When disaster strikes, people are often most concerned with getting themselves to safety, rather than worrying about historical artifacts. For those who work in museums and archives, however, these often-irreplaceable artifacts need to be their priority, especially so given the frequent vulnerability of these items to damage from fires and floods, according to The CBC.
In an attempt to help protect these items, and inspired by the challenges faced after Fiona, the Council of Nova Scotia Archives has put together a set of disaster kits to be distributed across the Canadian province. Primarily created with water in mind, whether from storms, flooding, or firefighting, these kits include an assortment of personal protective equipment, packing, and waterproofing items, designed to allow repairs, cleanup, and artifact storage.
Says Sharon Murray, archives advisor for the council, “these are kits that contain supplies that will help heritage organizations … protect their collections and to salvage them, so to rescue them, get them out of harm’s way. Which, as I’m sure everyone can imagine, is a big concern for folks because the reason that archives and museums have the things they have is because they’re one-of-a-kind and they can’t be replaced.”
Murray also notes the change in concerns with respect to extreme weather events over the last twenty years, with the province being affected earlier this year by both wildfires and floods. Says Murray, “I’m sure there’s lots that’s been lost to all of the natural disasters we’ve had before. Fires, floods, you name it. It’s a lot of responsibility in some ways, being a steward of cultural heritage, but it’s incredibly meaningful work.”
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