A three-year grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities will help the Alaska Division of Libraries, Archives and Museums train cultural organizations across Alaska in emergency preparedness and response.
Project director Anjuli Grantham announced the $270,752 grant on Jan 14.
Details on registering for the program, which is to begin in March, with the first training in Juneau in the fall, are to be sent to affiliated libraries and museums in Alaska.
The project will help cultural organizations develop emergency plans and provide hands-on training in conducting risk assessments, evacuating collections and salvaging artifacts and archival materials following a disaster.
“Many museums libraries and archival institutions were affected by the Nov. 30, 2018 earthquake near Anchorage,” Grantham said. “This summer we watched as wildfires threatened communities across the state. It’s clear that Alaska’s collecting institutions need training to assess what risks they face and how to take care of Alaska’s priceless heritage materials when disasters strike.”
