Almost fifteen years after Hurricane Katrina devastated the Gulf Coast, integrating spatial technologies in disaster response has become a necessity. Based on the strategies developed and undertaken in Louisiana, we now have better, faster, more comprehensive spatial data and capabilities. Although causing a great deal of damage, Katrina also provided an important learning environment for identifying challenges and generating solutions in responding to extensive cultural resources issues in a disaster. Involving spatial technologies in strategies for a large-scale compliance with historic preservation laws proved invaluable in identifying potential cultural resources, in evaluating those resources for their eligibility to the National Register, and in providing important treatment measures during long term recovery efforts. Creating these digital cultural resource inventories, as well as developing data standards and processes to share that data quickly following a disaster are all critical elements of protecting our heritage and in improving preparedness for future emergencies. Inevitably we will lose important cultural resources to natural and manmade disasters, and without a full understanding of where these resources are now, we lose the ability to prepare, steward and document them for benefit of everyone. As our technological tools improve and expand, we have many more options to ensure preservation of our resources in many forms.

There are many national, regional, and local platforms to manage emergency response. This webinar will examine some of the most important ones that involve the cultural heritage sector, and discuss how individuals and institutions can get involved in responding to disasters that affect library, museum, and archive collections.

This session offers the preservation professional tools for gaining a seat at the planning table and transforming good intentions into a robust emergency management program.

This session will discuss findings on the needs of performing arts organizations during disasters, information on Disaster Networks that include arts organizations, and the resources of the Performing Arts Readiness project.

This webinar will outline practical every day strategies for maintaining a culture of preparedness and avoiding common pitfalls that lead to unusable emergency plans and difficult responses.