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"Ready — Or Not": Cultural Heritage Disaster Preparedness Project

California heritage institutions can request a free emergency preparedness assessment by filling out an online form, emailing [email protected], or calling 855-501-3020. 

Schedule a Site visit

NEDCC's “Ready – Or Not” Cultural Heritage Disaster Preparedness Project (press release) is a three-year initiative funded by the State of California to assess emergency preparedness at California organizations that care for cultural and historic resources (e.g., archives, libraries, museums, and tribal nations).

A team of heritage preservation consultants based in California conducts on-site visits for participating organizations and delivers a summary report that documents the organization's current state of emergency preparedness.

Each report includes recommendations for mitigating risks, taking emergency preparedness actions, and completing a disaster plan, thereby providing each with tools to better protect their collections in an emergency, ensuring that California’s cultural heritage is preserved into the future.

Follow along with the site visits at #ReadyOrNotCA on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn.

NEws and events


Information Sessions
Join us online for upcoming information sessions in October, November, and December!

Conferences
Speak with us at these events in October:

  • California Library Association
    • Hillary Ellis: Presenting on "Preserving Our History, Heritage, and Communities"
    • Ozge Gencay Ustun: Poster session on 'The "Ready—Or Not' Disaster Preparedness for Cultural Organizations"
  • Los Angeles Archives Bazaar
    • Rebecca Gourevitch: Visit our booth
    • Mario A. Gallardo: Presenting on “Water Intrusion in Collection Spaces - Preparing for Atmospheric Rivers”
  • Western Association of Art Conservation
    • Ozge Gencay Ustun (presenting) “Building Resilient Communities with Disaster Preparedness Planning”

Wet Salvage Workshops
NEDCC is excited to host wet salvage workshops in 2025 at Turtle Bay Exploration Park and the Tulare County Museum. This is a great opportunity for cultural heritage organizations, emergency management personnel, and government departments to gain hands-on experience with salvage techniques for water emergencies, focusing on formats commonly found in cultural collections, including books, documents, photographs, and audiovisual materials. Register in advance here!

Museums Assessment Program (MAP)
If your organization is working on Core Documents Verification or the Museum Assessment Program (MAP), the “Ready – Or Not” team can assist with the disaster preparedness plan and provide guidance on museum best practices. Contact Hillary Ellis, Lead Emergency Preparedness Consultant, for more details at [email protected].


RoN Assessment Reports Secure Funding for Emergency Preparedness
Congratulations to the “Ready – Or Not” participants who successfully secured funding by incorporating their emergency assessments into their applications!

  • NEH awarded the GLBT Historical Society funds to purchase and install preservation furniture for rare and unique archival posters.
  • NEH also provided funding to the Automotive Research Library - Horseless Carriage Foundation for storage shelving, emergency response supplies, and online training to improve stewardship of materials related to automobile history.
  • Groundwork Grants supported the Mineral King Preservation Society in acquiring items to better preserve and protect their collection.
  • Groundwork Grants also supported Turtle Bay Exploration Park with funds to enhance the stewardship of their permanent collection of art, artifacts, historical documents, and images.


PROJECT BACKGROUND

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Information sessions

Learn more about the "Ready—Or Not" project and explore ways to engage in an emergency preparedness consultation.

Disaster Preparedness for Community Archives: View the recording.

Disaster Preparedness with Limited Resources: View the recording.

Disaster Planning for Remote and Rural Museums: View the recording.

Disaster Preparedness for Small Organizations: View the recording.

Disaster Preparedness for Tribal Organizations: View the recording.

Disaster Planning for Tribal Cultural Heritage Organizations: View the recording.

Getting Started with a Disaster Plan: View the recording.

Getting Your Library Ready for Disaster: View the recording.

Updating Your Disaster Plan: View the recording.


FAQS

  • What happens at a full-day site visit consultation?

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  • Can my organization meet for a half-day consultation?

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  • We have offsite storage and multiple locations. Can you visit all my sites?

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  • What staff need to be at the consultation?

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  • Can my organization really participate if we only have one staff/volunteer or a small collection?

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  • What do we discuss at the site visit?

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  • What is in the report after the consultation?

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  • When will the consultant send the report?

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  • How long do organization staff or volunteers have to make edits to the report?

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Resources for Participating Organizations

Pocket Response Resource: Instructions for Arts and Cultural Organizations

Download the Pocket Response Resource template here.

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Collections Management Grant Opportunities

Download a PDF here.

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Testimonials

"On behalf of Grupo de Teatro SINERGIA at the Frida Kahlo Theater, we want to express our deepest gratitude for the detailed and comprehensive consultation you gave us on emergency preparedness. You immediately understood the needs of a small arts organization, and the realities and challenges we face in a post-pandemic environment.  Your site visit was extremely thorough.  

