OK, now nobody has an excuse for not doing a Disaster Plan!  The good folks
at Northeast Document Conservation Centre and the Massachusetts Board of
Library Commissioners have just released a new online tool for creating a
disaster plan.  See the announcement below.   And remember folks AAO
Institutional Members can request a site visit from me to help assess the
risks to your archival holdings and facility and discuss mitigation options
and strategies.

Iona McCraith, AAO Preservation Consultant

*****************************************

May, 2006

For Immediate Release:

The Northeast Document Conservation Center and the Massachusetts Board
of Library Commissioners Announce: dPlan(tm): The Online Disaster-Planning
Tool


What is dPlan?

 dPlan is a free Web-based fill-in-the-blank program for writing
institutional disaster plans.

It was created, tested, and refined by the Northeast Document
Conservation Center and the Massachusetts Board of Library
Commissioners, with funding from the Institute of Museum and Library
Services and the National Center for Preservation Technology and
Training.


How does dPlan work?

 Log on to www.dplan.org <http://www.dplan.org/>  and enter your
institutions' information into a template that guides you through the
creation of a comprehensive disaster plan. Explore dPlan's features in
an introductory demo on the homepage.

 dPlan's easy-to-use program automatically supplies language for a final
plan.  The resulting printable, customized disaster plan contains
checklists of all disaster procedures, salvage priorities, preventive
maintenance schedules, current contact information for personnel,
insurance and IT help, as well as a list of supply sources and emergency
services.

Once completed, your password-protected plan is stored on a secure
server so it can be updated on a regular basis. An automatic e-mail is
sent every six months to remind you to update your plan.


Who needs dPlan?

According to the Heritage Health Index, produced by a partnership
between Heritage Preservation and the Institute of Museum and Library
Services, 80% of collecting institutions do not have an emergency plan
that includes collections with staff trained to carry out the plan.

dPlan is designed to help institutions of all sizes:

*         Small and medium-sized institutions that do not have in-house
preservation staff

*         University libraries, museum campuses, or statewide library
systems that need to develop separate but related plans for multiple
buildings, locations, or
branches

*         State agencies or professional associations that seek to
structure training programs on disaster planning

To use dPlan, or to view the introductory demo, go to: www.dplan.org
http://www.dplan.org/

 For more information, contact Lori Foley of NEDCC, [log in to unmask]
   or Gregor Trinkaus-Randall of MBLC,
[log in to unmask]








NORTHEAST DOCUMENT CONSERVATION CENTER

100 Brickstone Square

Andover, MA 01810

978. 470.1010        www.nedcc.org <http://www.nedcc.org/>