Protecting Library & Archive Collections: Disaster Preparedness, Response & Recovery 

The Western States and Territories Preservation Assistance Service (WESTPAS) is offering a series of disaster planning workshops in the West. A two-part workshop has been scheduled in Spokane in September/October: 

• Part 1: Tuesday, September 16, 2008, 9am-4pm
• Part 2: Wednesday October 29, 9am-4pm

Where:
Northwest Museum of Arts & Culture (Eastern Washington State Historical Society)
Gilkey Community Room
2316 W. First Avenue
Spokane, WA  99201

Workshop instructor Gary Menges is Preservation Administrator at the University of Washington Libraries, Seattle.

The “Protecting Library & Archive Collections” workshops are presented in a 2-part sequence to produce the following outcomes for disaster preparedness activities:

• Complete a disaster plan by the end of Part 2.
• Learn how to train staff to implement your plan effectively.
• Set pre- and post-disaster action priorities for your collections.
• Learn how to use practical decision-making skills during an emergency.
• Experience salvage procedures for books, documents, and non-print media.

The workshop days are scheduled several weeks apart. Participants will prepare short assignments prior to the first session; between sessions, they will undertake additional assignments resulting in a completed disaster plan at the end of Part 2. Upon completion, the institution will be invited to join an informal network of WESTPAS trained personnel to provide mutual aid in the event of emergencies involving collections in the region.

Who should attend:
Administrators and staff responsible for emergency preparedness, response and decision-making, in all types of libraries and archives.  By registering for the workshop, the institution commits to supporting the attendee(s) to achieve the workshop’s disaster preparedness goals. When possible, please send two attendees from a library or archive so they can work together on the disaster preparedness activities.

Cost:
No charge to the institution.  Funding provided by the National Endowment for the Humanities. The Washington workshops are co-sponsored by the Oregon State Library and the Washington workshops by the Washington State Library and Washington State Archives.

Registration:
Pre-registration is required. To register go to: http://evanced.califa.org/pls/lib/eventcalendar.asp?lib=4.Go to September and click on September 16. For registration assistance contact:Kathy Krause krause@plsinfo.org.Information about the individual workshops and registration information for each workshops will be sent in separate email messages.

On behalf of WLA’s Nominating Committee, I am sending out the first of many announcements about opportunities to serve WLA in the coming year, 2009.

Each January, a slate of candidates for election to open offices is presented. To cast as wide a net as possible, we are opening this nominating process to all. Right now in July, we’d like you to think about running; in late Fall, we’d like your firm commitment. At the end of this email is the application form to return. The Nominating Committee Application Form is available on the WLA webpage for future reference, as are all the job descriptions for the open positions and all the Board meeting and retreat dates.

There may be people in your own circle of friends and colleagues that come to mind, so please do encourage them to run. But don’t be shy; send in an application yourself! A dedication to service, a desire to help, being open to learning new skills, and making new friends are what we seek. Leadership skills, career building, and a statewide fellowship of dedicated librarians are all proven hallmarks of WLA involvement.

Please do think about it.

Sincerely,

Diane Cowles
Nominating Committee, Chairperson