We really appreciated the time you took to patiently listen to our needs, take a tour of the facilities, and advise us on how to begin creating a detailed plan to ensure both safety and succession/continuity of business for our organization. The 35 page report, plus templates and additional resources, will be invaluable as we move forward. Consulting with you regarding preservation of our archival materials was extremely helpful, as we gain awareness of the importance of our history, not only to the theater community, but to the Latinx community at large.

We would also like to acknowledge the California State Library for funding and the Northeast Document Conservation Center for implementing this program, which would have been beyond the scope of our resources. Grupo de Teatro SINERGIA wholeheartedly recommends this program and has given your information to several other Latinx theater companies in Los Angeles."

Rubén Amavizca, Administrative Director at the Frida Kahlo Theater

“I wanted to take a moment to express my deepest gratitude for your valuable time and effort spent with our museum staff yesterday for the 'Ready-Or Not' Cultural Heritage Disaster Preparedness Project. Your insights and expertise were truly enlightening and have significantly contributed to the success of our project. Your dedication to preserving and promoting cultural heritage is inspiring, and we are incredibly fortunate to have had the opportunity to learn from you. The knowledge and perspective you shared will undoubtedly help us in our ongoing efforts to safeguard our cultural heritage.” 

- James Bier, Museum Director of the Santa Ynez Chumash Museum and Cultural Center

PARTICIPATING ORGANIZATIONS:

Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Margaret Herrick Library
ACAWSO Archives
Adamson House Museum
Agua Caliente History Museum
Alpine County Library
American Bookbinders Museum
American Indian Council of Mariposa County/Southern Sierra Miwuk Nation
American River Nature Center
Anderson Collection at Stanford University
Angel Island State Park
Antelope Valley Indian Museum
Antelope Valley Rural Museum
Arhoolie Foundation
Auberry Branch Library

Banning Library District
Barona Cultural Center & Museum
Beale Memorial Library
Berkeley Architectural Heritage Association
Benicia Historical Park
Belvedere-Tiburon Landmarks Society
Bernhard Museum

Black Diamond Mine Archives
Bob Mizer Foundation
Bowers Museum
Buena Vista Rancheria

Calabasas Library
California College of the Arts Library
California Genealogical Society
California Historical Society
California Museum
Cal State LA Special Collections
California State Mining and Mineral Museum
California State Railroad Museum
California State University, Sacramento University Library
CSULB Special Collections & University Archives
California Surf Museum
Cal-Pac United Methodist Church Archives
Camron-Stanford House
Carolyn Campagna Kleefeld Contemporary Art Museum
Center for Art, Culture and History- Exeter (CACHE)
Center for Sacramento History
Center for the Study of Political Graphics
Center for Social Justice and Civil Liberties
Channel Islands Maritime Museums
Chicano Park Museum & Cultural Center
Chico History Museum
China Lake Museum Foundation
Chief Gene Friend Museum
Chumash Indian Museum
City of Maywood
City of San Diego
Civil Rights Institute of Inland Southern California
Claremont Colleges Library
Claremont Heritage
The Clarke Estate
Corita Art Center
Coronado Historical Association
Colonel Allensworth State Historic Park
Colton Hall Museum
Columbia State Historic Park
Cotsen Institute UCLA
County of Alameda Clerk-Recorder’s Office
County of Colusa Clerk-Recorder-Elections Archives
County of Riverside Archives
County of Santa Barbara Clerk-Recorder’s Office
Slab City Library
Courthouse Museum

Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center Command History Office and Archives
Del Norte County Library District
Diocese of San Jose Archives and Records Center
Death Valley National Park
Doris Foley Library

El Alisal - The Charles F. Lummis House
Ella Strong Denison Library at Scripps College
Eastern California Museum

Fallbrook Historical Society
Fiddletown Preservation Society
Filipino American National Historical Society
Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco
Freedom Archives
Fresno Art Museum
Fort Bragg Mendocino Coast Historical Society
Fort Ross Conservancy

The Gamble House
Ganna Walska Lotusland
Gerth Archives and Special Collections
Gibson Museum & Cultural Center
GLBT Historical Society & Museum
Golden Drift Museum
Grace Hudson Museum
Grass Valley Museum & Cultural Center
Great Valley Museum (Modesto Junior College)
Grizzly Creek Redwoods State Park Visitor Center

Hayward Area Historical Society
Heritage Museum of Orange County
Heritage Park in Santa Fe Springs
History San Jose
Hollyhock House (Frank Lloyd Wright)
Holocaust Museum
Horseless Carriage Foundation
Humboldt County Historical Society
Humboldt Redwoods State Park Visitor Center

Imperial Valley Desert Museum
Indian Grinding Rock State Historic Park

Japanese Cultural and Community Center of Northern California (JCCCNC/the Center)
Jenner Archive Project
June L. Mazer Archives
Johnsville Historical Society
Joshua Tree Art Innovation Laboratory

