This page presents an outline of helpful resources for disaster recovery as compiled by our local experts from Hamilton Library at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, Liane Naauao and Malia Van Heukelem.
Image Source: Wikimedia Commons, public domain
- The National Heritage Responders (NHR) are part of the Foundation for Advancement in Conservation (FAIC) and assist cultural institutions and the public with response and recovery efforts following a disaster. Their website includes contact information for affected institutions, as well as links to salvage and recovery resources such as videos and tip sheets: https://www.culturalheritage.org/resources/emergencies/national-heritage-responders
- The Smithsonian Cultural Rescue Initiative (SCRI) seeks to protect and mitigate damage to cultural heritage threatened and impacted by disaster through outreach and training activities. SCRI co-sponsors the Heritage Emergency National Task Force (HENTF) with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and links to training opportunities and Save Your Family Treasures resources can be found here: https://culturalrescue.si.edu/who-we-are/hentf
- The Library of Congress published its Research Guide on Collection Emergency Management for Preservation on May Day 2026, covering the full emergency management cycle from preparedness to response and recovery: https://guides.loc.gov/collection_emergency_management/response
- The Council of State Archivists (COSA) hosts a free pocket response plan (PReP) template aimed for state archives and records management agencies here: https://statearchivists.org/pocket-response-templates/
- The now-defunct Western States and Territories Preservation Assistance Service (WESTPAS) modified COSAʻs PReP to gear it toward libraries and museums (see PReP-generic)
- Packing Books for Freezing flyer
- Former Hamilton Library employee Kyle Hamada also created a canopy-making instruction sheet that is useful when dealing with ceiling leaks (see below)