Help save the fine arts and music libraries at the University of Florida

The University of Florida plans to close the Architecture and Fine Arts and the Music libraries, sending all of the books to the very busy and Starbucks-supplied Main Library and causing the loss of 15,000 sq. ft. of collaboration and study space.  All while the football coach Will Muschamp gets roughly $2.75 million a year and the University increasingly concentrates on the Science, Tech, and Medicine to the detriment to all other fields.

An architecture student on our campus has already set up an online petition at – http://tinyurl.com/saveUFlibraries

And the local newspaper story — http://www.gainesville.com/article/20110831/ARTICLES/110839864?p=all&tc=pgall

And here’s the “wikiLeaks” data surrounding it all — http://afalibrarywatch.blogspot.com/


Emergency & Disaster Preparedness Workshop in Charlotte, NC

The North Carolina Connecting to Collections Project (C2C) will be sponsoring an Emergency & Disaster Preparedness workshop on April 11, 2011 hosted by the Charlotte Museum of History for staff, board members, and volunteers who are interested in preserving and protecting cultural heritage when faced with emergency situations. The workshop will be led by Matthew Hunt, C2C’s Disaster Preparedness Coordinator.

Disasters come in many forms—Natural, Human-generated, Intentional, and Unintentional—and all are capable of causing significant property damage. Through this workshop we will give cultural institutions the tools and training to start their disaster planning and response preparations. We will all face a disaster one day, and our success after it will depend on our preparation for it. This workshop will cover the importance of planning for emergency situations, the elements of a disaster plan and why we need to test existing plans.

The workshop will open with an information session about C2C and NC ECHO; questions, feedback, and networking are encouraged. Participants in the C2C sessions have a unique opportunity to help improve how cultural heritage institutions (museums, archives, libraries, and historic sites) care for a wide variety of artifacts, books, papers, and other objects of our state’s cultural past. C2C project staff wants input on what types of workshops are needed. Additional workshops on collections conservation care and disaster preparedness will be offered in the future.

The North Carolina Connecting to Collections Project is an IMLS grant-funded initiative aimed at helping institutions better care for their collections. A variety of partner organizations have made this project possible: Federation of NC Historical Societies, NC Museums Council, NC Preservation Consortium, State Historic Records Advisory Board, and Society of NC Archivists.

Register at: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/disasterpreparednesscharlotte

Registration Fee: $10

Make checks or money orders payable to: NC Department of Cultural Resources

Send checks or money orders to:

Michelle Vaughn
Connecting to Collections
4610 Mail Service Center
Raleigh, NC 27699-4610

Please mail a copy of your registration with your registration check.


University of Iowa Museum of Art Implements Disaster Plan

The UI Museum of Art has a disaster plan which was implemented last week. On a proactive basis the fine arts insurance company, Lloyds of London, has provided an emergency response team with fine art expertise. Three out-of-state conservators have been on-site preparing objects to be transported off campus as needed. Professional fine art packers and shippers are assisting museum and university staff. We have security staff on-site 24 hours a day. There has been no significant intrusion of water to the facilities.


Arts campus libraries, including music and art have been closed as if they shouldn’t expect to get back into the buildings until August.

Some flooding photos from yesterday can be seen here:

http://uiflood.blogspot.com/2008/06/flooding-photos.html

The School of Art and Art history is the building in the photo, the library is on the second level.


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