disaster plans, with many of those plans being outdated.

Taking place every year on May 1, MayDay emphasizes simple yet significant actions that can be carried out in a day to boost an organization’s ability to respond to emergencies.…