External Resources

Disaster Recovery

dPlan-RI is a free online tool that will help you simplify the process of writing a disaster plan. dPlan-RI has been adapted from dPlan, an online disaster-planning template, for use by Rhode Island collections-based cultural heritage organizations. Adaptations, changes, additions, and training were implemented by Protecting the Past – RI, a project of the Office of Library and Information Services (OLIS) with support from the Rhode Island State Archives. The project was funded by a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) Connecting to Collections initiative.
Pocket Response Plan (PReP)™ is a concise document for recording essential information needed by staff in case of a disaster or other emergency. Every person having a response-related assignment should carry a PReP with them at all times.

Preservation and Conservation Resources

North East Document Conservation Center (NEDCC)
A non-profit conservation center in the United States that specializes in the preservation of paper-based library and archival materials.

National Park Service Conserve O Grams
These short, focused leaflets about caring for museum objects are published in loose-leaf format. New topics are added as needed and out-of-date issues are revised or deleted.

Connecting to Collections Care
The Connecting to Collections (C2C) Care Online Community helps smaller museums, libraries, archives, and historical societies get answers to collections care questions, quickly locate reliable preservation resources, and connect staff members to a network of their colleagues.

Research and Reference

Introduction to Records and Information Management for State and Local Governments – This 90 minute narrated PowerPoint presentation was developed by the Council of State Archivists as part of its Intergovernmental Preparedness for Essential Records (IPER) Project.
Keeping it simple: Introductory archival guidance for voluntary small sector organisations, v1 by the Campaign for Voluntary Sector Archives (CVSA). This guide is intended for those who are creating, have inherited or who for any reason have responsibility for digital (or electronic) and paper records that they judge to have lasting value.

The Preservation Directorate at the Library of Congress is responsible for ensuring long-term access to the intellectual content of the collections. There are various resources available that address topics of interest to repositories with regards to preservation.
Manual for Small Archives by the Archives Association of British Columbia. This Manual is not a textbook for professionally educated or trained archivists. It is designed to help persons in small archives, with limited access to training, with few employees, with restricted finances and time.

Society of American Archivist Standards Portal

Request Basics of Archives