Introduction
When disaster strikes, what will you do to protect your cultural artifacts? What actually occurs may be very different from what you expect. Even with a plan, you’ll need clear and practical advice to help you with your initial response and salvaging steps.
As part of its knowledge dissemination efforts, Qirab is officially releasing an Arabic version* of the American Institute for Conservation (AIC) and the Foundation for Advancement in Conservation’s (FAIC) Field Guide to Emergency Response. The publication is a handbook that provides a step-by-step guide to heritage professionals to work through natural and human-instigated disasters in order to save their precious collections and prevent further damage. This translation is possible due to the generous permission of AIC and FAIC.
Follow the Field Guide’s step-by-step instructions tailored to the scope of your emergency: what to do first, whom to call, how to prevent further damage. Find information on how to form a response team to deal with multiple tasks, including working with emergency responders, assessing and documenting damage, ensuring health and safety of staff, and setting up a salvage operation. Stabilize your collections with advice from professionals on handling the most common types of damage from water, mold, corrosion, pests, and other threats. Customize handy checklists for your institution and find vital conservation resources.
*AIC and FAIC had created a leaflet of the handbook, the Emergency Response and Salvage Wheel, which was previously translated to Arabic by Qirab as well as The Arab Image Foundation.
Chapters
- Emergency and Institutional Contacts
- Now, Where Is That and What Do I Save First?
- Insurance and Suppliers and Vendors
- Master Supply List
About AIC and FAIC
The American Institute for Conservation and the Foundation for Advancement in Conservation work together to promote the preservation and protection of cultural heritage. Find out more here.
Download
The field guide is an excellent tool for both response and recovery, and is now available online free of charge in PDF format for all Arabic-speaking users on Qirab’s website as well as on Archive.org. The file is set up to be easily printed in A5 format with a spiral binding to facilitate its accessibility and portability.