Kern River Valley Art Association
Kern River Valley Historical Society

La Galería at UC Merced
La Historia Historical Society Museum

La Peña Cultural Center
Lake Tahoe Historical Society
Lemon Grove Historical Society
Letterform Archive
Little Manila Rising
Los Angeles Philharmonic Archives
Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk
Los Encinos State Historic Park
Lucretia Little History Room (Mill Valley Public Library)

Maidu Library
Malaga Cove Library
Marina Del Rey Historical Society
Mechanics’ Institute
Mechoopda Indian Tribe of Chico Rancheria
Malki MuseumMarin County Recorder’s Historical Archives
Mineral King Preservation Society
Mission Viejo Library
Mojave Desert Heritage & Cultural Association
Montage Health
Monterey History & Art Association
Monterey County Free Libraries
Monterey Museum of Art
Monterey State Historic Park
Morris Graves Museum of Art
Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego
Museum of Us

New Museum Los Gatos
Novato History Museum

Oakdale Museum and History Center
Oakland Heritage Alliance
Oakland History Center
Oakland Museum of California
OC Parks
Occidental College Library
Oceanside Museum of Art
Ontario City Library
ONE Archives at USC Libraries
Orange Diocesan & Mission SJC Museum Archives
Orange Public Library
Orangevale History Project
Oroville Chinese Temple
Oroville Pioneer Museum

Pacific Biological Laboratories
Pajaro Valley Historical Association
Palo Alto Art Center
Palo Alto Historical Association
Pasadena Central Library
Patterson House
Pio Pico State Historic Park
Peninsula Center Library
The People's Center Museum
Peralta Hacienda Historical Park
Pfau Library at CSU San Bernardino
Pit River Tribe Historical Preservation Office
Pioneers’ Museum
Point Arena Lighthouse and Museum
Presidio of Monterey Museum

Quartz Valley Indian Reservation

Railtown 1897 State Historic Park
Redwood Genealogical Society
Richardson Grove State Park Visitor Center
Riley Library
Rim of the World Historical Society—Mountain History Museum
Riverside County Law Library
Riverside Public Library
Roseville Downtown Library
Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum

Sacramento Valley Museum
Saint Helena Historical Society
San Bruno Public Library
San Diego Chinese Historical Museum
San Diego County Archives
San Diego Clerk of the Board County Administration Center
San Diego National History Museum
San Diego Model Railroad Museum
San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance Library
San Francisco Photo Archive Collections
San Francisco Public Library
San Francisco Fire Department Museum
San Joaquin Valley Library
San Rafael Public Librar
Santa Ana Public Library
Santa Barbara Mission Archive Library
Santa Barbara Trust for Historic Preservation
Santa Clara City Library
Santa Clarita Valley Historical Society
Santa Clara Valley Water District Library
Santa Rosa Jr. College Multicultural Museum
Santa Ynez Chumash Museum & Cultural Center
Schoolhouse Museum
Scotts Valley Historical Society
Self Help Graphics & Art
SFO Museum
Shasta Historical Society
Sherman Indian Museum
Shinn Historical Park & Arboretum
Siskiyou County Library
Siskiyou County Museum
Society of California Pioneers
Sonoma County Libraries
Sonoma Valley Museum of Art
South Pasadena Historical Museum
Special Collections & Archives at Chapman University Leatherby Libraries

Tanimura & Antle Family Memorial Library at CSU Monterey Bay
Templeton Museum
Three Rivers Historical Museum
Timber Heritage Association
Tongva Taraxat Paxaavxa Conservancy
Tor House Foundation
Torrance Historical Society & Museum
Truckee-Donner Historical Society
Trudea Archives
Tübatulabal Tribe
Tulare County Library

Tulare County Museum
Turtle Bay Exploration Park
Twentynine Palms Historical Society

UC Berkeley Institute for Governmental Studies
UC Davis Archives and Special Collections
UC Irvine Special Collections & Archives
UC Merced Library
UC Riverside Library
UCLA Bunche Center for African American Studies
UCLA Chicano Studies Research Center

UCLA Department of Ethnomusicology
University of California San Francisco Library
USS Hornet—Sea, Air and Space Museum

Vacaville Museum
Veterans Curation Program

Walt Disney Family Museum
Wakamatsu Farm
Warnecke Ranch & Vineyards
Wende Museum
Whittier Museum
Will Rogers State Historic Park
William E. Colby Library
Willows Library
Woodlake Valley Culture Museum
Workman and Temple Family Homestead Museum
The Writers Guild Foundation


Yolo County Archives
Yolo County Records Center & Historical Collection
Yosemite Museum

 


This project is supported in whole or in part by funding provided by the State of California, administered by the California State Library. 

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