May Day! May Day!

Do you have a disaster plan? Do you have a priority list of collections and records that are vital to you organization? Have you ever done an active shooter training with your staff? Do key staff members know basic first aid? Have you invited your local first responders to tour your facility?

If you answered yes to even one of these questions, you’re off to a good start. If you’ve answered no to any of these questions, May is a great time to DO ONE THING to improve your organization’s resiliency in the face of disaster.

May Day continues the tradition established by the Society of American Archivists and Heritage Preservation, the Foundation for Advancement in Conservation encourages libraries, museums, archives, historical societies, and preservation organizations to set aside May 1st to participate in MayDay. The call-to-action isn’t lofty; it asks you to do just one thing.

The “one thing” doesn’t need to be dramatic. Emergency and disaster plans take time to create and gain consensus on. Creating relationships with disaster vendors and first responders takes time. Staff training takes time and money. Don’t let the bigger project stop you from making progress!

We’d love to know what one thing you will commit to this month. Fill out our May question-of-the-month and you’ll be entered into a drawing for a Lowe’s gift card so that you can restock some of the supplies in your disaster kit.