Blog

A regular housekeeping program is essential to the preservation of the collections. Maintaining clean conditions is important for long-term collections care and for good emergency preparedness. Dust, dirt, and debris cannot only accumulate and cause damage to collection items but can also potentially complicate collections salvage operations. When materials are handled, dust and dirt will stain and abrade papers and books. If there is a disaster, such as a water leak, the recovery will be complicated by the presence of dust and dirt. 

As with housing materials, it’s important…

We're excited to accounce a new round of the DHPSNY Mentorship Program for cohorts that will meet from September – November 2024. The DHPSNY Mentorship Program establishes mentorship circles to support individuals across New York State who care for historical records and unique library research collections or who are pursuing an MLIS degree. Each circle consists of four to six individuals at varying stages in their careers, including students, new and emerging professionals, established practitioners, and volunteers. These circles offer valuable…

We’re excited to announce our Fall 2024 workshop, Caring for Photograph Collections! Presented at multiple locations throughout New York State, this one-day workshop is designed for collections professionals at all levels, offering practical guidance and hands-on experience to help you manage and preserve photographic materials.

As always, DHPSNY education programs are offered free of charge to NYS institutions. Visit our Workshops page to learn more.

Caring for Photograph Collections…

DHPSNY’s most recent webinar took an in-depth look at what defines a successful digital collection. Drawing on examples from New York Heritage Digital Collections and other repositories, Ryan Hughes from RRLC examined current standards and best practices. This webinar covered each stage of the digitization process, from selecting materials to creating metadata and digital objects.

Click here to view the recording.
Click here to…

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?

This July, our DHPSNY Dialogue, "Building an…

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?…