State Library and State Archives Lead Forum of First Responders and Cultural Heritage Leaders to Strengthen Capital Region’s Emergency Preparedness

First responders, emergency managers, and members of the cultural heritage community will meet on Monday, June 13 at The Frances Young Tang Teaching Museum and Art Gallery at Skidmore College to join forces to protect the Capital Region’s valuable art, historic artifacts and records, and monuments from damage or loss during future emergencies. The day-long forum, “New York Capital Region Alliance for Response”, is organized by the New York State Library, State Archives, and the Foundation of the American Institute for Conservation.

The forum features presentations on the importance of protecting and preserving cultural and historic treasures, building a disaster response network, understanding the risks to cultural collections and historic sites, and the role of local governments, state and federal agencies, and non-government organizations and professionals in disaster response and recovery.

“Unfortunately, cultural artifacts and documents are not immune to damage during an emergency,” said State Education Commissioner MaryEllen Elia. “That’s why it’s important for our cultural heritage coordinators and our emergency responders to work together to protect our cultural assets in the event of an emergency. I applaud the emergency responders and members of the cultural heritage community who attend the forum and will be better prepared to minimize the impact of future disasters.”

Alliance for Response is a national initiative that has helped organize over two dozen response communities over the past 13 years. The State Library and State Archives have served as the lead institutions in planning this program, recognizing the need for regional organization for the New York Capital Region in support of emergency preparedness efforts.

Sponsors of the forum include: the National Endowment for the Humanities, the New York State Archives Partnership Trust, Polygon, Maggs & Associates, and The Frances Young Tang Teaching Museum and Art Gallery at Skidmore College.